21 Savage Accused of Dissing Kendrick Lamar on New Drake Song, Manager Denies Claims
Rapper 21 Savage has been accused of dissing fellow artist Kendrick Lamar on a new song with Drake, but his manager is insisting that the claims are false and that the lyrics were not intended for Lamar.
The rumors surrounding 21 Savage’s alleged diss track surfaced on Tuesday (Aug. 6) following the release of "It’s Up," a song liberated by Drake as part of his impromptu 100GB dump of unreleased material. 21 Savage’s verse on the track contains a few lyrics that listeners felt could be veiled slights against Lamar.
At one point, 21 Savage refers to an unidentified person whose confidence has seemingly been inflated due to their recent streak of musical success. "No rap cap come out my mouth/ Made a couple songs, think he hot now," 21 rhymes on the unearthed collab.
He also threatens the target in question in a manner that gives listeners reason to believe that he’s a disciple or complimentary of Tupac Shakur, as is the case with Kendrick, who has spoken glowingly of the rap icon on numerous occasions. "Hit his a*s up, he think he Pac now/ Broad day, like he got shot down."
According to DJ Akademiks, one of 21 Savage’s reps has reached out to clear the air regarding the lyrics in question, insisting that they’re not directed at the Grammy Award winner. "21 is not dissing Kendrick," the rapper’s manager, Meezy, directly confirmed to DJ Akademiks in a text message. "That definitely ain’t no shot at Kendrick," he added.
Given 21 Savage’s close relationship with Kendrick Lamar’s arch-rival, Drake, it’s plausible how fans could interpret the rapper’s lyrics as digs about the "Not Like Us" rapper. 21 Savage famously appeared alongside Drake on the 2022 album "Her Loss," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album.
Despite having collaborated with Kendrick in the past, 21 Savage has made it clear that he’s loyal to Drake, as he refused to take sides in the rift between the Canadian hitmaker and his own longtime collaborator, Metro Boomin.
It’s worth noting that 21 Savage has been vocal about his support for Drake, stating earlier this year, "Metro my brother and Drake my brother. Them ni*as gonna figure that sht out eventually."
Fans can see DJ Akademiks speak about 21 Savage’s alleged Kendrick Lamar diss below.
