Fans are eagerly soaking in Playboi Carti’s long-anticipated album, I Am Music, but not everyone is on board with the new project. On Friday morning (March 14), Ye (formerly Kanye West) took to X to voice his displeasure with Kendrick Lamar’s significant presence on Carti’s 30-track release.
“I DON’T LIKE KENDRICK LAMAR’S MUSIC,” Ye posted emphatically. “HE RAPS VERY GOOD BUT I DIDN’T NEED TO HEAR HIM ON CARTI’S ALBUM.”
Billboard has reached out to representatives for both Playboi Carti and Kendrick Lamar for comment.
Ye’s criticism comes just a month after he acknowledged Lamar’s unparalleled rap skills, claiming that the Compton lyricist was the only artist capable of defeating him in a rap battle. During an interview with Justin LaBoy on The Download, Ye compared Lamar’s skillset to an unbeatable move in Street Fighter:
“If you rap against Kendrick, you will lose,” Ye asserted. “This man does this. You know, in Street Fighter, you get Chun-Li, you get a certain kick, and no matter what, you can’t beat that thing?”
He continued, “If you rap against Kendrick Lamar, like Joe Budden said, ‘Never rap against Kendrick Lamar.’ If you rap against Kendrick Lamar, it’s a difficult task, but perhaps it’s something … I’m a psycho genius, so you know, it could be.”
Carti’s latest album boasts three collaborations with Lamar: “Good Credit,” “Mojo Jojo,” and the Ye-produced track “Backdoor.” I Am Music marks Carti’s return after a five-year hiatus following the success of his 2020 album Whole Lotta Red, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 100,000 equivalent album units, securing his first chart-topping project.
Beyond Lamar’s contributions, I Am Music features an impressive lineup of hip-hop heavyweights, including Future, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, and Lil Uzi Vert. Fans endured some delays leading up to the album’s release, as Carti initially promised a midnight drop but later pushed it to 3 a.m. ET—eventually landing closer to 4 a.m. ET.
The album’s launch is strategically timed, as Carti is set to headline Rolling Loud California this weekend. He will also hit the road as an opening act for The Weeknd’s upcoming stadium tour, ensuring a high-profile run following his latest release.