Kendrick Lamar addresses Lil Wayne Super Bowl beef on surprise new album
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Kendrick Lamar has spoken about his rumored rivalry with fellow rapper Lil Wayne in his latest album, GNX.
The 37-year-old rapper from Compton dropped his sixth album earlier today (November 22) without any prior announcement.
Fans quickly pointed out the recent turn in the ongoing rivalry between Lamar and Canadian rapper Drake. Back in May, Drake dropped a diss track aimed at Lamar called "The Heart Part 6," which took its name from Lamar's own series of songs titled "Heart."
GNX features Lamar's original track, “heart pt. 6,” which suggests that he has chosen to overlook Drake's song. The song, however, does not address the ongoing dispute.
In other news, Lamar addresses the debate that erupted following the announcement of his performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show scheduled for February 9, 2025, in New Orleans.
In the first track of GNX, titled “wacced out murals,” Lamar nods to a well-known Lil Wayne album from 2008. He raps, “I used to jam to Tha Carter III while proudly wearing my Rollie chain / It’s ironic, but I feel like my dedication has disappointed Lil Wayne.”
A little later, he mentions: "I won the Super Bowl, and the only one to congratulate me was Nas. Everyone else seems upset; I'm just happy to see it written all over their faces. Honestly, there are a lot of artists, but many of them feel out of touch. They’re still using old styles, trying to persuade me that they’re my top picks."
The lyrics point out that Lamar's achievement in being selected to perform at the Super Bowl unintentionally disappointed Lil Wayne, who was looking forward to taking the stage at the event in his native New Orleans.
In September, Wayne, who is 41 years old, spoke about the heartbreaking news in a video he shared on Instagram.
"To start off, I want to apologize for taking so long to share this. I needed to gather my strength to talk about it without getting too emotional," the rapper from "Love Me" expressed with a serious tone. "I truly appreciate everyone who has spoken up, shared their thoughts, and showed me kindness and support. Your words became a source of strength for me and helped me stay steady during tough times."
"That was painful. Really painful. You understand what I mean. It was incredibly painful," he remarked.
"I take responsibility for not being ready to face disappointment. I allowed myself to think I was destined for that outcome, almost as if someone had assigned me that role. I really hold myself accountable for that," he went on to say, noting that it felt even more painful since the game is taking place in his hometown of New Orleans.
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"I used to believe there was no place better than that location, that moment, and that platform in my hometown, so it was really painful. It hurt a lot," he expressed, showing gratitude to his "incredible" fans who helped him realize his worth, even when missing out on this chance made him feel down.
"It really took a toll on me, and I'm doing my best to recover, but I can't express enough how grateful I am for all of you," he said, acknowledging the support of his friends, colleagues, family, and “my buddies in sports media” for standing by him.
"I believe I've disappointed everyone by missing out on that chance. However, I’m focusing on self-improvement," he finished.
