In the ever-evolving landscape of hip-hop, where battles are as much about cultural commentary as they are about lyrical prowess, Hakeem Prime, an independent rapper hailing from Boise, Idaho, has emerged as a bold and unapologetic voice. With his series of diss tracks—“CTRL+C | Boise Distortion,” “Meet The Duckworths,” “6:11 in BOI,” and “Dysphoria”—Prime has thrust himself into the center of a high-stakes feud involving Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, and Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). Dropping “CTRL+C” weeks before the explosive Red Bull Spiral Freestyle featuring Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, and Ab-Soul, Prime didn’t just join the fray—he saw it coming, positioning himself as a messenger of hip-hop’s raw essence and a critic of its commodified narratives. His tracks are not mere disses but a larger-than-life statement on authenticity, systemic exploitation, and the underrepresented voices in the culture, all grounded in his undeniable lyrical skill.
Setting the Stage: The TDE and Joey Bada$$ Clash
The hip-hop world in 2025 has been electrified by a cross-coast, cross-generational beef. Joey Bada$$, a titan of New York’s boom-bap revival, reignited tensions with TDE during the Red Bull Spiral Freestyle on May 13, 2025, taking shots at Kendrick Lamar’s affiliates Ray Vaughn and Daylyt while sharing the stage with TDE’s Ab-Soul and Big Sean. Joey’s verse referenced Kendrick’s iconic 2013 “Control” verse, a nod to the competitive spirit that once shook the rap game. The response was swift: Ray Vaughn dropped “Hoe Era,” a direct diss at Joey, prompting Joey’s blistering retort, “The Finals,” hailed as his most aggressive lyrical display in years. Amid this chaos, Hakeem Prime, an underdog from the independent trenches, entered the battlefield with a series of tracks that didn’t just target Kendrick but challenged the very foundation of his legacy and the industry that props him up.
Hakeem Prime’s Opening Salvo: “CTRL+C | Boise Distortion”
Weeks before the Red Bull Spiral Freestyle, Hakeem Prime dropped “CTRL+C | Boise Distortion” on April 9, 2025, a track that sent shockwaves through the underground rap scene. The song, recorded in Idaho with raw, gritty production, accuses Kendrick Lamar of copying the Bay Area’s hyphy sound while lacking Kendrick LA styled authenticity tin his beef with Drake. Prime’s bars are surgical, blending technical precision with cultural critique: “If I had Drake bag, Kendrick I’d body you daily / Six months straight look at the label crazy.” He imagines outshining Kendrick with equal resources, positioning himself as an underdog who doesn’t need industry backing to compete. The track also takes aim at Kendrick’s Pulitzer Prize win, calling it a “pity award” influenced by the legacies of Tupac and Biggie: “Gassed off the Pulitzer Prize with googaly eyes / That was for pity, they gave you your turn / Because of Pac & Biggie.” This bold accusation frames Kendrick as a beneficiary of industry favoritism rather than a true innovator, a narrative Prime weaves with both bravado and conviction.
Social media erupted, with Raphouse TV reporting over 100K views and fans split on Prime’s audacity. Some praised his courage—“Hakeem Prime calling Kendrick out for copying the Bay Area sound is spot on—those bars hit hard,” one X user commented—while others questioned his motives. Yet, Prime’s timing, dropping “CTRL+C” before the TDE-Joey clash escalated, showcased his foresight and willingness to challenge hip-hop’s elite on his own terms.
“Meet The Duckworths”: A Generational Open Letter
On April 20, 2025, Prime doubled down with “Meet The Duckworths,” a track that flips Kendrick’s own “Meet the Grahams” (his Drake diss) into a deeply personal and political takedown, showcasing Kendrick Lamar in his LA days as a youngster. Structured as an open letter to Kendrick, his mother Paula, and even Drake’s son Adonis, the song transcends traditional diss territory. Prime paints a vivid picture of a young Kendrick, “skinny bones, scribblin’ on them stoops,” dreaming beyond Compton’s Section 80 mixtape, only to be molded by an industry that commodifies Black pain. “They’ll call you conscious, but they’ll market your grief / Turn your trauma to streams, while they dine like a thief,” he raps, warning Kendrick of exploitation and the fleeting nature of fame: “You gon’ hear ‘King Kendrick’ a lot, they’ll flood you with praise / But remember—pedestals flip when the trends start to fade.”
The second verse, addressed to Paula, critiques the absence of “peace in the chorus” in Kendrick’s upbringing, suggesting her tough love shaped his artistry but left him unmoored. Prime’s audacity to address Kendrick’s family mirrors Kendrick’s own tactic in “Meet the Grahams,” but Prime’s approach is less about personal slander and more about exposing systemic traps—Grammy validations, mass incarceration, and the industry’s tendency to “dress you in silk or a Canadian suit” as Kendrick was seen wearing such as he accepted his awards for ‘NOT LIKE US’ in 2025. while erasing cultural roots. The track’s release amid Drake’s 107-page lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over “Not Like Us” added fuel to the fire, aligning Prime’s critique with a broader narrative of industry manipulation.
