Here Are the Hidden Meanings Behind the Name of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘6:16 in LA’ Drake Diss
Kendrick Lamar has returned fire with a new diss track aimed at Drake titled "6:16 in LA," and there are numerous meanings behind the title of the song.
K-Dot's latest attack on Drizzy appeared on the former's Instagram account on Friday (May 3). Fans have already begun to dissect the track. "6:16 in LA" is Kendrick's second diss track aimed at Drake in less than a week following "Euphoria," which dropped this past Tuesday (April 30).
Before even getting into the song, the title of Kung Fu Kenny's new diss has a variety of meanings. Fans began picking the title apart almost immediately, citing bible verses, historical events and other instances of the 6:16 appearing throughout history—not to mention, the track itself dropped right before 6:16 a.m. PST on Friday. However, a few speculative claims are floating around the internet that aren't exactly accurate.
As the speculations continue to pour in about what Kendrick could be referencing with the title "6:16 in LA," a few of the major theories being reshared on social media are actually false. Some fans claimed the photo of a pair of leather gloves on the cover of Kendrick's latest diss are in reference to when O.J. Simpson tried on the infamous gloves during his murder trial back in 1994. Fans believed that Simpson tried on the gloves in court on June 16, 1994. This is false, as O.J. attempted to put the gloves on on June 15, 1994.
Additionally, fans claimed that Nicole Simpson Brown was declared dead at 6:16 a.m. when she was found outside her Los Angeles townhouse on June 12, 1994. However, she was declared dead on the scene, which happened around 12:10 a.m. that morning. Fans also claimed that O.J. Simpson officially became a suspect on June 16, 1994, but to the public, he was ordered to surrender during the white Bronco car chase on June 17.
To clarify what's real from the fake, here are some of the factual meanings behind the title of Kendrick Lamar's "6:16 in LA" that are proven true and a few connections that may be possible in K-Dot's line of thinking.
Tupac's Birthday Is June 16
Tupac Shakur's birthday falls on June 16 or 6/16, meaning that Kendrick was likely paying homage to his longtime idol with the title of his new diss. The inclusion of ’Pac's birthday on the song title is also likely in reference to Drake's "Taylor Made Freestyle" diss, which Drizzy dropped on Instagram back in April and used artificially generated vocals of the late Makaveli.
Father's Day Is June 16
Father's Day falls on June 16, which means the title of "6:16 in LA" could serve as a dig at Drake's parenting abilities. Kendrick had previously called Drake an absentee father on "Euphoria" when he rapped: "Y'all think all of my life is rap?/That's hoe s**t, I got a son to raise, but I can see you ain't know nothin' ’bout that."
Nicole Brown Simpson's Funeral on June 16
Fans also noted Kendrick was possibly alluding to the murder trial of O.J. Simpson with his song title in some way. Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were killed on June 12, 1994, and their funeral was on June 16. Simpson became a suspect the following day, which could mean that Kendrick views Drizzy as Nicole Brown Simpson, and himself as the murderer. This theory is further supported by the fact that Kendrick's cover art for "6:16 in LA" is two leather gloves, similar to the gloves O.J. Simpson tried on during his murder trial in 1994.
"6:16 in LA" Refers to Drake's Timestamp Series
K-Dot's "6:16 in LA" is also a play on Drake's popular timestamp song series. Drizzy's numerous timestamped songs have spanned his entire career and have historically signaled a Drizzy album is coming soon. Drake's most recent entry, "8AM in Charlotte," dropped just before the release of his latest studio album, For All the Dogs.
Euphoria Premiered on June 16, 2019
HBO's controversial drama Euphoria premiered on HBO on June 16, 2019. Kendrick's previous diss track aimed at Drake was called "Euphoria," so likely "6:16 in LA" is in reference to the show. Drake was also an executive producer on the show, which has garnered some controversy over the years for sexualizing teenagers. Kendrick previously implied on his song "Euphoria" that Drake was into teenage girls.
"Jeremiah 6:16" Bible Verse
In the Bible, the verse "Jeremiah 6:16" reads:
"This is what the LORD says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: 'Where is the good way?' Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it!'"
This verse is often interpreted as the prophet Jeremiah telling the people of Judah to turn away from sinful behavior and follow "the ancient path" and the "good way" to rest their souls. Kendrick could be viewing himself as Jeremiah in this scenario, as he urges Drake fans to turn away from Drizzy's sinister ways and join him.
"Ephesians 6:16" Bible Verse
The Bible verse "Ephesians 6:16" reads: "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."
This could mean that Kendrick on "6:16 in LA" is interpreting himself as the one taking up "the shield of faith" in order to combat "evil" and strive to serve God.
"Proverbs 6:16 - 6:19" King James Version Reference
Additionally "Proverbs 6:16 - 6:19" in the King James Version of the Bible reads:
"These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."
Kendrick Lamar is likely saying that Drake encapsulates all of these qualities that the Lord hates. Similarly to the way Kendrick rapped plainly on "Euphoria," "I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress," he is saying that God also hates Drizzy.
"6:16" Mark of the Beast
While the Mark of the Beast is well-known to be 666, an alternate version of it is also 616, which was seen in the Book of Revelation, the first book of the New Testament. Simply put, this means Kendrick is likely referring to Drake as the devil.
