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A leaked audio clip from Young Thug’s time behind bars has surfaced online, and it’s got fans buzzing. In the call, recorded during his RICO trial, the Atlanta rapper aired out his thoughts on Kendrick Lamar, questioning the Compton MC’s approach to collaborations—and comparing him directly to Drake.
Thug claimed he once tried to lock in a feature from Kendrick, possibly for his 2023 project Business Is Business, but was turned down. “Why wouldn’t you want to do a feature for a superstar? Put somebody on!” he said in frustration. According to Thug, he’s not the only one who got rejected—both Lil Durk and Lil Baby allegedly had the same experience.
To Thug, that reluctance to collaborate shows ego and a lack of support for peers. He contrasted Kendrick with Drake, who he’s close with and credits for consistently working with other artists. “That’s why they’ll never be bigger than Drake—ever in life,” he said.
He also criticized Kendrick for mainly teaming up with Baby Keem, his cousin, suggesting Keem doesn’t carry the same weight as other rappers in the industry. Thug even argued that Lamar’s style doesn’t fully resonate with East Coast audiences, limiting his influence in certain scenes.
Now out of prison and gearing up to release his next album Uy Scuti in 2024, Thug’s comments are likely to fuel plenty of debate between fans of three of rap’s biggest names.
SOURCE: Vibe