UPDATE: Hours after Kendrick released “euphoria,” some additional context about the song has been developed and speculated. The song has released to digital streaming platforms as an Interscope Records single (and added to the top of the Ambrosia For Heads playlist, embedded below). No producer has yet been credited. Its opening has also been identified as a reversed sample of Richard Pryor’s dialogue from the 1978 film version of The Wiz, where the title character says, “Everything they say about me is true.” In the film, not the song, the next sentence is “I’m a phony.”

Top Dawg, Kendrick’s mentor and former employer/business partner, defended Lamar. He called the Compton MC “still the king,” and referred to TDE as a family.

We saw everybody that showed their hand. This the family. Dot still the King. TDE.

— TOP DAWG #TDE (@dangerookipawaa) April 30, 2024

Complex has reported that “euphoria” is something Kendrick mentioned in 2022’s “The Heart Part 5.” In that song he rapped, “Euphoria is glorified and made His / Reflectin’ on my life and what I done / Paid dues, made rules, change outta love / Them same views made schools change curriculums / But didn’t change me starin’ down the barrel of the gun.” At that moment in the music video, Kendrick’s face morphed into that of Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant & Kendrick Lamar Share Their Secrets On What It Takes To Become Great (Video)

Notably, today’s song released at 8:24am PST. Kobe wore jersey numbers 8 and 24. The publication orchestrated an interview of Kobe and Kendrick in 2017, less than three years before Bryant’s tragic death.

 

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Notably, on 2023’s “Stories About My Brother,” Drake rapped: “My brother say I’m better than everyone, he biased as f__k / Blood is thicker than water, n___a, his iron is up / And if you keep eyein’ me down, trust me, his iron is up / Your last album was buns, you n___as Hawaiian as f__k / N___as so down bad, they makin’ alliances up / Cliquein’ up with haters that was thinkin’ of signin’ to us / Knowin’ good and well, that when I drop, they inspired as f__k / Secret admirers too embarrassed, they hide in the cut / CN Towerin’ over you n___as, I’m giant as f__k / Wait on whoever to say whatever, they quiet as f__k / The city don’t love you like that and they fryin’ you up / I can’t wait for the day that you choose to retire your stuff / Takin’ off the sneakers ’cause you tired of tyin’ ’em up / That one day you wake up and tell ’em ‘Enough is enough’ / That’s how you gon’ find out you not Kobe Bryant to us / Man, you not Kobe Bryant to us, at all / And if them h_es really love you, then them h_es, they lyin’ to us.”

Explaining Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Albums

Those lyrics may have been an impetus to the developing storyline below.

ORIGINAL STORY: Last month, Kendrick Lamar launched a surprise diss on Drake and J. Cole through a feature verse on Future & Metro Boomin’s “LIKE THAT,” this month saw stakes raised through responses by J. Cole and two songs by Drake. This web has also grown to include Metro, Future, Rick Ross, The Weeknd, and others.

Notably, Cole retracted his diss record with a public apology. Drake has doubled down. “Push Ups” tore into Kendrick Lamar, his rapping, his business deals, and his personal life. Since that release, Drake followed with “Taylor Made,” a song that accused Kendrick of withholding a response to accommodate past collaborator Taylor Swift and that singer-songwriter’s release schedule. That song also used AI technology to present Drake verses rapping as Tupac and Snoop Dogg—two of Kendrick’s influences—speaking to Lamar. Following reports of legal action taken by Tupac Shakur’s family and estate, Drake’s second diss was pulled from streaming platforms—joining Cole’s “7 Minute Drill.”

Drake Disses Kendrick Lamar & Makes It Personal

Now, on the last day of the month, Kendrick Lamar has formally responded to Drake with “euphoria”—taking its name from the television series Drake co-produces. The song is presently the first on the AFH playlist (embedded below, follow here). Kendrick begins the six-minute diss song (perhaps a deliberate detail against “The 6 God”) with a reverse of the phrase “Everything they say about me is true,” which is a theme to his charged-up attack on Drake. At the top, Kenny says he saw this coming. “The famous actor we once knew is lookin’ paranoid, and now it’s spiralling / You movin’ just like a degenerate, heavy antic, it’s feelin’ distasteful / Why calculate you, not as calculated, I can even predict your angles.” He then claps at Drake for poking at his family: “Fabricate stories on the family front, ’cause you heard Mr. Morale / A pathetic master manipulator, I can smell the tales on you now / You not a Rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of bеing accepted.”

Perhaps taking a page from Yasiin Bey’s 2024 commentary on Drake, Kendrick then touts: “How I make music that electrify ’em, you make music that pacify ’em.” He then adds, “I can double down on that line, but spare you this time, that’s random acts of kindness / Know you a master manipulator, and a habitual liar too / But don’t tell no lie ’bout me, and I won’t tell truths ’bout you.” Several bars later, Kendrick references “Taylor Made,” and claims “a Canadian n___a” made Tupac turn in his grave.

