Kendrick Lamar made his triumphant return on Sunday (May 8) with the release of “The Heart Part 5,” the fifth installment in his beloved song series and the first preview of his upcoming album Mr. Morale & The Big Stepper (out May 13).
The accompanying video found the Compton native morphing into Kanye West, Nipsey Hussle, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, OJ Simpson and Jussie Smollett via deepfake technology. The clip was directed by Kendrick himself alongside his longtime collaborator/pgLang co-founder Dave Free.
While “The Heart Part 5” has been lauded by K. Dot’s fans and peers alike, not everybody is enamored with his latest visual offering. Hours after the video debuted on YouTube, a New Jersey rapper by the name of AK took to social media to accuse the Pulitzer Prize-winning MC of stealing his idea.
AK (whose real name is Austin Kassabian) claims Kendrick copied the deepfake concept of his “Family Tree” video, which was released in September 2020 and has notched over 600,000 views on YouTube.
The black-and-white clip shows AK rapping into the camera in front of a blank backdrop as his face morphs into rappers such as Lil Wayne, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, JAY-Z and, coincidentally, Kendrick Lamar.
“Kendrick Lamar’s new music video is an exact copy of my video from 2020 of my song ‘Family Tree,'” AK says in a video uploaded to Instagram early Monday (May 9). “Maybe I’m fooling myself for thinking that Kendrick saw my video and was like, ‘Damn, that’s so good that I want to do it myself.’
“But I was under Universal; he is under Universal. I did that video in 2020 with Universal. Obviously, the song didn’t do as good as if Kendrick was to do it, but the concept was so sick and I fucking don’t know, but it’s the same exact thing — it’s a backdrop, it’s him in front of it, it’s one take.”
Lupe Fiasco, Denzel Curry, Hit-Boy + More React To Kendrick Lamar's Triumphant Return
He continued, “And I want to make it clear, like, he’s an icon, I respect Kendrick. This is just very weird, bruh. That’s why I was like, ‘Damn, this is unique as fuck.’ And when I drop this, it’s gonna go stupid because nobody’s ever done this before.
“But as an independent artist, that’s the type of shit that you have to eat. And my whole message behind it is, keep going ’cause you gotta eat shit sometimes but eventually, you’ll be aiight.”
Kendrick Lamar has yet to respond to AK’s claims. Curiously, “The Heart Part 5” video temporarily disappeared from YouTube on Monday morning after racking up over five million views, although it has since been restored.
White boy foolin, sounds butt hurt. White privilege at its finest. You did not invent, create, patent, or trademark deep face technology. Tell ak “grow a set man” like hov said
you’re a racist. what does his skin color have to do with it?
Who says he is not..
Everything. He did some corny ish, jus so happens he is coincidentally white while doing it
Your comments are actually way cornier and cringier than what the white guy said in the video. Why you caping for Kendrick so hard?
I’m not capping for Kendrick idk home. But homie don’t need to be saying someone stole his idea. We can name countless videos, movies, ig post of ppl using digital face things. Are they coping Ak too? Lol the ish literally be out since forever. That’s like saying someone took my steak recipe and didn’t give me credit. Like someone can’t go to the store and buy ingredients. Dude sounds mad butt hurt period. Whining like a bitch. Oooohhh poor me another man took my idea… dude should watch alpha male strategies
I feel like his concept was similar enough to Kendrick’s where I can see why he thinks it could be copied. And honestly, it could be. Especially since one of the faces he used was Kendrick’s face. But that being said, his song is corny by comparison lmao so it’s not gonna go well for him. I don’t think the Kendrick song is amazing on its own and it is greatly enhanced by the video, but it’s definitely better than this guy’s song. If you’re gonna call someone out for copying, your work has to at least be close to on par
My point exactly
I agree. If kendrick didn’t do the video you wouldn’t know who he was talking about but I like kendrick video and concept way better.
Bc doing blackface is not acceptable in our culture. Kendrick probably did this on purpose to prove a point and teach him a lesson not to use black face to sell your self
isn’t this is what passes as normal these days. like those pirate morons.
What pirate morons?
Lol no way a white dude who’s not even part of the culture is mad his black face video where he uses a basic rising technology thinks he must have been copied. White ppl are shameless.
you’re a racist
Spoken like a felon who makes excuses for his shortcomings. A white one at that. Weirdo.
? same with the black people living in our culture, like real houses (made out of bricks), real cloths like jeans and stuff, electricity….. you leeching on everything. Go back in life in your culture and in houses build out of mud
Shows how much you know about history
Whites stayed in straw huts with the livestock you bum
Actually whites were hairy sasquash like creatures that lived in caves and in the woods until the ruling blacks took yall in, shaved yall fur, and tought yall how to act civilized.
That’s a pretty high level of dickriding. You were that butthurt by someone saying Kendrick might have copied their video concept that you took it to this level? Who hurt you? It’s not that serious
didn’t Michael Jackson do this first?
Lol not mention 2 chainz
AK be like “Hey, welcome to my website. Check out my digital blackface!”
So hard to tell who this guy is meant to be half the time, swear he turns in Jada Pinkett at least twice 😀
*into
I was thinking the same bc they all look alike
Artists always have something similar, wtf. Who tf is this guy!
I ain’t gon hold you… if we being technical. Lil Wayne did that video concept first… Big Worm came out 1st.. Family Tree came out the day after.. so if we’re running with the Universal theory.. Lil Wayne is also on Universal.. let’s make it make sense.
MJ did it before all of them on the “Black or White” video.
So it’s a universal thing
Uhhhhhhh Godfrey and Creme in the 1980s and Michael Jackson “Black or White,” in the 1990s….. Nothing in art is ever new….
Yes, & Michael Jackson did it too with “Black or White”. So; you stole from him! Your point, culture vulture?!?Let Kendrick be brilliant and continue to walk in his shadow, you may learn something…..