Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s “Control” — an instant classic to some, not so big of a deal to others — has engendered a number of responses, mostly from guys who took offense to the Prince of Los Angeles calling himself the King of New York. Still, most have been duds, further proving Lamar’s point. But last night during a freestyle on Funkmaster Flex’s Hot 97 radio show (itself a N.Y.C. institution), Harlem’s A$AP Ferg — whose new album Trap Lord we profiled last month — issued the first “Control”-provoked threats that might actually sting. Surrounded by the rest of A$AP Mob, Ferg cut through the jovial atmosphere by putting his hood up and taunting a number of members of Lamar’s Top Dawg Entertainment family during a verse that starts at the five-minute mark of the above video.
Some of the relevant lyrics:
As long as Flex got beats, we could beef all night
ScHoolboy, you better school your boy
Hit you with the ruler, boy
I’m the new 50 Cent, I’ll fucking Ja Rule you, boy
Sh-sh-sh-Shabba Ranks if I hit you with the toola, boy
Hit him with the chopsticks, I’ll fucking thai food you, boy
“I don’t sell rocks,” Nigga, I smoke em
Bobby Brown on crack and that’s no joking
The weed had me laced, I started West coastin’
Shit was too potent, now I’m ready poke something
Rock, wanna know something? Sherane had good brain
A couple Harlem niggas had that bitch up in a chicken wing
You Top Dawg? I heard you into licking things
A Hollywood bully…
There is a lot to unpack here, most notably Ferg invoking the Sherane character that plays a central role in Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city as his one-time flame. This is probably all in good fun — ScHoolboy Q stars on the remix of Ferg’s “Work,” and Lamar helped push Rocky’s “Fuckin’ Problems” into Billboard’s Top 10 — but Ferg’s freestyle does get intensely personal at times. We’ll see what, if any, fallout comes from this verse.