Kendrick Lamar released his latest song, Watch The Party Die, on September 11, 2024. The track, which was released on his Instagram page, referenced Christian rapper Lecrae. However, Lecrae dropped his version of the same song on his Instagram page on September 15, 2024. The song has gone viral, with fans appreciating the new version.
The song is Kendrick Lamar’s first new release since the success of his hit single Not Like Us, which gained significant attention during his public feud with Drake earlier this year. Regarding Lecrae’s version, one fan said:
“He cooked and didn’t miss the narrative.”
Some netizens commented that Lecrae’s version was better than Kendrick Lamar’s. Others appeared to be fixated on the beat.
“See how yall can have substance and actual bar structure? this what dot should have sounded like,” an X user wrote.
“This is better than the Kendrick version,” another person mentioned.
“This beat is beautiful mane,” a netizen reacted.
“Saw him live in 2012. He had bars then and he definitely has them now. Super cool that he got his flowers publicly, and bar-for-bar he cleared Drake’s shit too,” a fan commented.
Music fans appeared to have a few suggestions regarding the two songs, while some netizens wrote that they were proud of Lacrae.
“There's gotta be a way to mash the two into one track. Right at the part where Kendrick asks what Lacrae would do,” a person reacted on X.
“@lecrae the growth from Jesus Muzik to now. Bruh I’ve felt like I’ve grown with you. You definitely have made us proud my guy,” an X user commented.
“What a beautiful track. Ima huge Kendrick fan, but I think this is a better verse than Kendrick’s and the message was really moving. How many rappers die for this industries sins?” a fan wrote.
Lecrae first met Kendrick Lamar in 2009
In a YouTube video on May 24, 2024, discussing the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, Lecrae mentioned that when he first met Lamar, he had more Twitter (now X) followers than him. He shared that after Kendrick Lamar released the song Faith, he reached out to him as he was intrigued by the rapper's candid exploration of his spiritual struggles.
The two began communicating, exchanging texts and phone calls, eventually forming a friendship. However, the Coming in Hot singer chose not to discuss their connection publicly, as he wanted to avoid any appearance of riding on Lamar's success. He added:
“So I will say this, I have known him as a person more than just a rapper and when you know a person, it adds a different layer of nuance and complexity when you see this type of battle because it’s just not me watching two people and as a spectator go to war is seeing real human beings.”
In one of his YouTube videos from June 2022, Lecrae said he was a big fan of Kendrick Lamar as an artist. While he didn’t always align with Lamar’s views or perspectives, he acknowledged the rapper's talent and praised his skill in conveying complex ideas in a straightforward manner.
