Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” Video Comes With Ice-T Homage

Kendrick Lamar delivered a video for the second track off the GNX album, “squabble up,” on Monday (November 25).

A seemingly straightforward affair, the visual finds the Compton native standing arms folded as a woman dances along to the “When I Hear Music”-sampling beat. Slowly but surely, more characters are introduced into the fold, who are undeniably West Coast to the core.

Among them is a woman with her face to the wall holding a shotgun and wearing a revealing white swimsuit, a clear homage to Ice-T’s second studio album, 1988’s Power. The OG cover features Ice-T’s former partner Darlene Ortiz in a similar outfit holding the gun and standing next to Ice-T and DJ Evil E.

AllHipHop sent a text to Ice-T asking if he’d seen it to which he said a simple, “Yep.”

The Original Gangster later tweeted about it but kept his comments to a minimum. “Respect,” he wrote above a screenshot of the video and Power cover.

Respect! @kendricklamar 👑

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) November 25, 2024

Kendrick Lamar surprised-dropped GNX on Friday (November 22). The 12-track project serves as the follow-up to 2022’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers and is like a giant exclamation point on his fruitful year. The Pulitzer Prize-winning MC earned the biggest hit of his career, “Not Like Us,” amid his highly publicized beef with Drake. He then landed the coveted 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show gig, much to Lil Wayne’s chagrin.

Wayne was admittedly hurt by the NFL’s decision not to book him in his hometown, something Kendrick Lamar addresses on the opening track, “wacced out murals.”

“Used to bump Tha Carter III, I held my Rollie chain proud,” Lamar raps. “Irony, I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down/Whatever, though, call me crazy, everybody questionable/Turn me to an eskimo, I drew the line and decimals/Snoop posted ‘Taylor Made,’ I prayed it was the edibles/I couldn’t believe it, it was only right for me to let it go. Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me.”

Lil Wayne replied to the lyrics, tweeting, “Man wtf I do?! I just be chillin & dey still kome 4 my head. Let’s not take kindness for weakness. Let this giant sleep. I beg u all. No one really wants destruction, not even me but I shall destroy if disturbed. On me. Love.”

While the rap community holds its breath, watch “squabble up” above.