“6:11 in BOI”: A Dedication to the Overlooked
Prime’s third diss, “6:11 in BOI,” released shortly after, is a poignant dedication to Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old accuser of a stabbing in Frisco, Texas. The track positions Prime as a messenger for overlooked youth, blending activism with artistry. He did mention him as influened by Kendrick in his Meet The Duckworths track and By referencing Karmelo, Prime shifts the focus from personal beef to hip-hop’s role in amplifying unheard voices, a theme that resonates with his broader mission of cultural awareness. The title, evoking Boise’s underdog status, underscores Prime’s commitment to representing the margins—geographically and socially—while challenging Kendrick’s narrative as the “West Coast savior.” This track cements Prime’s stance as not just a battler but a voice for those ignored by mainstream hip-hop’s spotlight.
“Dysphoria”: A Cultural Reckoning
Prime’s most recent track, “Dysphoria,” released on June 10, 2025, is a lyrical tour de force that encapsulates his critique of hip-hop’s gatekeeping fans and commodification. “They reach for the crown but never bled for the throne / Critique the field cus we built it / Outta struggle and bone,” he raps, asserting that true skill is rooted in lived experience, not industry hype. Prime calls out the hypocrisy of those who “quote the code but forgot it’s carved in conflict and pain,” accusing Kendrick and others of allowing mumble rap to dominate while shaming authentic artists as “clout chasers.” The track’s Red Bull cypher reference—“This culture’s code is in chaos—hyroglifs hidden in the Red Bull cypher”—ties Prime’s narrative to the TDE-Joey clash, positioning him as a decoder of hip-hop’s fractured ethos.
Prime’s Oakland roots shine through as he claims, “I’m Oakland-bred, (no loaf!) / On mamas, I bark and bite,” grounding his critique in Bay Area authenticity. His reference to “slap one nice cause they took Maria” alludes to systemic issues like I.C.E deportations, weaving social commentary into his bars. “Dysphoria” is both a diss and a manifesto, demanding that hip-hop return to its roots of struggle, skill, and truth.
A Larger-Than-Life Stance, Grounded in Skill
Hakeem Prime’s intervention in the Kendrick Lamar-TDE-Joey Bada$$ feud is not just a bold move—it’s a seismic shift in hip-hop’s narrative. His tracks are larger than life, not because of mainstream clout, but because they channel the genre’s original spirit: a platform for the voiceless to challenge the powerful. Prime’s lyrical dexterity—marked by intricate wordplay, cultural references, and emotional weight—proves he’s not just throwing punches but crafting a legacy. His decision to drop “CTRL+C” weeks before the Red Bull Spiral Freestyle demonstrates strategic foresight, positioning him as a catalyst in a beef that’s as much about cultural authenticity as it is about personal rivalries.
Prime’s hip-hop awareness sets him apart. He’s not chasing clout but demanding accountability, critiquing Kendrick’s role as a cultural icon while exposing the industry’s exploitation of Black trauma. His references to Karmelo Anthony and systemic issues like mass incarceration and deportations elevate his work beyond diss tracks, earning him a prestige that mainstream narratives often overlook. As Ab-Soul noted during the Red Bull Spiral, hip-hop thrives on competition and depth, and Prime embodies both, bridging the underground and the mainstream with bars that hit like a tsunami.
The Underdog’s Prestige
While Kendrick Lamar basks in Grammy glory and Joey Bada$$ commands the East Coast, Hakeem Prime’s independent grind from Boise, Idaho, makes his challenge all the more remarkable. His tracks are a testament to skill over notoriety, authenticity over hype. Fans on X have taken notice, with @hiphopunison praising “Meet The Duckworths” for its “tons of BARS,” reflecting a growing recognition of Prime’s talent. His ability to weave personal, cultural, and systemic critiques into his music—while holding his own against hip-hop’s giants—marks him as a force to be reckoned with.
Hakeem Prime isn’t just in the middle of the TDE-Joey mess; he’s redefining it. His diss tracks are a clarion call for hip-hop to honor its roots, amplify the marginalized, and reject the industry’s commodified narratives. With “CTRL+C,” “Meet The Duckworths,” “6:11 in BOI,” and “Dysphoria,” Prime has crafted a legacy that’s both larger than life and deeply grounded in the skill, struggle, and soul of true hip-hop. The ball is now in Kendrick’s court—but whether he responds or not, Hakeem Prime has already proven he’s a contender who gets it, and the culture is listening.
Sources:
24hip-hop.com, “Hakeem Prime & Joey Bada$$ Are the Only Ones Bold Enough to Take On TDE Head-On,” May 16, 2025
Genius.com, “Hakeem Prime – Dysphoria Lyrics,” June 10, 2025
Genius.com, “Hakeem Prime – Meet The Duckworths | Boise Reflection Lyrics,” April 20, 2025
AllHipHop.com, “Hakeem Prime Doubles Down on Kendrick Lamar with Another Diss Track,” April 18, 2025
• SoapCentral.com, “Who is Hakeem Prime? Singer drops a diss against Kendrick Lamar, claims Drake should have responded like him,” April 9th 2025
•Sportskeeper.com, “This how Drake should have responded" — Hakeem Prime reacts after dropping diss track against Kendrick Lamar
HakeemPrime.com, “Hakeem Prime Intensifies Criticism of Kendrick Lamar,” April 9, 2025