As MTV closed out its 2024 Video Music Awards on Wednesday night, Kendrick Lamar decided to shake up the internet with new music! Dot dropped a song with Air Force 1s as the cover art and lyrics to match their rep. The song comes after days of viral mixed reactions to his announcement as the Super Bowl Halftime show headliner.
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But also, after five performances of ‘Not Like Us’ this past summer — the tune he made for Drake’s headtop! The diss record made the cut in three categories at this year’s VMAs but didn’t bring home any.
Now, his new untitled track has social media users debating whether he’s sending shots Drizzy’s way again and responding to the headliner reactions! The 6God hasn’t shared any reactions on his social media platforms to Kenny’s surprise release.
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Here’s What Kendrick Lamar Said In His New Track
As mentioned, Lamar whipped out the beat-up black Air Force 1s for the five-minute song. He raps to the equivalent of what the visual is giving, ruthlessly addressing what he sees as obstacles to “making humanity work,” including the music and messages the youth is consuming.
According to Genius, Kendrick’s second verse, he details why “tough love sometimes gotta result in violence,” — a bar he delivered in verse one.
“I think it’s time to watch the party die. Street n****s and the corporate guys, the rappers that report the lies / I need they families mortified / We can do life without ’em, get they bodies organized, tell me if you obliged / No more pillow-talkin’, jump-startin’ neighborhood wars / Dirty-mackin’ b****s because your spirit is insecure / The flashy n***a with nasty decisions usin’ money as a backbone / I want his head cracked before he’s back home / The radio personality pushin’ propaganda for salary / Let me know when they turn up as a casualty, I want agony / Assault and battery, I see a new Earth / Filled with beautiful people makin’ humanity work.”
At the start of the track, Lamar also clarifies that reconciliation with him is a moot point. “I think it’s time to watch the party die. This sh*t got too wicked to apologize. It’s different, get him whacked and disqualified. We even kill the killers ’cause they like taking innocent lives. Burn a whole village, we start over, it’s really that time. Why reason with these n***** if they can’t see the future first.”
A wave of celebrities, including Nicki Minaj, Birdman, and Boosie, have publicly declared that Lil Wayne should’ve been selected as the halftime show headliner. Still, Lamar never addresses the Super Bowl talks in the track. However, he does clap back at “influencers” who “talked down” on him.
“Influencers talked down ’cause I’m not with the basic shit / But they don’t hate me, they hate the man that I represent / The type of man that never d**kride ’cause I want a favor / The man that resides in patience, so where the soldiers at? / The one’s that lost it all and learnt to learn from that.”
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At the end of verse one, Kendrick Lamar also shouts out Nipsey Hussle and bigs up his value in comparison to those who seemingly can’t see or fit his vision.
“I know b*****s that’s harder than a lot of you n****s/ Would trade y’all for Nip I can’t be proud of you n****s,” Dot raps.
By the end of the song, Kendrick declares that his feelings are the only ones he cares to spare in his public drags. “I spare no feelings that ain’t mine, I’m in my feelings when I slide, I mean. A n***a wonder what Lecrae would do. Terrace Martin said I’m mentally with layers, true. I flood the market with my best regards, I paid your dues. And so it’s up, if you ain’t one of ours, it’s bad news.”
Listen to the full track below.
