Dee-1 has jabbed Joe Budden and other Hip Hop media figures on a new song, which he released in response to Kendrick Lamar‘s own new track.
Shared exclusively on Instagram, “Call It Like It Is” finds the New Orleans rapper calling out Budden by name, spitting: “Most of the media people lame, y’all wasn’t never really, really cool before you got inside of this here game / Instigating, y’all beingg messy / You ain’t helping nobody grow / Tell Joe Budden I’m on a mission so don’t butt in, Joe.”
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He also criticizes the wider Hip Hop community for peddling negative messages to young people: “Y’all done turned this culture trash, these so-called legends ain’t no legends / I don’t care if they sold millions, are you hearing their message?”
The Christian MC goes on to return the favor and namedrop Kendrick, as well as fellow NOLA native Lil Wayne: “I’m applying the pressure, I’m powered by G-O-D / And we gon’ be aiight, that’s what Kendrick Lamar said / And in the words of Lil Wayne, the sky is the limit, yeah!”
The song continues the outspoken themes of Kendrick Lamar’s own recent song, which fans have dubbed “Watch the Party Die.”
While taking Hip Hop culture, the music industry and society as a whole to task, the Compton kingpin namedropped Dee-1, as well as fellow socially conscious MC Lecrae.
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“Sometimes I wonder what Lecrae would do / Fuck these n-ggas up or show ’em just what prayer do?” he rapped, adding: “I want to be empathetic, my heart like Dee-1 / But I would—,” omitting what sounds like a threat against his enemies.
In response, Dee-1 posted a throwback photo of him and Kendrick along with the caption: “i appreciate the shoutout brother. @kendricklamar [heart emoji] More than you’ll ever know. A shift is happening. The time is now! [praying hands emoji].”
The 39-year-old has also faced backlash from those who felt he was siding with Kendrick over Lil Wayne in the debate surrounding next year’s Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.
Dee-1 acknowledged the criticism in an Instagram video, saying: “Because they mad at my opinion at who should perform at the Super Bowl, now they making diss tracks about me. They got people saying I’m canceled from the city. They got people saying I better not come back to the city. People I’m cool with making videos mad at what I’m standing on, when it’s the same thing I been standing on since y’all met me.
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“People who I just went on their podcast and it was all friendship and love, now calling me a clout chaser and mad because we got a difference of opinion about who should perform at the Super Bowl. So the biggest rapper in the world is saluting me for my character. And at the same time, it’s people in my city trying to cancel me for my character.”
