Kendrick Lamar surfaces not once, not twice, but three times on Playboi Carti’s long-anticipated MUSIC. Hours before its early Friday debut—fittingly aligned with a luminous blood moon—the only confirmed Lamar appearance was on “GOOD CREDIT,” a track landing near the midpoint of Carti’s sprawling 30-song release, his first since Whole Lotta Red. But as the album reached streaming platforms, it became evident Lamar had also contributed to “MOJO JOJO” and “BACKD00R.”
On “GOOD CREDIT,” Kendrick subtly references ASAP Relli’s case, where the ASAP Mob figure accused Rocky of a 2021 Hollywood shooting. Rocky, once charged with assault involving a semiautomatic firearm, was acquitted—a verdict that drew praise from many notable figures. Kendrick launches into verse two of “GOOD CREDIT” with a line for “the vamps and the boogies” before swiftly tipping his hat to Usher’s 1997 hit “My Way,” slipping in a nod to the beloved snack Gushers. A mention of jeweler Elliot Eliantte follows, paving the way for the Relli reference: “Eliantte go big, white-gold link fall on the belly/The emerald cut for hers and his, that bitch on point like ASAP Relli.”
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Moment: Jewelry, ‘Conspiracies,’ and Rivalry Shifts
Kendrick has consistently captured attention for his choice of Eliantte jewelry. His latest showcase occurred during the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in February, set in New Orleans. K.Dot then draws a parallel between himself and Lakers star Luka Dončić, before shifting focus to cryptic “conspiracy theories” of uncertain origin (“You got the wrong person”) and referencing “Chicago slang” (“Which one of you n***as will merch it?”). He further casts himself as the “evil twin” of both Cardo and Carti.
Closing the verse, Kendrick reflects on the weight of greatness, spitting, “The hate get realer, the love get fake, but when you this great, that’s how you should like it.” While fans anticipated a direct continuation of his 2024 back-and-forth with Drake, early impressions of his features on Carti’s latest suggest a strategic shift. Yet, it’s clear that the “conspiracy theories” line on “GOOD CREDIT” may be Kendrick subtly addressing Drake’s legal turmoil tied to “Not Like Us.”
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