Did Big Sean Diss Kendrick Lamar In His ‘On The Radar’ Freestyle?

Hip-hop’s summer of beef continues?

At least, some fans think it does after Big Sean freestyled for the On The Radar Radio show. See, over the course of his verse, Sean drops several bars that some have interpreted as shots at Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick, of course, just wrapped up his vitriolic beatdown of Drake; however, in doing so, he and the Canadian kinda stepped on Big Sean’s new album rollout.

Sean was already tangentially involved in the “Big Three” fiasco via his new song “Clarity,” and a leaked, scrapped version of Kendrick’s 2017 song “Element” seemed to give Sean reasons for wanting to strike back. “N****s looking for engagement like they got they knee bent / I gotta better things to do than find someone to beef with,” he says in the verse.

So, does this theory hold water?

Not according to DJ Hed, who has become something of an unofficial authority on most things K. Dot for rap fans on Twitter. After calling a tweet noting the supposed diss “cap,” Hed followed up with a cryptic explanation. “I talked to Sean. The bar was ‘I got better things to do then find someone to beef with.’ And it was not for Dot. Bar was directed at a different Gemini.”

Now, I’m not a big astrology guy, but sources (Google) tell me that Kanye West would also fall under that description. He’s also had plenty to say about his frayed relationship with Big Sean during his appearance on N.O.R.E.’s Drink Champs podcast in 2021, calling signing the Detroit rapper the “worst thing I’ve ever done” and accusing him of being a shill for the Democratic Party, which… oy vey.

Kanye’s comments certainly would fit the “reaching for engagement” bill, as well as trying to “find someone to beef with” for Kanye trying to enter the Drake/Kendrick feud unasked (and failing miserably, by the way). Meanwhile, some of the other lines fans have identified seem like Dhalsim from Street Fighter-level stretches.

So, for now, until Sean himself says otherwise, it’s unlikely he’s dissing Kendrick. And for what it’s worth, no one wants to see part two of this nonsense, because if all that West Coast solidarity might go out the window over Jhené Aiko, what was any of it even for?