YG was not involved in the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. He was actually one of the few West Coast artists who didn't step in with an opinion. The problem, he was directly referenced by name on the Drake diss "Family Matters." The 6 God used the Compton rapper to discredit Lamar by claiming YG banged a set but Lamar didn't. It was a relatively unimportant line, and one that saw YG get lumped in with other artists. No big deal, right? Well, it seems like the Compton rapper felt a way about it.
YG dropped a new single titled "Weird," and in it he seemingly makes reference to the fact that he was, well, referenced. The lines he drops suggest that he didn't care for Drake involving him in a battle that he had nothing to do with. Especially when it was battle with another West Coast artist. "When it's smoke, don't ever mention my name (mention my name)," he raps on the track. "You gon' have me jeopardizin' my fame, jeopardizin' the gang, jeopardizin' where you hang, n**ga." The rapper doesn't mention anybody by name, but it doesn't take a lot of sleuthing to put the pieces together.
YG Calls Out Drake For Referencing Him In A Diss
YG and Drake have had a long collaborative history together. Drake appeared on the single "Who Do You Love?" from his 2014 debut, My Krazy Life. The single peaked at 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the second-biggest release from the album. YG and Drake teamed back up for "Why You Always Hatin?" in 2016, which peaked at number 62. YG also served as the opening act for the Drake vs. Lil Wayne tour, which took place the same year. As friendly as the two rappers have been over the years, YG's bond with Kendrick Lamar supersedes it.
Both rappers hail from Compton, and rap about similar subject matter. YG praised Lamar as a rapper and as a collaborator during an MTV interview from over a decade ago. "It's A-1 to be able to get somebody like that on my record," he told the outlet. "I knew Kendrick before I blew up, he knew me before he blew up and be rocking with what I was doin' and I been rocking with what they was doin' so it's all love and respect." It's also worth noting that Mustard, YG's longtime friend and collaborator, produced K. Dot's Drake diss and number one single, "Not Like Us." The rapper was also going to side with the West.