Kanye West has made it clear that his criticism of Kendrick Lamar shows no signs of slowing down, particularly after a 2023 performance by Kendrick at a Louis Vuitton event.
In reaction to a video shared on Instagram earlier this month of Kendrick performing “Count Me Out” at the renowned brand’s menswear showcase during Paris Fashion Week, Ye expressed his dislike by writing: “I hated this so much.”
Despite having collaborated and toured together in the past, Kendrick Lamar has been the target of much of West’s recent criticism. One of the main points of contention seems to be that Kendrick featured on Playboi Carti’s new album Music, while Kanye was not included.
After the album dropped, Kanye dismissed Kendrick’s contributions to the songs “Good Credit,” “Back00r,” and “Mojoi Jojo,” tweeting: “I DONT LIKE KENDRICK LAMARS MUSIC. HE RAPS VERY GOOD BUT I DIDNT NEED TO HEAR HIM ON CARTI ALBUM.”
Kanye also expressed a similar sentiment about Kendrick’s track “Not Like Us,” which was a diss aimed at Drake, writing: “I HAAAAAATED NOT LIKE US.”
West has even gone so far as to challenge Lamar to a rap battle and downplay Kendrick’s place in the rap world, stating that he’s not, and never has been, one of the top rappers of his generation.
“KENDRICK WAS NEVER KING,” he tweeted. “MAYBE KING OF THE WEST COAST, BUT NEVER KING OF THE WORLD.”
Kanye then went on to list his own 12 “Rap Kings,” naming legends like JAY-Z, Eminem, Nas, Biggie, 2Pac, Lil Wayne, Drake, 50 Cent, and himself, but leaving Kendrick off the list.
However, despite his ongoing critiques, Kanye did take a moment to praise Lamar’s recent Super Bowl halftime show, calling it his favorite since Michael Jackson’s legendary performance in 1993.
In a video posted online, Kanye shared his admiration for the show, saying: “A few people have been asking me what I think about the Kendrick halftime show. I really loved the show. It was my favorite halftime show since the Michael Jackson era, which I can barely remember, I just be seeing clips of it.”
Kanye was particularly impressed by the simplicity of the performance, noting the creative use of a flag and how Kendrick performed “HUMBLE.” with the crowd’s heads moving in sync. “The man’s voice control, all that,” Kanye remarked, clearly impressed by the artistry.
