Kanye West never holds back when sharing his unfiltered thoughts; this time, he's got Kendrick Lamar in his crosshairs. After the release of Playboi Carti's new album, Ye took to Twitter on March 14 to both commend and criticize his peers, but his comments regarding Kendrick generated the most backlash.
"I DON'T LIKE KENDRICK LAMAR MUSIC," Kanye said bluntly before he added, "HE RAPS VERY GOOD, BUT I DIDN'T NEED TO HEAR HIM ON CARTI ALBUM.
The internet went wild, but one response stood out: Top Dawg Entertainment president Punch wanted smoke.
Not long after Ye's tweet went viral, Punch had some thoughts of his own and tweeted a classic trolly roast directed straight at Kanye:
"Oh sh*t… What's up with this Kanye West n####," Punch tweeted, amused by Ye's latest outburst.
The exchange did not stop there. Freddie Gibbs, never one to miss a chance for some hip-hop Twitter kiki, weighed in, finding it all funny.
"What the f### is wrong with this n#### man!" 😂😂😂," Punch said, and Gibbs responded, "If I speak, they gon say I'm hatin' lol.
Fans also weren't having it. Another user pointed out that he even helped produce one of the songs on which Kendrick is featured.
"YE he on song you produced," the fan noted in the comment (yeah, I know what you're thinking, the irony).
Others dug out receipts from old tweets from Kanye, who had warm words for Kendrick. One tweet from almost 10 years ago said, "Finally back in the studio starting my day off by listening to Kendrick's new album. Thank you also for the music and messaging!!!" Another gushed, "Kendrick is an inspiration. Thank you for the vibrations and the spirit, your earning message and execution are gifts to the world."
This isn't the first time Kanye has thrown some shade at Kendrick. Last month, he had the gall to say he's the only rapper still living who could challenge K.Dot in a faceoff, declaring himself "the greatest that ever existed."
"If you rap against Kendrick Lamar, it's like a really hard job," Kanye said before adding, "But I'm a psycho genius, so…"
Though hip-hop fans are accustomed to Ye's rollercoaster takes, his ambivalence about Kendrick baffles folks. One minute, he congratulates him like he's inspirational; the next, he asks what he's doing on a Playboi Carti track.
This is just another fascinating chapter in the ongoing saga of Kanye West. Whether he hated Kendrick's music or was trying to agitate for engagement, one thing is clear: Punch and the hip-hop community would not let him off the hook without some pushback.
Kendrick is busy being one of the most respected lyricists of his generation to reply. And really, that's the most considerable flex of all.
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