Lamar mentioned Osteen’s name while referencing Osment’s films ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘The Sixth Sense’ in his latest single, “Euphoria”

Kendrick Lamar, Haley Joel Osment, Joel Osteen. PHOTO: ARTURO HOLMES/MG23/GETTY, OLIVIA WONG/GETTY, BRANDON WILLIAMS/GETTY

It seems like there might have been a mix-up. In Kendrick Lamar’s new Drake diss track “Euphoria,” he references Haley Joel Osment, the actor known for films like A.I. Artificial Intelligence and The Sixth Sense. However, some fans noticed that Lamar mentioned Joel Osteen instead, a well-known pastor and author, possibly confusing the two. It’s a minor slip-up, but it caught the attention of listeners.

“Am I battlin’ ghost or AI? N—- feelin’ like Joel (Hale) Osteen / Funny, he was in a film called A.I. / And my sixth sense tellin’ me to off him,” raps Lamar, 36, on the track.

Ah, that makes sense. The mention of Joel Osteen in Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Euphoria” could have deeper significance beyond a simple mix-up. Both Osteen and Drake have faced accusations of using ghostwriters in their respective fields—Osteen for his faith-based books and Drake for his music. So, Lamar’s reference to Osteen in the context of a diss track aimed at Drake might be a subtle way of drawing a parallel between the two artists and their alleged use of ghostwriters.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake. GETTY (2)

The lyric could be interpreted as Lamar knowingly mixing up Osteen and Osment’s names as a way to shadily communicate feeling unable to tell who wrote the lyrics of Drake’s recent diss tracks about him.

It seems like the back-and-forth between Kendrick Lamar and Drake is heating up with each new release. Lamar’s “Euphoria” serves as a direct response to Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which was later deleted. In Drake’s track, he referred to Lamar as a “coward” and incorporated AI-generated vocals from other prominent West Coast MCs like Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur. The drama continues to unfold as fans eagerly await each artist’s next move in this rap feud.

Kendrick Lamar at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY

Lamar, on the other hand, called Drake “a master manipulator and a habitual liar” on the new song and took aim at his rap skills: “You not a rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of bеing accepted.”

Elsewhere on “Euphoria,” Lamar calls out Drake’s recent tourmate J. Cole, who helped spark the feud by claiming himself, the Canadian rapper and Lamar are the “big three” rappers in the game on the recent song “First Person Shooter” from Drake’s For All the Dogs album.

“Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m a selfish n—- / The crown is heavy, huh / I pray they my real friends, if not, I’m YNW Melly / I don’t like you poppin’ s—, that s— for real, I inherit the beef,” says Lamar on his new track. “Yeah, f— all that pushin’ P, let me see you push-a-T / You better off spinnin’ again on him, you think about pushin’ me?”

Lamar raps about Drake making “Pac turn in his grave” on the latest in a series of back-and-forth diss tracks between the two rappers

It’s Kendrick Lamar’s turn to speak.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper is taking shots at Drake on his new song “Euphoria,” released April 30 as the latest in a series of back-and-forth diss tracks between the two musicians — and more specifically, it’s a direct response to the “Hotline Bling” performer’s recent “Taylor Made Freestyle.”

“Euphoria” comes after Drake, 37, dropped his since-deleted track earlier this month, in which he took aim at Lamar, 36, by calling him a “coward” and featured verses made with AI-generated vocals from the “Humble” rapper’s fellow West Coast MCs,  Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake. GETTY (2)

Lamar refers to Drake as “a master manipulator and a habitual liar” on the track and takes aim at his rap skills: “You not a rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of bеing accepted.”

He also calls out Drake’s use of AI-generated Tupac vocals on “Taylor Made Freestyle” — which prompted a cease-and-desist letter from the “California Love” rapper’s estate shortly before the former Degrassi star ultimately deleted the track.

“Somebody had told that me you got a ring, on God, I’m ready to double the wage / I rather do that, than let a Canadian n—- make Pac turn in his grave,” raps Lamar.

Kendrick Lamar in New York City in May 2023.ARTURO HOLMES/MG23/GETTY

In addition to addressing Drake, Kendrick Lamar doesn’t shy away from calling out J. Cole in “Euphoria.” This comes after J. Cole referred to himself, Drake, and Lamar as the “big three” in rap on the collaboration track “First Person Shooter.” Lamar’s response indicates that he’s not willing to let such claims go unchallenged, adding another layer of tension to the ongoing feud between the artists.

“Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m a selfish n—- / The crown is heavy, huh / I pray they my real friends, if not, I’m YNW Melly / I don’t like you poppin’ s—, that s— for real, I inherit the beef,” says Lamar on the track. “Yeah, f— all that pushin’ P, let me see you push-a-T / You better off spinnin’ again on him, you think about pushin’ me?”

Drake performs in Atlanta in December 2022.

PRINCE WILLIAMS/WIREIMAGE

Despite the origins of their feud stemming from J. Cole’s “big three” assertion, Kendrick Lamar clarifies on “Euphoria” that their disagreement goes beyond mere competition. This suggests that there may be deeper underlying reasons for the tensions between the two artists, indicating that there are likely personal or artistic differences at play in addition to any competitive dynamics.

“This ain’t been ’bout critics, not about gimmicks, not about who the greatest / It’s always been about love and hate, now let me say I’m the biggest hater / I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk / I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct,” adds the “Alright” performer.