Squabble Up – Kendrick’s New Song Mashes Styles

Nine years ago, Kendrick Lamar made a short but memorable appearance in his “Alright” video. He and his friends rode in a beat-up lowrider while he rapped for 30 seconds over a catchy beat. That brief clip became the most rewatched part of the video, which has now been seen over 180 million times. Fans never got to hear the full song anywhere else.

This past summer, people worried the same thing might happen again. Kendrick shared a new video called “Not Like Us” during his feud with Drake. It started with him rapping in black and white in a hallway, making references to jazz musician Kamasi Washington in a style that sounded like rapper Drakeo the Ruler. But this time, fans got lucky – the full version of that preview appears on Kendrick’s surprise new album GNX as a song called “squabble up.”

The song kicks off an album where Kendrick plays with different California rap styles. He mixes G-funk, hyphy beats, and mariachi sounds. Unlike his angry diss tracks from before, this song bounces along on a fun bass line that takes an old Debbie Deb song and turns it into something that sounds like a 90s dance hit. Kendrick raps with a loose, free style that brings to mind classic West Coast rappers. He even mentions an old 2Pac moment where the rapper spit at news cameras.

On this track, Kendrick takes shots at everyone in sight, making it really fun to listen to. He makes fun of fake gangster rappers and throws out threats like he’s dealing playing cards. He sounds like he’s ready to fight anyone who steps up. His voice changes from high to low as he shouts and growls, almost like he might lose control. But unless you’re one of his targets, you’ll be happy this song made it onto the album instead of staying locked away somewhere.