Recently, Drake and Kendrick Lamar got into a bit of a rap battle. Now, YG wasn’t involved in this beef at all. He was actually staying out of it, unlike many other West Coast rappers. But then, Drake dropped a diss track called ‘Family Matters,’ and guess what? He mentioned YG! Drake used YG’s name to try to discredit Kendrick Lamar by saying that YG was more ‘gangsta.’
Now, you’d think it was no big deal, right? Just a tiny mention in a diss track. But YG seemed to feel differently about it. He just released a new single called ‘Weird,’ and it seems he’s addressing the fact that Drake dragged him into this whole mess. In the track, YG raps, ‘When it’s smoke, don’t ever mention my name (mention my name). You gon’ have me jeopardizin’ my fame, jeopardizin’ the gang, jeopardizin’ where you hang, n**ga.’
Even though YG doesn’t call out Drake directly, it’s pretty clear who he’s talking about. It doesn’t take a detective to figure it out. The line about jeopardizing his fame and the gang? Yeah, that’s aimed at Drake for sure.
It’s interesting because YG and Drake actually have a history of working together. Drake was featured on YG’s 2014 hit single ‘Who Do You Love?’ from his debut album ‘My Krazy Life.’ That song did pretty well, reaching number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also teamed up in 2016 for ‘Why You Always Hatin?’ which peaked at number 62. Plus, YG was the opening act for the Drake vs. Lil Wayne tour in 2016.
Despite their past collaborations, YG’s friendship with Kendrick Lamar runs even deeper. Both of these rap stars are from Compton and have rapped about similar themes. In an interview with MTV over ten years ago, YG praised Kendrick, saying, ‘It’s A-1 to be able to get somebody like that on my record. 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.’
And get this, Mustard, who’s been YG’s friend and collaborator for years, produced Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track, ‘Not Like Us,’ which even hit number one! So, it makes sense that YG would have his buddy Kendrick’s back in this whole situation.
So, in the end, it looks like YG wasn’t too happy about being dragged into Drake and Kendrick’s beef. By dropping his new single ‘Weird,’ he made it clear that he didn’t appreciate his name being used in someone else’s battle. It’s a reminder that even in the world of rap, some lines shouldn’t be crossed. Who knows, maybe this will lead to more drama or maybe they’ll just move on. But one thing’s for sure, YG’s made his feelings known!
