The diss tracks released in 2024 by these two contenders aren’t pretty. They trade serious, mostly sexual, allegations against each other. But Lamar seemed unfazed, dropping two singles within 48 hours, accusing Drake of highly illegal and morally terrible things.

With “Not Like Us,” Lamar came after Drake with vengeance, digging up the dirtiest of alleged dirt. He also referenced nearly 15 other rappers, building his “army” of supporters, and flaming those who stood with Drake.

Musically, the track has been highly acclaimed among mainstream critics, with praise for its aggressive beat and cutting tone. It reached the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for a week.  

The accompanying music video simply shows the album cover, a Google image screen grab of Drake’s estate, with 13 red markers to denote registered sex offenders and pedophiles.

Kendrick claims he and his crew are not like Drake and his entourage, but his latest single goes to some pretty explicit and profane places to explain why.

POSITIVE CONTENT

While Kendrick’s attempt to defend his friends from Drake’s attacks could be considered admirable, the language and sexual innuendo noted below are hard to look past.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Where do I start? The themes in “Not Like Us” range from mature to explicit to spiritually profane.

The track revolves around allegations that Drake is a pedophile (“Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young”). Likewise, Lamar also describes Drake’s associates on the latter’s record label, OVO, as being pedophiles, drug abusers, and sex traffickers (“Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles”).

These euphemisms (“Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-Minor”) and straight-up explanations of Drake’s alleged misdeeds continue through the entire song.

It doesn’t stop there (“Rabbit hole is still deep, I can go further, I promise”).

Kendrick also accuses Drake of being a “colonizer” of black culture, comparing Drake to white slave owners (“No, you not a colleague, you a f—in’ colonizer”).

In the four-and-a-half-minute song, we hear about 45 profanities and vulgarities combined, including “a–,” “b—h,” “p—y” and “ho.” Also included in that total are one s-word, 17 n-words and 6 f-words.

And we’re still not done. Lamar rebrands OVO as “Other Vaginal Option” and says he should roll Drake up “like a fresh pack of ‘za [weed].”

Lamar also appropriates religious imagery and ideas in “Not Like Us,” criticizing what he characterizes as Drake’s betrayal of the Black community. He also says Drake is a “69 God” instead of the 6 God, or god of Toronto, as Drake claims to be.

So deep is Lamar’s antipathy here that he says he’s willing to compromise his faith to win this battle (“Beat you’re a– and hide the Bible if God watchin’”).

TRACK SUMMARY

According to the press, the fight is over. But according to Kendrick Lamar, it’s not. He raps he’s got “One, two, three, four, five, plus five” singles in stock and ready to drop.

The feud between the two rappers now extends beyond the diss tracks. Social media posts from artists and fans alike bolster both sides and many other artists have been pushed to both sides of the divide. In addition, “Not Like Us” has allegedly been linked to fans who vandalized Drake’s OVO clothing retailer to further sully his reputation.

In the end, Lamar may be right in saying he’s not like Drake. That said, he’s hardly captured the moral high ground here.

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Let’s travel back to give you the full picture.

Monét loved music from a young age, moving with her family to Sacramento, California, where she sang in the church choir, formed a dance group in junior high and participated in a performing arts program in high school.

After graduating, she got picked up by Atlantic records–not just for her singing, but for her writing skills. Afterward, her career just continued to move forward, opening for the group Fifth Harmony, R&B singer JoJo and, ultimately, Ariana Grande.

Meanwhile, Monét released several EPs, wrote for many famous artists, had her first child in 2021 and then, in 2023, released her debut album called Jaguar II. And it’s from this Grammy-award winning R&B album that we get the single we’ll be discussing today: “On My Mama.”

This catchy song has been featured on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and it finds Monét being confident in who she is. But she expresses this confidence in profane, overtly sexual and arrogant ways.

POSITIVE CONTENT

There’s nothing wrong with Monét’s confidence (“I look fly/I look good”). There’s nothing wrong with Monét appreciating her body or admiring her own looks. While you can obviously go overboard on self-admiration, I’d argue that being able to say all these things adds to a healthy body image.

But how Monét expresses these things matters.

CONTENT CONCERNS

She credits her self confidence to her mom (“When they say “She get it from her mama”/I’ma say, “You f–king right”), adding that she’s “done being the humble type” and plans to–vulgarly–flaunt all she’s got, along with others who are doing the same.

