A new feud has emerged in the world of rap, where words are weapons and songs are battlegrounds. Kendrick Lamar, a titan in the industry, recently released a diss track titled “Euphoria,” sending tremors through the music world. Among the names dropped in the song, one has caused a particularly unique reaction: YNW Melly.
YNW Melly says he is honored and appalled that Kendrick Lamar used his name in Drake diss PIC.TWITTER.COM/LM4RWJIBUL
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) MAY 1, 2024
Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” is yet another lyrical masterpiece in which he references YNW Melly’s current legal woe. Melly was accused of murdering his two friends, Chris “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams, resulting in this rap feud storyline going down to him. About Cole and Aubrey, Kendrick raps,
“Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m selfish, the crown is heavy / I pray they my real friends but if not, I’m YNW Melly.”
This line reveals the entire situation, and they all form part of the lyrical narrative.
Even though he was named in the diss track, Melly’s feelings are mixed. He said on TMZ:
“Kendrick Lamar is among my favorite rappers, so I’m flattered and enraged at the same time…. I’m a household name for all the wrong reasons!” Not Melly’s first beef with Kendrick either. The first time he believed he was a victim of Kendrick’s target practice was when the Compton rapper released his initial Drake diss, “Like That.”
This beef goes back to a critique of Kendrick Lamar by the rapper Melle Mel.In in mid-March of 2023. Billboard published its list of 50 greatest rappers artists of all time. When it ranked Lamar number two, Melle questioned the site’s understanding of the street appeal of rappers. Melle argued, “Obviously, he [Kendric Lamar] made some good songs. But those songs don’t translate into the street part of hip-hop. That’s another level of hip-hop”.
This mention’s ripple effects could potentially be severe for the future of Melly’s career and court case. YNW Melly’s name is once again in the public eye due to Kendrick’s track, but that is not the attention he wants. With two charges of capital murder still pending after a deadlocked jury caused a mistrial of the court case in 2023, the unwarranted publicity adds more concern for an eventual verdict.
YNW Melly feels both honored and disgusted by his appearance in Kendrick Lamar’s diss track. Although it all began as a result of Melle Mel’s criticisms of Kendrick Lamar’s position in the world of rap, now Melly remains scalded in the middle of jackals and sharks—fame, recognition, reputation, and justice.
