Kendrick Lamar just added another major milestone to his already groundbreaking career. As reported by Business of Fashion, the Compton rapper has officially been named the newest ambassador for Chanel, making him the latest Hip Hop icon to step into the luxury fashion space. The partnership kicks off with Chanel’s new eyewear campaign, which is set to launch on Tuesday (April 22) and features Lamar in visuals shot by renowned fashion photographer Karim Sadli.

“Chanel has a timeless legacy, and that is always something I can get behind,” Lamar said in a statement. “Since they don’t make clothes for men, I knew it would have to be glasses.” He previously wore Chanel eyewear in the video for “luther,” his 2024 collaboration with SZA.

Kendrick Lamar and Chanel’s growing creative relationship

Lamar’s connection to Chanel didn’t start with this campaign. In 2023, he attended the Met Gala honoring Karl Lagerfeld while wearing a custom quilted leather bomber designed by former Chanel creative director Virginie Viard. From there, his creative studio with Dave Free, pgLang, worked with Chanel to design the set for its January 2024 haute couture show. The duo also directed a short film titled The Button, commissioned by the brand as part of that presentation.

“I spent a week in Paris with their team and explored the brand history,” Lamar recalled. “I visited the Chanel ateliers and saw the process of how something goes from design to execution. Seeing the people who work hard and bring these visions to life resonates with me.”

Kendrick Lamar makes history with Gatorade commercial

On Friday (April 18), Kendrick Lamar made headlines as the first musician ever to appear in a Gatorade commercial. The campaign, titled “Lose More. Win More.,” featured Lamar delivering a powerful motivational monologue over his GNX standout “Peekaboo.” In the ad, Kendrick challenges viewers: “How much are you willing to lose?” — a line that sets the tone with help from Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum, A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark. Per Sports Business Journal, Gatorade’s Chief Brand Officer Anuj Bhasin spoke on how Lamar was chosen “because of his mindset of hard work, resilience and pushing boundaries.”

As if the Chanel and Gatorade moves weren’t enough, Kendrick also hit the stage this past weekend to kick off the “Grand National Tour” with SZA. Their joint trek began on Saturday night (April 19) at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium, where the longtime collaborators and former TDE labelmates performed songs from their respective releases, GNX and SOS Deluxe: Lana.