Yasiin Bey Clarifies His Drake Comments With A Strong Message

Moments later, Kendrick seems to scratch at a fallout. “What is it? The braids? / I hurt your feelings? You don’t wanna work with me more? Okay / Yet, still he go left, and I see two of them kissin’ and huggin’ on stage / I love him to death, and that ain’t bars, I’ll explain that phrase, huh / It’s nothin’ nobody can tell me, huh / I don’t wanna talk on no celly, huh.” Time will reveal if Kendrick is referring to Drake and J. Cole’s collaboration and touring. He seems to act surprised at the fallout—and perhaps implies a refused offer to collaborate. Kendrick does reference Jermaine moments later. “There’s no accent you can sell me / Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m a selfish n___a / The crown is heavy, huh / I pray they my real friends, if not, I’m YNW Melly / I don’t like you poppin’ s__t, that s__t for real, I inherit the beef / Yeah, f__k all that pushin’ P, let me see you push-a-T / You better off spinnin’ again on him, you think about pushin’ me?” While referencing Pusha-T and Drake’s longstanding beef, Kendrick seems to imply Drake messed up weaving in Lamar’s mentor and former employer Top Dawg.

Before he opens up about his dislike about Drake, Kendrick offers a threat. “I know some s__t about n___as that make Gunna Wunna look like a saint / This ain’t been ’bout critics, not about gimmicks, not about who the greatest / It’s always been about love and hate, now let me say I’m the biggest hater / I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk / I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way you sneak-diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct / We hate the b___hes you f__k, ’cause they confuse themselves with real women / And notice, I said ‘We,’ it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feelin’ / How many more fairytale stories ’bout your life ’til we had enough? / How many more Black features ’til you finally feel that you Black enough / I like Drake with the melodies, I don’t like Drake when he act tough / You gon’ make a n___a bring back Puff, let me see if Chubbs really crash somethin’ / Yeah, my first one like my last one, it’s a classic, you don’t have one.” Kendrick joins Rick Ross in accusing Drake of artificially tweaking his identity. He also points to his discography and claims he possesses what Drake lacks. Lamar waves off some of the feared enforcers within the OVO crew and suggests his unbothered.

Rick Ross Is The First To Fire Back At Drake

Kendrick repeats some of the lines, then adds, “Surprised you wanted that feature request / You know that we got some s__t to address / I even hate when you say the word ‘N___a,’ but that’s just me, I guess / Some s__t just cringe-worthy, you ain’t even gotta be diva, I guess.” Then, Kendrick offers compliments with criticism. “Still love when you see success, everything with me is blessed / Keep makin’ me dance, wavin’ my hand and it won’t be no threat / I’m knowin’ they call you ‘The Boy,’ but where is a man? ‘Cause I ain’t see him yet / Matter of fact, I ain’t even bleed him yet, can I bleed him? Bet.” Kendrick appears to take umbrage when Drake wishes to yield into his perceived lane.

The Compton MC chooses to imply Drake is female, and then reacts to Drake accusing Kendrick of doing poor business with TDE. “When I see you stand by Sexyy Red, I believe you see two bad b____es / I believe you don’t like women, that’s real competition, you might pop ass with ’em / Let’s speak on percentage, show me your splits / I make sure I double back with you / You was signed to a n___a that’s signed to a n___a that said he was signed to that n___a.” Kendrick appears to remind Drake that he was signed to Lil Wayne who was signed to Birdman’s Cash Money Records, which has a partnership with Universal Music. The bars borrow from an attack Pusha-T made in 2012.

Drake Explains Why Pusha-T Revealing His Son Was A Genius Chess Move

The song suggests that Drake tried, unsuccessfully, to cease-and-desist “LIKE THAT.” He also admits that he refuses to try and defame people. “Why would I call around tryna get dirt on n___as? / Y’all think all of my life is Rap? / That’s h_e s__t, I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin’ ’bout that.” That bar joins Pusha-T’s 2018 campaign against Drake, accusing the Toronto artist of being a deadbeat dad. He stays on the subject: “Wakin’ them up, know nothin’ ’bout that / And tell ’em to pray, know nothin’ ’bout that / And givin’ ’em tools to walk through life like day by day, know nothin’ ’bout that / Teachin’ the most, and take all the discipline, listen man, you don’t know nothin’ ’bout that / Speakin’ the truth and consider what God’s considern’, you don’t know nothin’ ’bout that / Ain’t twenty-v-one, it’s one-v-twenty if I gotta smack n___as that write with you.” The last bar jabs at Drake for using writers, something Kendrick has poked at since 2015’s “King Kunta.”

Kendrick goes on to claim there is West Coast hate, OVO stans, and makes distinctions about his reality versus Drake’s. The 6-minute diss ends with urging Drake to stop saying the N-word, implying it’s not his to use.

Ab-Soul Says There Would Be No Kendrick, Drake, Or Cole Without Him

The AFH playlist (follow here) currently features new music by Kendrick Lamar, Drake, J. Cole, and Rick Ross.