Playboi Carti has finally released his fourth studio album, MUSIC. Among many features, Kendrick Lamar‘s collab with Carti is a standout on the album as he seemingly addresses the aftermath of his years-long beef with Drake.
Source: Christopher Polk/Cole Burston/Prince Williams / Getty
Lamar is standing on business when it comes to his feud with Drake, although the two rappers ended their back-and-forth in May of 2024, and are no longer sending direct shots. However, the Compton rapper is keeping his foot on Drake’s neck. In a new opportunity to address the beef, Lamar hopped on Carti’s “Good Credit,” and addressed “conspiracy theories.”
“The numbers is nothing, the money is nothing, I really been him, I promise / Say Kenny been heavy out West and I carry the weight, n***a, I’m Luka Dončić / Conspiracy theories is a given, but I must admit it, you got the wrong person,” he rapped.
According to Hip Hop DX, the lyrics reference Drake’s subsequent lawsuit against Universal Music Group. As previously reported, in the lawsuit, Drake claims that his label (Universal Music Group), Lamar’s label (Interscope), and streaming giant, Spotify worked together to boost the popularity of “Not Like Us.”
Lamar is not directly named in the lawsuit, but the “Nokia” rapper also claims Universal Music Group utilized streaming bots and payola tactics to inflate the “Not Like Us” numbers. The lawsuit alleges that the aforementioned companies did so to defame Drake and harm his reputation. He believes Universal Music Group specifically participated so he would have less leverage when renegotiating his contract.
Lamar’s collab with Carti is the first time he addresses the whole debacle, though he made a small comment about it during his Super Bowl performance in February.
Source: Kara Durrette / Getty
Kendrick Lamar has proven he is not one to shy away from a battle. He continues his bold streak and dedicates more of his bars in “Good Credit” to his battle with Drake. The “Squabble Up” rapper seemingly references Drake’s 2016 hit “Fake Love,” while sending a shot to A$AP Rocky‘s accuser, A$AP Relli.
“The hate get realer, the love get fake / But when you this great, that’s how you should like it,” he rapped about Drake.
He continued, “Eliantte chain go big, white gold link fall on the belly / The emerald cuff for hers and his, that b***h on point like A$AP Relli.“
Even though Drake filed the lawsuit, he hasn’t had much to say about it publicly. He continues to make music as he dropped a Valentine’s Day project with PartyNextDoor. However, it seems like he was the only rapper in the industry who didn’t make an appearance on Playboi Carti’s highly anticipated fourth album, MUSIC. The project also features verses from Future, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, The Weeknd, Skepta and Ty Dolla $ign. Many of them have publicly expressed disdain for Drake, including Future and The Weeknd.
The album was released on March 14th, hours after its initial release time. Carti explained that they had to wait on clearances for samples. This marks his first project since he released Whole Lotta Red in 2020.
The post Kendrick Lamar References Drake’s Payola Lawsuit On Playboi Carti’s New Album ‘MUSIC’ appeared first on Bossip.