Her goal is to live life to the fullest (“Tell me, is you down?/’Cause I’m tryna go up tonight”) and obtain all she wants and feels she deserves (“I just want to live in a fantasy/I think we deserve it, right?/…Permanent ecstasy/Ladies is pimps tonight”).

And of course, she also talks a lot about her sex life (“sex game so stupid/…Might be too fine to hit it from behind”) .

The goal for Monét is to do what she wants and let people know that she looks her best while it’s happening.

The video for this track is really just Monét and friends dancing around in various places, all while wearing bras, exposing plenty of cleavage, sporting crop-tops and even wearing jeans that expose the sides of Monét’s thong.

TRACK SUMMARY

I look good. I smell good. I am good … in all areas of my life.

This is the gist of Monét’s track.

It’s nothing new. Not in music and certainly not in the world of R&B, rap and hip-hop.

Sure, it’s catchy. It’s all over social media platforms as people dance along. It’s popular.

But we all know that popular doesn’t always mean “good.” And in this case, that’s certainly true when it comes to this profane, sexually charged and arrogant single.

The post On My Mama appeared first on Plugged In.

This is the way for 24-year-old Georgia native Montero Lamar Hill, known by listeners as Lil Nas X.

This jaw-dropping, genre-bending business started back in 2018 with “Old Town Road”, featuring Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. That song was relatively tame. But that ended quickly.

Then it hopped to Nas’ song “Montero,” featuring Nas himself giving Satan a lap dance, amongst other things. And then came the arguably pornographic video for the song “Industry Baby,” which, in my opinion, should have been banned from YouTube. 

But it wasn’t, as Nas has more than 19 million subscribers on YouTube and over 11 million followers on Instagram.

And that leads us to where we are at this moment. Talking about his latest single, “J Christ.”

This track was released as the lead single from his upcoming second studio album. It’s all about how Nas has returned to the music scene (although he never left), ready to make music that people will both praise and remember.

Perhaps, he’ll even make music that will go viral. Sort of like the video for “J Christ,” which has received over 12 million views on YouTube in less than 10 days.

It’s loud, it’s profane, it’s a homosexual anthem of sorts and it features Nas as many a Bible character–including Jesus himself. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

The only “positive” I can give Nas here is that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make music that people will remember (“Now I’m on Mariah/I’m finna take it higher/…You know when I’m back, it’s all for take”).

CONTENT CONCERNS

To be fair, Nas has indeed made a song that people will remember, but not for any positive reasons.

The song itself is your typical display of braggadocio (“Is he ’bout to hit ’em with the high note?/Is he ’bout to give ’em somethin’ viral?/…Walk up in the club poppin’ s— like it’s doublemint”). Behavior that Nas relates to the supernatural actions of Jesus himself (“Back up out the gravesite/B–ch I’m back like J Christ”).

And that’s really the entire song, mixed with the profanity indicated above and Nas’ desire to lure in other men with his words (“I’m finna get the gays hyped”).

And the song can’t be separated from its accompanying video. At least, not once you’ve seen it.

It begins with a group of “saints” walking up to what is supposed to be Heaven, cursing along the way. Then, Nas struts in wearing a white leotard, covered with flowy material, boots, a gold chain that reads “sexy” and long, manicured nails as he sensually licks his lips.

We’re then taken down to hell where Nas wears a white loincloth and a red robe, standing by a cauldron filled with chopped-off arms and feet.

Next, we watch Nas play the Devil in a basketball game and win. But wait, it flashes to Nas as one of his own cheerleaders, wearing a short skirt and a crop top, along with other male cheerleaders sporting the same outfits and the same sexualized moves.

Then he’s Jesus on the cross–depicted as upside-down at first before it flips right side up. People dance around him as he hangs there.

You’ll see him dancing shirtless in the rain with other men, as Noah and even as a shirtless, loincloth-wearing man shearing a sheep…

TRACK SUMMARY

…But that’s not where the video ends.

It ends with the flood diminishing, a statement reading “Day Zero: New Beginnings” and 2nd Corinthians 5:17 being plastered across the screen.

The idea is that, according to his post on the platform X, Nas asked his followers, “Ya’ll mind if I enter my Christian era?”

This is a fascinating question. One that he claims was not, and is not, mockery. Yet if you watch the video that’s obviously not true.

Still, there was another quote in the background that read, “Lord help me for I am at war.”

And to be honest, this was shocking to read. Because I can’t watch a video like this without thinking that this young man is at war within himself. Whether he recognizes it or not.

