Kendrick Lamar Claims Drake Is Being Backstabbed By OVO On "6:16 In LA"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares4.5K Views
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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 9: Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images)
"Know the wires in your circle should puzzle you."

Kendrick Lamar did, in fact, go "Back To Back" as promised and dropped another Drake diss, "6:16 In LA," on Friday morning (May 3) three days after dropping "euphoria." Moreover, this diss is a much more focused and specific takedown of the 6ix God rather than the multi-faceted and expansive set of points made on the first diss track. This time around, K.Dot is focusing on how much of his opponent's OVO camp is supposedly against him, willing to give up info and only staying loyal because of money. Furthermore, he achieves this through lines like, "Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me?," "Know the wires in your circle should puzzle you," "If you were street smart, then you would've caught that your entourage is only to hustle you."

Of course, as Kendrick Lamar fans tend to do, they will probably peel back a lot of other possible meanings and references in many of these bars in the next few days, so expect even more stuff to come out from both "6:16 In LA" and "euphoria." But the points made here are very clear. On the other hand, Drake fans are already calling into question the Compton MC's lyricism, specifically pointing to battle rap lines that he allegedly stole. But commonly repeated lines and metaphor openings that are peppered across The Boy's catalog as well won't be enough to change the narrative, or at least, that's what Kendrick argues on this new song.

Kendrick Lamar's "6:16 In LA": Listen

Elsewhere, people are already going wild with their reactions to "6:16 In LA." Many of the bars here could relate to many references on previous disses, such as the Gunna bar on "euphoria" and Kendrick Lamar's allusions to Drake's bodyguard Chubbs. Still, it's clear to see that people are really running with the idea that the Toronto collective is not as tight-knit as they would have you believe, which is probably exactly what Kendrick wanted to paint with his bars. Whether it's true or not, they are some heavy claims to tackle.

Meanwhile, everyone's now patiently waiting to see what Drake could offer in response to Kendrick Lamar. They've teased some really damaging ammunition for another round, and it seems like the former TDE lyricist is calling Aubrey's bluff here. It's not impossible for him to bounce back with a strong retort, and that might just lock them in a war for life. Regardless, it's all been a pretty interesting spat to witness, and one that will go down in the history books no matter what.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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