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"Squabble Up" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamarf or his sixth studio album, GNX (2024). Lamar produced the song with Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, and Bridgeway, with additional production by M-Tech. It samples the freestyle song "When I Hear Music" (1984) by Debbie Deb.

Background and promotion

On July 4, 2024, Lamar released the music video of his diss track aimed at Canadian pop-rapper Drake, titled "Not Like Us". He started out the video by adding a 15-second snippet of a then-untitled song, as he makes his way down a dark hallway. Due to the usage of the word, the song became subsequently known as "Broccoli" or "Broccoli (Reincarnated)". On October 13, the Formula One team of Mercedes AMG used the song to promote the forthcoming racing season. Only ten days later, the song was played during an NBA broadcast of a Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves game. All instances prompted the song to go viral on TikTok with fans asking for it to be released soon. The track was eventually released as the second track of Lamar's surprise-release sixth studio album GNX on November 22, 2024.

Composition

Pitchfork commented that "Squabble Up" borrows a "funky bassline" from the 1984 "classic '80s techno" freestyle song "When I Hear Music" by American singer-songwriter Debbie Deb. It sees the rapper channeling "elements of his California rap heritage", fusing "G-funk, hyphy, and even mariachi". His vocal performance includes using "myriad voices, octave changes, and shrieks". Lamar accuses other rappers of being fake without name-dropping any artist in particular. It observes themes of personal evolution, criticism from within the music industry as well as cultural commentary. In reference to his admiration for his work, Lamar mentions saxophonist Kamasi Washington, whom he collaborated with for GNX as well as To Pimp a Butterfly (2015).

Critical reception

In a track review for Pitchfork, Matthew Ritchie praised Lamar for turning the sample into a "'90s club hit" and thought his "lyrical hatred" on the track was "far-reaching", making for a "fun" listen. Zachary Horvath of HotNewHipHop argued that "Squabble Up" possesses "the most mainstream appeal" out of all the songs on the album and noted the use of "great wordplay, slick flows, and some great personality".

References

1. ^ Saponara, Michael (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Returns With Surprise Drop of New Album GNX: Listen". Billboard Canada. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
2. Rossignol, Derrick (July 5, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Went Ahead And Shared Part Of A New Song In His "Not Like Us" Video". Uproxx. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
3. Cho, Regina (July 5, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Shares Snippet Of Unreleased Song In "Not Like Us" Music Video". Vibe. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
4. ^ Coleman II., C. Vernon (October 24, 2024). "5 signs that Kendrick Lamar might be dropping his viral unreleased track soon". XXL. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
5. ^ Alston, Trey (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Finally Drops Full Song From "Not Like Us" Video". Complex. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
6. ^ Ritchie, Matthew (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar: "Squabble Up" Track Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
7. "Kendrick Lamar "Squabble Up" Lyrics Explained". Royalty Exchange. November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
8. Horvath, Zachary (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Is Ready To "Squabble Up" On GNX Cut". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 23, 2024.

• 2024 songs
• Kendrick Lamar songs
• Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff
• Songs written by Kendrick Lamar
• West Coast hip hop songs