So while this song and its accompanying video are very Sodom and Gomorrah-esque, I think a proper response is to pray for Nas, and to remember that we all need help from the Lord for our own warring souls.

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Murph is a Tennessee-born, Alabama-raised multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter who channels parts of her fast-lane past and personal experiences into her music. 

She started out on YouTube, where she currently has over 500,000 subscribers, and then moved to posting her music and videos to Tik Tok where she’s collected more than 200 million views. She also boasts more than 1 million followers on Instagram.

Her musical style is a mixture of trap, rap, country and hip-hop–much like Jelly Roll. (His name isn’t really Jelly Roll, of course. It’s Jason DeFord, but his fans know him by the former.) 

Jelly Roll is a Nashville native who, like Murph, uses his music as a platform to talk about his bouts of drug addiction as well as his time spent in prison during his younger years. 

And he has quite the platform. He’s already taken home Country Music Awards for his song, “Son of a Sinner” and has close to 2 million followers on Instagram. 

“Wild Ones,” finds Jessie Murph and Jelly Roll praising the fast life that they love. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

The only redeeming note here, if you could call it that, is that Jelly Roll makes it clear that he will protect his wife if anyone ever tries to harm her. 

CONTENT CONCERNS

Murph talks about the kind of man she’s into, one that carries a gun (“got a .45 on him”), loves being reckless (“and he pushing ‘bout 102”, referring to the speed his car’s going), smokes (“always smoking something”), drinks (I got a thing for/hard liquor on ice”) and consistently displays an “I don’t care” sort of attitude (“middle finger to the sky”). 

This “dangerous” lifestyle entices Murph as she prefers “the wild ones.”

Jelly Roll feels the same. His preference is for “things that are really crazy,” like his wife, Bunny, who he says is like his “Harley Quinn.” He chalks up this behavior to being “raised in darkness.” Still, he says he has “no shame” about his decisions or lifestyle and is in love “with the heartless.” 

The video for this track focuses on Jelly Roll and Jessie dancing and moving around. The entire video is purposefully blurry and flashes to scenes of the two drinking, getting out of a cop car, performing on stage and flipping off the camera.  

TRACK SUMMARY

Murph and Jelly Roll aren’t the first to romanticize a wild, reckless lifestyle, and they won’t be the last. 

Still, there’s something about a young woman and older man singing this song together that doesn’t sit well with me, mostly because this young woman doesn’t seem to have many positive role models, at least not in those with whom she makes music. 

And the same can be said of Jelly Roll, a man who still glorifies the behaviors that are often used to describe the life of a reckless teenager. 

Unfortunately, there’s no truth in this song, or this lifestyle, as both artists want to glorify their choices, regardless of the consequences that inevitably follow. 

The post Wild Ones appeared first on Plugged In.

This is the message that Dallas rapper Trip Lee shares with listeners in his track “Confetti.” 

He tells us that even when things look bleak, or when it seems that others are putting their hope in material things and thriving, remember that as Christians that our hope isn’t in our present circumstances or possessions, but in what’s to come. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Lee says that his soul cannot be fed by possessions (“that Range Rove”), women (“eight centerfold baddie Jane Does”) or the lure of money (“or eight million sold”). 

Although the world will tell you that these things are at the center of ultimate fulfillment (“Is it me, or do they keep frontin’ like they’re on the winning team?”), Lee knows that in the end, putting your hope in these passing objects and temporal desires is futile (The score gettin’ run up, I’m patient/I know my squad, it ain’t up right now”). 

Still, he will choose to submit to God no matter what’s going on around him (“Down bad, still gotta stand up/…Acts 1 but it’s rough stride/…Still I bow, cause he gon’ turn it upside down”). And, ultimately, he will choose to rejoice in the present moment (“I don’t even wait to raise the banner, throw that/Confetti-etti-etti everywhere, everywhere”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

TRACK SUMMARY

We’re encouraged throughout Scripture to keep our eyes on Jesus, no matter what is going on around us; no matter what has happened or what will happen in the future. This is, as Lee says in his lyrics, an act of faith (“By faith, never luck, sight is/So tough, nearsighted, can’t bluff”). 

We are not promised an easy life in Christ. I mean, just look at David, Abraham or literally anybody in Scripture that loved God and chose to follow Him. They all suffered. Most of them did not see the promises of God fulfilled in their own lives. Instead, they clung to the hope of God’s word and to God himself. 

