Kendrick Lamar Unleashes Fiery Diss Track “6:16 in LA,” Escalating Vicious Rap Battle with Drake.
The long-simmering tensions between hip-hop icons Kendrick Lamar and Drake have erupted into an all-out lyrical war.
Just days after firing the opening salvo with the surprise diss track “Euphoria,” Lamar has doubled down, unleashing another blistering response titled “6:16 in LA” aimed directly at his Canadian rap rival.
On the scathing new record, Lamar doesn’t hold anything back, hurling vicious barbs at Drake’s character and credibility as an artist. “Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me?/Fake bully, I hate bullies/You must be a terrible person.
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Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it,” the Compton native seethes, taking shots at Drake’s OVO Sound record label.
Lamar also appears to reference Drake’s 2020 attempt to spark a TikTok dance challenge craze with his viral hit “Toosie Slide.” Dismissing the effort, he raps with derision, “Can’t Toosie Slide up outta this one/It’s just gon’ resurface.”
One of the most eyebrow-raising revelations is Lamar’s collaboration with pop music producer Jack Antonoff, known for his extensive work alongside Taylor Swift.
The inclusion of Antonoff seems to be a pointed response to accusations from Drake on his own recent diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle.”
On that scathing diss, Drake took aim at Lamar’s rumored relationship with Swift and her team, rapping: “Now we gotta wait a fuckin’ week ’cause Taylor Swift is your new Top/And if you ’bout to drop, she gotta approve/This girl really ’bout to make you act like you not in a feud/She tailor-made your schedule with Ant, you out of the loop.”
Lamar’s longtime producer and collaborator Sounwave also reportedly co-produced “6:16 in LA,” bringing the two sides of this vicious rap feud squarely into the same musical arena.
The new diss track also calls out the role of influential media personality DJ Akademiks, who has been closely following and fanning the flames of the beef between the two rappers.
“Yeah, somebody’s lyin’, I could see the vibes on Ak’/Even he lookin’ compromised, let’s peel the layers back/Ain’t no brownie points will be on your chest/Harassin’ and fuckin’ with good people,” Lamar declares.
This lyrical jab seems to reference Akademiks amplifying alleged text messages from Drake claiming he had been “waiting on Kendrick for years to go first” before firing back after initially wanting to “come off tour and relax.”
The origins of this heated battle trace back to the lyrics on “Euphoria,” where Lamar took clear shots at Drake’s musical approach and mainstream appeal.
The title of ‘6:16 in LA’ might be the QUINTUPLE entendre that Drake asked for 🤯🤯
• Kendrick Lamar drops the song at exactly 6:16am
• 16th of June 2024 is father’s day in Canada
• 16th of June 1972 Tupac Shakur was born
• 16th of June 1994 OJ Simpsons murder trial… pic.twitter.com/q7sUA33Vat— Hip Hop All Day (@HipHopAllDayy) May 3, 2024
“I make music that electrify ’em, you make music that pacify ’em/I can double down on that line, but spare you this time, that’s random acts of kindness,” he rapped.
Drake appeared well aware that a response from Lamar was imminent, releasing two singles in quick succession prior to “Euphoria,” seemingly in an attempt to bait his rival into the feud.
With “6:16 in LA,” Lamar has made it abundantly clear he is not backing down anytime soon. The vicious lyrical blows have fans and insiders wondering how and when Drake will choose to retaliate.
Will the Toronto rapper fire back with an equally scathing diss record to reassert his dominance? Or will he take the strategic route of letting Lamar’s heated words lie, refusing to provide more fuel for the rap battle blazing between the two contemporary giants?
One thing is certain – this vicious exchange has captivated the entire hip-hop world and thrust the long-standing tradition of rap feuds back into the cultural spotlight.
As two elite lyricists trade bars and call each other’s character into question, all eyes are on Drake’s next move as this rivalry reaches unforeseen levels of intensity.
