Kanye West vs. Kendrick Lamar: Just Another Ye Rant?
Playboi Carti’s long-awaited album Music just dropped, but the biggest headline isn’t about the music itself—it’s about Kanye West (Ye) taking shots at Kendrick Lamar’s involvement. In a now-viral post on X, Ye declared: “I DON’T LIKE KENDRICK LAMAR’S MUSIC. HE RAPS VERY GOOD BUT I DIDN’T NEED TO HEAR HIM ON CARTI ALBUM.”
And just like that, the conversation shifts. Again. Because with Ye, the music always takes a backseat to the spectacle.
Is Ye Spitting Facts or Just Stirring the Pot?
On the surface, Ye’s comment seems wildly contradictory. Just a month ago, he admitted in an interview that “If you rap against Kendrick, you will lose.” Now, suddenly, K. Dot isn’t even worthy of appearing on a Playboi Carti record? Let’s be real—this isn’t about Kendrick’s skills. This is about Ye wanting all eyes on him.
Ye thrives on controversy, and with Vultures still in rotation, he knows exactly how to keep his name trending. He’s been playing this game for two decades. But that doesn’t mean his criticism is entirely baseless.
Kendrick appears on three songs—Good Credit, Mojo Jojo, and the Ye-produced Backd00r. And while his presence brings an undeniable lyrical weight, one could argue that his style is a stark contrast to Carti’s raw, chaotic energy. Carti’s fans live for the rage, the mosh pits, and the avant-garde minimalism of his sound. Kendrick? He’s a poet, a storyteller, a technician. The two worlds don’t naturally blend, and maybe that’s what’s rubbing Ye the wrong way.
Is There an Underlying Power Struggle Here?
There’s another layer to this: the ongoing battle for rap dominance. Kendrick’s last major moment was Not Like Us, a West Coast anthem that torched Drake’s entire existence. That track cemented Kendrick as the current king of the culture, while Ye has spent the last few years bouncing between controversy and redemption arcs. Maybe Ye sees Kendrick’s presence on Music as an intrusion—like K. Dot is stepping into territory Ye believes should be his.
Or maybe, just maybe, Ye is feeling replaced. Hip-hop isn’t a monarchy, but if it were, Kendrick would be the closest thing we have to a reigning king. Meanwhile, Ye—despite his undeniable legacy—has been exiled from some circles due to his own reckless decisions. Could this critique be less about Carti’s album and more about Ye’s own struggle to stay relevant?
Final Verdict: Petty or a Fair Critique?
Ultimately, Ye’s rant is a mix of both. He’s got a valid point—Kendrick’s hyper-lyrical approach doesn’t perfectly fit into the world of Playboi Carti’s bass-heavy, distorted rage anthems. But let’s not pretend that Ye is some gatekeeper of cohesion. This is the same man who put Bon Iver and Chief Keef on the same song (Hold My Liquor)—and it worked beautifully.
So the real question is: Would Ye be saying this if he wasn’t producing Backd00r? Or if Not Like Us never dropped? Probably not.
At the end of the day, Carti fans will rage, Kendrick fans will analyze, and Ye will—well, Ye will always find a way to make the moment about himself. And hip-hop wouldn’t be the same without it.
