Baby Keem sent the internet into a frenzy when he announced plans for his upcoming single “Family Ties” featuring an assist from his elusive cousin Kendrick Lamar. Prior to the anticipated track’s arrival on Thursday night (August 26), a snippet surfaced on social media earlier this week.
K. Dot invades the ominous production with a threat to the rest of the rap game by kicking off his verse repeating that he’s “smoking on your Top 5 tonight.”
With an introduction putting Hip Hop on notice, we couldn’t help but think back to when Kendrick co-opted “Control” and name-dropped rappers such as Pusha T, Drake, Meek Mill and A$AP Rocky by hitting them with a haymaker letting them know the game was his with a hostile verse.
The conversation surrounding K. Dot’s scathing rhymes continued to the point that Big Sean withheld the song from his 2013 Hall of Famedue to “clearance issues.”
The reclusive Compton native has remained in hiding for much of the past two years but could be returning very soon. Kendrick Lamar dropped a bombshell letter to his website last week informing fans that his DAMN. follow up would be his final project on Top Dawg Entertainment.
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Top Dawg Reacts To Kendrick Lamar's TDE Departure
“I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts,” the 34-year-old wrote. “Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone. Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next.”
He continued, “As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling. There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I’ve prayed for you all. See you soon enough.”
Find the cover art for “Family Ties” below. Listen to the full track at 9 p.m. PT on Thursday.
