As Uproxx’s hip-hop editor Aaron Williams pointed out, GNX by Kendrick Lamar was a love letter to the West Coast.
Along the chart-topping project, Kendrick even carved out space to platform other California natives on the rise (including AzChike and Lefty Gunplay). But the body of work also featured a bold call out of West Coast legend Snoop Dogg.
While sitting down with Power 105.1 FM’s The Breakfast Club, Snoop was asked about Kendrick’s lines on “Wacced Out Murals.” Instead of issuing a fiery response of his own, Snoop Dogg calmly stated Kendrick Lamar’s bars were justified.
““For what? What’s there to talk about,” replied Snoop when asked by Charlamagne Tha God did he reach out after the song’s release.
“That’s my lil’ homie. He spoke his mind. He said what he said,” he added. “When I got wind of it, naturally, I reach out to nephew and let ’em know, ‘My bad, I didn’t mean that.’ And naturally, he responded the way he responded.”
While milder than Kendrick Lamar’s lines aimed to longtime foe Drake, on “Wacced Out Murals” he criticized Snoop for initially siding with Drake during their heated on wax feud. When Drake’s diss “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which featured AI-generated verses of Snoop and the late Tupac, was shared online Snoop reposted it on Instagram. The move rubbed not only Kendrick the wrong way but California natives.
“Snoop posted ‘Taylor Made,’ I prayed it was the edibles/ I couldn’t believe it, it was only right for me to let it go,” rapped Kendrick on the track.
Snoop has stated he did so without fall aware that it was a diss track about Kendrick. During an appearance on The Bootleg Kev podcast, Snoop claimed to have called Kendrick but was unable to reach him, so he left a message apologizing for the move.
That’s my nephew, man,” Snoop Dogg said. “He’s a rapper, man. He’s supposed to speak his mind and tell his truth. That’s the way he felt. You know what I’m saying? He has the right to say that. I’m his big homeboy, so I have to take what’s given to me from his perspective because he’s speaking truth. And the truth shouldn’t hurt you. It should make you better.”
Watch Snoop Dogg’s full interview with The Breakfast Club above.