Kendrick Lamar new track aimed at Drake, titled “6:16 in LA”
Kendrick Lamar has followed in Drake’s footsteps by dropping consecutive diss tracks aimed at the Toronto-born rapper. After unexpectedly dropping his hard-hitting “Euphoria” track on Tuesday, the artist from Compton, California, unveiled “6:16 in LA” on his Instagram the following Friday morning. The song’s title nods to a format made famous by Drake, who has released a series of songs with time-stamped titles, such as “6PM in New York” from “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” and “8am in Charlotte” from his latest album, “For All the Dogs.”
“The struggle is real,” Lamar begins the song. “I have a feeling someone’s not telling the truth. I can sense deceit in the air.” The artwork for the song that lasts 3 minutes and 44 seconds features a picture of a black Maybach glove. Rick Ross, the creator of the rap label Maybach Music Group, recently joined a complicated rap dispute with his track “Champagne Moments.”
Lamar starts the song by mentioning purchasing yachts and traveling to Ibiza, which could be a reference to Ross’ music style that focuses on luxury. He questions his identity if he does not participate in war, emphasizing that provoking good individuals can prompt them to take action.
Lamar fires a diss track at Drake’s record label and crew, suggesting they’re secretly on his payroll, and then brands Drake a phony tough guy. He goes on to say, “I despise bullies. You must be a horrible individual. Everyone on your team is murmuring that you brought it upon yourself.”
Lamar mentioned that he was enjoying the back-forth banter until Drake offered a reward for negative information about the other rapper. However, Lamar asserts that Drake ended up losing money because there was no evidence to support the claims made against him.
“I’m sorry that my life may seem dull to others, but I cherish the peace and tranquility that it brings. However, I am willing to stand up and defend my beliefs, even if it means facing the possibility of conflict and violence.”
Lamar persists in attacking OVO, suggesting that Drake should have realized that his group is only there to exploit him. He alleges that Drake has a team of 100 individuals on payroll, with 20 of them potentially wishing harm upon him.
The rapper who won the Pulitzer Prize concludes the song by mentioning Michael Jackson’s popular song “You Are Not Alone,” suggesting that listeners should consider the people around them and think about what Michael Jackson would do in their situation before feeling isolated.
Drake and Lamar have both paid homage to Jackson in their music, with Drake going so far as to say he’s just one hit shy of Jackson’s record 13 Billboard Hot 100 hits in his October track “First Person Shooter.” It’s a feat he’s since achieved with that very song. Additionally, Drake has incorporated samples of Jackson’s vocals in his 2018 track “Don’t Matter to Me,” which was taken from an unreleased 1980 studio session.
Lamar continued his verse on the track “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin, rapping about how Prince lived longer than Michael Jackson.
Lamar praised Drake’s song “Back To Back” in “Euphoria,” expressing his appreciation for the track. Released in 2015, the single was a diss track directed at rapper Meek Mill and served as Drake’s response to his initial diss track, “Charged Up.”
Lamar recently put out a new track that follows another one he released. In theEuphoria,” Lamar criticized Drake, accusing him of being dishonest, targeting his bond with his child, and bringing up the ongoing dispute between Drake and Pusha T.
He went on to ask: “When will the endless fairy tale stories about your life become too much? How many more Black characteristics will take for you to feel truly Black?”
Pusha T and Drake, who are of mixed racial descent, had a contentious history together. In their earlier rivalry, Pusha T utilized a viral picture of Drake dressed in blackface as the cover art for his diss single, “The Story of Adidon.” Drake retorted that the image was taken in 2007 as part of a project meant to draw attention to the difficulties that young Black performers encounter, such as stereotypes and typecasting. Furthermore, Pusha T disclosed that Drake was a father, something that was not widely known at the time.
Drake’s releases “Euphoria” and “6:16 in LA” come after his diss tracks “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle.” The latter was removed from streaming platforms following a threat of legal action from Tupac Shakur’s estate, who objected to the use of an AI-generated voice imitation of Tupac. In a cease-and-desist letter obtained by USA TODAY, the estate expressed their disapproval, emphasizing that Kendrick Lamar, a close friend and supporter of Tupac’s legacy, was also disrespected by the unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice in the track.