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It’s the rap feud that has everyone talking right now. After the surprise drop of “Euphoria” on April 30, Kendrick Lamar’s “6:16 In LA” lyrics are a direct, blistering attack on Drake and it seems things are really heating up between the two.
In the world of hip-hop, friendly competition, and the occasional back-and-forth banter in lyrics are not uncommon, but things between Drake and the Pulitzer-winning Kendrick have been boiling over as of late.
On April 19, 2024, Drake released “Push Ups”as his response toKendrick Lamar’s verseonMetro BoominandFuture’s “Like That.” The verse was a jab at J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter,” in which he referred to himself, Drake, and Kendrick as “the big three.” Drake fired at Kendrick again with “Taylor Made Freestyle”.
On April 30, Kendrick issued a rebuttal with “Euphoria”; a striking 6-minute takedown of Drake: “A pathetic master manipulator, I can smell the tales on you now / You’rе not a rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of being accеpted.”
Kendrick lobbed another music grenade at Drake on May 3, 2024. Kendrick Lamar’s “6:16 in LA” lyrics are scathing attacks on the Canadian-born rapper. The song title seems to reference a song format Drake is known for popularizing, including “6PM in New York” from If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late to “8am in Charlotte” from his recent album, For All the Dogs.
Kendrick Lamar’s “6:16 in LA” lyrics meaning
We’ve picked them apart so you don’t have to.
Intro
Uh (Uh)
Uh (Uh)
Uh, yeah (Uh)
It’s survival, survival
I think somebody lying
Smell somebody lying
I don’t see no fire- Kendrick opens the song with accusations that “somebody lying” to pull the first punch against Drake.
- He talks about survival, which could be interpreted as “survival of the fittest” and the idea that the stronger rapper will ultimately come out on top. Pretty self-explanatory.
Off-white Sunseeker at the marina
f*ck a Phantom, I like to buy yachts when I get the fever
Wine cooler spill on my white t-shirt, the sightseer
Trifecta, money, morals, and culture, that’s my leisure
My visa, passport tatted, I show up in Ibiza
Lucalis dwellings in Brooklyn just to book me some pizza
Who could reach us? Only God could teleport this type of freedom
God, ah- Kendrick opens with a reference to Drake’s Mansory Rolls-RoycePhantom luxury car. Kendrick would rather buy boats and travel the world, it seems.
- It could be a reference to Rick Ross’ “luxury rap” style of music. Ross entered the beef between Kendrick and Drake with “Champagne Moments” and he’s also a founder of the rap label Maybach Music Group.
My God, my confession is yours, but
Who am I if I don’t go to war?
There’s opportunity when livin’ with loss
I discover myself when I fall short
Raise my hands to a fallen sky, I fantasize
Me jumpin’ planets immortalized, I correspond
Three angels watchin’ me all the time
Put my children to sleep with a prayer, then close my eyes, definition of peace- Kendrick is making it clear that he’s not going to take Drake’s disses lying down, declaring they must “go to war”.
- 6:16 could be a reference to a few verses in the Bible, and there are religious connotations with angels, prayer, and raising one’s hands to the sky in this part of the rap.
- Proverbs 6:16 – 6:19, Ephesians 6:16, and Jeremiah 6:16 all make references to qualities God hates: pride, lies, and false witness.
Tell me who gon' stop me? I come from love
Estelle cover my heart, then open me up
Remember when picked up a pen, lyrics that I can trust
Timid soul, stare in the mirror, askin’ where I was from
Often, I know this type of power is gon’ cost
But I live in circadian rhythms of a shooting star
The mannerisms of Raphael, I can heal and give you art
But the industry’s cooked as I pick the carcass apart- Here, Kendrick is comparing himself to the great masters of art, e.g. Raphael, who was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. Raphael’s work was admired for its refinement and often represented an ideal of perfection.
Yeah, somebody's lyin', I can see the vibes on Ak
Even he lookin’ compromised, let’s peel the layers back
Ain’t no brownie points for beating your chest, harassin’ Ant
f*ckin’ with good people make good people go to bat
Conspiracies about Cash, dog? That’s not even the leak
Find the jewels like Kash Doll, I just need you to think
Are you finally ready to play have-you-ever? Let’s see
Have you ever thought that OVO is workin’ for me?
Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person
Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it
Can’t toosie slide up outta this one, it’s just gon’ resurface
Every dog gotta have his day, now live in your purpose- “Have you ever thought that OVO is workin’ for me?” suggests that Drake’s record label, OVO Sound, is secretly loyal to Kendrick with the words “everyone inside your team is whispering you deserve it”. Harsh.
It was fun until you started to put money in the streets
Then lost money ’cause they came back with no receipts
I’m sorry that I live a boring life, I love peace
But war-ready if the world is ready to see you bleed
The Elohim, KTW
Know you can’t sleep, these images trouble you
Know the wires in your circle should puzzle you
If you were street-smart, then you woulda caught that your entourage is only to hustle you- Kendrick is taking a direct shot at Drake here, suggesting the Canadian rapper has been unsuccessful in digging up dirt on Kendrick.
- He’s also suggesting that there could be a rat amid his team.
A hundred n—s that you got on salary
And twenty of ’em want you as a casualty
And one of them is actually next to you
And two of them is practically tired of your lifestyle
Just don’t got the audacity to tell you
But let me tell you some game ’cause I can see you, my lil’ homie
You playin’ dirty with propaganda, it blow up on ya- Again, Kendrick is suggesting there is an information leak within Drake’s team, a reference to what Pusha T said about Drake’s Noah “40” Shebib during their feud. In episode #188 ofThe Joe Budden Podcast, T said: “Now, I never told nobody [where the information came from]. I never said that to anybody. And I never put that out there. Because, the way I see it, there was so much power in silence.“
You're playin' nerdy with Zack Bia and Twitter bots
But your reality can’t hide behind wifi
Your lil’ memes is losin’ steam, they figured you out
The forced opinions is not convincin’, y’all need a new route
It’s time that you look around on who’s around you
Before you figure that you’re not alone, ask what Mike would do- Kendrick concludes by accusing Drake of hiding behind the internet, conspiring with friend Zack Bia to “play dirty” with Twitter bots.
- The last line in “6:16 in LA” is a reference to Michael Jackson (“Mike”), whom Drake has frequently compared himself to.
