21 Savage has been accused of insulting Kendrick Lamar in a new Drake song, but the rapper’s manager says the allegations are false and the verbal digs were not directed at the Compton artist.
Rumors that 21 Savage was targeting Lamar first surfaced on Tuesday (August 6) when Drake released “It’s Up,” a song he released as part of his impromptu 100GB dump of unreleased material. 21’s verse on the track includes some lyrics that listeners perceived as veiled insults against Lamar.
At one point, the Atlanta rep refers to an unidentified person whose confidence seems to have been inflated due to their recent musical success streak. “No rap cap come out my mouth/ Made a couple songs, think he hot now,” 21 rhymes about the unearthed collaboration.
21 Savage attends the private screening of “Spiral” for 21 Savage and friends on May 12, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
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He also threatens the target in a way that gives listeners reason to believe he’s a follower or complimenter of Tupac Shakur, as is the case with Kendrick, who has spoken highly of the rap icon on numerous occasions. “Smack his ass, he thinks he Pac/Broad Day now, like he got shot down.”
According to DJ Akademiks, one of 21 Savage’s representatives has come forward to clarify the lyrics in question and insist that they are not directed at the Grammy Award winner. “21 is not dissing Kendrick,” the rapper’s manager, Meezy, confirmed directly to DJ Akademiks in a text message. “This is definitely not an attack on Kendrick,” he added.
Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for Best Rap Album for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 5, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
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Given 21 Savage’s close relationship with Kendrick Lamar’s arch-rival Drake, it’s plausible that fans could interpret the rapper’s lyrics as jabs at the “Not Like Us” rapper. 21 Savage famously appeared alongside Drake on the 2022 album. Your losswhich debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
Despite having collaborated with Kendrick in the past, 21 Savage has made it clear that he is loyal to Drake by refusing to take sides in the dispute between the Canadian hitmaker and his longtime collaborator Metro Boomin.
Rapper, songwriter and icon Drake attends a game between the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on March 16, 2024. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photograph, he/she agrees to the terms of the Getty Images License Agreement.
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“Metro is my brother and Drake is my brother,” 21 Savage said earlier this year when addressing the animosity between the two. “Them n**as will get this shit over with eventually.”
Watch DJ Akademiks discuss 21 Savage’s alleged diss against Kendrick Lamar below.
