Kendrick Lamar "6:16 In LA": Breaking Down His Lyrical Slaughter Of Drake's Character

Kendrick Lamar became one of the few rappers in history whose diss track's title and production credits are just as integral to his message as the lyrics themselves. Moreover, you've likely seen dozens of interpretations of what "6:16 In LA" means and what Jack Antonoff's (Taylor Swift's producer's) inclusion behind the board signifies regarding Drake's "Taylor Made Freestyle." But at the end of the day, what matters most is what K.Dot had to say about the 6ix God in this surprise verse, dropped just days after he unleashed his response track "euphoria." Whereas that song covered multiple angles and talking points, this effort is a much more specific, strategic, and surgical attempt at a takedown.

Furthermore, Kendrick Lamar hones in on Drake's character: the futile nature of his tactics, the disloyal evolution of his OVO camp, and the crucial difference that sets them apart as titanic artists championing the Black culture and community of hip-hop. Fully embracing the tactics behind "Taylor Made Freestyle" has allowed the former TDE MC to place his rival in a unique position where he must push the nuclear button, sharpen his pen to its highest proven level... or lose. No one doubts that the Toronto superstar is capable of this. But with "6:16 In LA," Mr. Morale suggests that even if he secures a victory, it will not help him sleep better at night between so many vultures.

Kendrick Lamar Sets Himself Apart

Before "picking the carcass apart," Kendrick Lamar first argues what makes him a more compelling artist. References to yachts and Phantoms not only indicate similar economic levels despite Drake's flaunting, but also paint his lifestyle as unperturbed, more pure, and more important to him than acclaim. This first part's narrative is a double-down on the "I got a son to raise" bar on "euphoria," prioritizing personal peace and privacy over the grandeur of public lauding. The Compton lyricist's art is merely the expression of his self that he lets loose when necessary. "Remember when picked up a pen, lyrics that I can trust / Timid soul, stare in the mirror, asking where I was from / Often, I know this type of power is gon' cost / But I live in circadian rhythms of a shooting star."

With that last line, Kendrick Lamar references the rhythm of a human body, determining when it's awake or dormant. As a notorious absentee in recent years, he could be proposing that, whenever he is awake, he is as special as a shooting star. Also, it calls to the moral "love and hate" conflict that this Drake beef creates within Kung Fu Kenny. "God, my confession is yours / But who am I if I don't go to war? / There's opportunity when living with loss / I discover myself when I fall short," he raps, slyly dismissing "size 7" disses that Drizzy had for him. It's all meant to represent a win that rap beef can't fill the void of, tying in later to the exploration of this alleged void in Aubrey Graham's circle.

The "Wires" In OVO

Through specific name-drops, Kendrick Lamar scrutinizes Drake's relationships and their seemingly at-risk loyalties. DJ Akademiks is "compromised" with his fav's lies, Kendrick defends his manager Ant, he says Cash XO isn't the real rat, Kash Doll's jewelry burglary reference calls back to her ex breaking up with her due to being too friendly with Drizzy, and even L.A. nightlife staple Zack Bia catches a stray as someone that Drake allegedly tries to use to get information on Kendrick. The "N95" creative sums it all up with this line: "Have you ever thought that OVO is workin' for me?" Whereas The Boy has plenty of dirt out and is trying to find some on K.Dot, Kendrick thinks he's bluffing. Let the records show that Pusha T claims he got the info on Adonis from OVO, and that Drake tried to pay for dirt on him, so this isn't a new take.

Regardless of whether there's something out there that could hurt Kendrick Lamar, he's confidently in his tight circle and his movement. But he thinks that Drake's in dangerous waters. In fact, Kendrick claims that the core parts of his opponent's inner circle are questionable, not just his peripherals. "A hundred n***as that you got on salary / And twenty of them want you as a casualty / And one of them is actually next to you," Mr. Morale spits, which could link back to Aubrey's bodyguard Chubbs, who also caught mention on "euphoria." However, he frames none of this as unfortunate backstabbing to merely get a slice of Drizzy's magnanimous pie, but rather as the idea that he's a "terrible person" who brought this on himself.