And as present-day Christians, though we may not walk the same paths as the prophets and saints of old; though we may not have all the things we want; though life may be difficult; we’re still called to keep our eyes on Christ and to rejoice in our present circumstances as our hope is in Christ alone. Lee’s track is a timely, and timeless, reminder of that. 

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“Barbie World” is a sort of variation of the 1997 Aqua release “Barbie Girl.” Just like Aqua’s original (which plays in the background), this song is sexual in nature. But unlike the original, Minaj and Spice take it a step further to include more sexually suggestive and graphic lyrics paired with profanity and a video that feels much like something you’d expect from–well, from Nicki Minaj. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

None. 

CONTENT CONCERNS

The Barbies in discussion here are Minaj and Spice themselves. They’re the “baddest” Barbies around (“All of the Barbies is pretty”). The sort of Barbies who spend their time in bed, shamelessly, with Kens (“I’m a ten, so I pull in a Ken/… He wanna play in the Playhouse/…The way Ken be killin’ s— got me yellin’ out”). 

They’re not afraid to be aggressive (“The f— they gon’ say now?”) and violent (“She a Barbie b–ch with her Barbie clique/I keep draggin’ her, so she bald a bit”). And they’re the sort of Barbies who aspire to be wealthy and independent above all else (“And I see the bread, I want all of it”). 

TRACK SUMMARY

If you listen to this song, you understand that the Barbies being discussed here are of the “modern” kind. The kind that aren’t afraid to be sexually explicit, vulgar and profane. 

This is reiterated not only in the lyrics themselves but in the video (which is sitting at number one on YouTube’s music charts), which features Minaj and Spice twerking and performing other sexually suggestive acts, all while letting their cleavage, stomachs and rears hang out. It also shows shirtless men worshiping them. 

The original “Barbie Girl” was by no means innocent. But this little tune takes it a step or two further to try and completely reframe Barbie under a shiny, morally skewed light. 

The post Barbie World appeared first on Plugged In.

We’re talking about “Calling,” a single from the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse soundtrack. This track, produced by Metro Boomin and featuring vocals from artists Swae Lee, NAV and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, is a smooth, synth-filled song all about how Miles Morales will go to any lengths to save his love interest, Gwen Stacy. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

The lyrics are fairly universal and could fit many a listener. But in context, these artists sing on behalf of Miles Morales, who says that he will risk his own life to rescue and take care of his crush, Gwen Stacy (“Just to save you, I’d give all of me/I can hear you screamin’ out, callin’ me/So, to save you, I’d give my all”). 

Morales is nervous that Stacy may not like him when she sees that he’s only human underneath his super persona (“It hurts me when you start to see my flaws”). He also knows that he can never give her the kind of time and attention she deserves (“Short on time for you, I’d never have enough”). Yet, he’ll do whatever it takes to care for her (“Treat the world like my guitar, I’m pulling strings for you”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

TRACK SUMMARY

Multiple tracks, such as Post Malone’s “Sunflower,” from the first film, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, sat at the top of the charts for weeks on end. The same thing is happening this time around with “Calling.” 

This track is free of profanity and sexual innuendo (something “Sunflower” in 2018 cannot claim) and it shows how Miles Morales continues to learn more about who he is, what he’s called to be and how the woman he’s starting to love plays a role in his complicated life. 

The post Calling appeared first on Plugged In.

Technically, “Karma” is not new. In fact, it’s from her 2022 album, Midnights. But this latest iteration features Taylor Swift and guest singer, Ice Spice, and it’s on her 2023 album Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition), which features 10 new songs.

This song, and even the new corresponding video, feels like the quintessential Swift song–where “karma,” “good vibes” and profanity are all on her side. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

None. 

CONTENT CONCERNS

Swift is over this person who has been “talking s—  for the h— of it,” but she’s not necessarily worried about what they may say, because she’s convinced that all their bad deeds are “coming back around.” 

For her part, she keeps “her side of the street clean,” making sure that she stays on the good side of those things, and those people, that matter most. 

Because of this, “karma” is “a relaxing thought” for her. It’s like her “boyfriend,” a “god” or a “purring cat” that adores her because she and karma “vibe like that.” 

Ice Spice joins Swift, saying that, for her, karma looks like this person’s checks bouncing, or their house burning down; something that will never leave them alone. 

TRACK SUMMARY

Revenge is not a new topic for Taylor Swift. And her newer albums have a decent amount of this theme, along with a lot of profanity as well (something that I think has disappointed many parents, as their young children may have grown up listening to Swift). 

“Karma” is no different. 

For starters, this three-minute song has a few profane words (“h—,” “s—,” “d–n” and “g-dd–n”) that cycle through the entire time. And in the accompanying video, red-and-black-dressed skeletons offer a crude gesture to Swift as she walks by. 

In addition, that new video (which has shot to No. 1 on YouTube in less than five days) is filled with provocative and problematic visuals, including shirtless men and scantily clad women dressed in black clothes and red demonic masks, dancing around Swift. It also shows Swift and Ice Spice wearing many outfits that are pretty revealing as they present themselves as goddesses throughout the video. 

This isn’t anything new for Swift, but it does give a pretty clear picture of the direction in which her music may be moving.

The post Karma appeared first on Plugged In.

“Altar” opens with a gospel lead and makes way for a beat drop. And when it does, it focuses on God’s holiness, His redemptive power and the change we experience at His altar. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Hulvey and Frank share that only God’s altar can wash away guilt and redeem (“Glory to the Father/You deserve the praise/Lead me to Your altar/Wash away my shame”). 

They preach that God never condemns us (“You don’t kick me when I trip”), but that He is the source of our life (“I need a sip from the river”) and the only one who has the power to change and save us (“Carryin’ buckets of shame/…This is the greatest exchange/At his altar, there’s a flame that burns your rubbish”). 

Unlike other rap artists, Hulvey and Frank let listeners know that money is not the most important thing in life (“I just turned a milli’ down to be home with my son”). Instead, they’d rather spend time with their families and understand that wholeness comes from God (“Still don’t get it, I was full back when my bank account was none”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

TRACK SUMMARY

Christian music has changed a lot. And, I think, for the better. 

As I was listening to this track, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky we are to have this kind of music at our fingertips. Even if it’s not topping Billboard Charts. 

What it is doing is shaking up the Christian music world and allowing other voices and styles to be heard, all while proclaiming the truth of the Gospel in creative ways. 

Hulvey said of the project that he and Forrest “are aligned in so many aspects of our lives and we’re able to support each other in our journeys… Being from two different worlds musically we’re able to challenge each other creatively as well. Above all of that, we share the same heart for God and passion to know Him more. Every time we work God seems to move and I’m hopeful people can hear that in the music.” 

And, indeed, I believe that they can as these two artists work together to provide listeners with a whole new way to listen to worship music.

The post Altar appeared first on Plugged In.

If you’ve followed NF for any amount of time, you know that his albums dig deeply into childhood trauma, abuse, depression and struggles with his mental health. His music can be characterized as dark and, in some cases, difficult. Still, his work is sonically outstanding. 

This time around, he’s beginning something new. He’s casting aside his past struggles and showing the world all that has changed in his latest release called “Hope.” 

This track not only proves NF’s ability to make excellent art, it also declares to listeners that after 30 years of suffering, he is done with his former self and ready to move forward in hope. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

NF opens his song by talking to his former self. He tells him that he’s finished waiting on false promises and that this album will be representative of the new him (“Thirty years you’ve been claimin’ your rightness/And promisin’ progress, but where’s it at?”). 

He speaks directly to his deceptive inner demons (“You don’t have the strength/You don’t have the faith/You’ll never be safe”), and tells them that he is finished listening to them. Instead, NF’s confident new self will be taking the reins as he casts aside his “baggage,” “hopelessness,” “brokenness,” “hurting” and “torment.” 

NF also defines success differently than the world (“What’s my definition of success?/Listening to what your heart says/Standing up for what you know is right”) and extends forgiveness to those who have hurt him in his past (“Mama, I forgive you”). 

Not surprisingly, NF encourages others to follow his example of confronting their deepest struggles and demons: “I’m a prime example of what happens when you choose to not accept defeat and face your demons/Took me 30 years to realize that if you want to get the opportunity/To be the greatest version of yourself/Sometimes you got to be someone you’re not to hear the voice of reason.”

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

TRACK SUMMARY

“Hope” reached more than six million streams on YouTube in its first week there. It’s the title track from NF’s forthcoming new album, and it will no doubt be embraced by fans as a positive, encouraging step forward. That’s especially true for those who have watched NF struggle with trauma. 

As I watched this video (which is really a clean, wholesome work of art), I was moved by how far it seems NF has come in his own life. What a testament to the goodness of God, to the benefit of therapy and to the willingness to want to break generational cycles. 

Although NF doesn’t quote Scripture in this track, its lyrics and video remind me of Ephesians 4:22-24, which instructs us to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

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