Questlove recently shared his initial confusion over Kendrick Lamar’s “Squabble Up” video, thinking it was a diss aimed at him and The Roots. The clip pays tribute to the group’s 1999 video for “The Next Movement.”
Appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show, the Roots drummer explained: “I was so shocked because the way that people told me — I woke up to 30 K. Dot texts. I thought, ‘Oh no.’ He just dissed us. I thought it was something else. And they were like, ‘No, he paid tribute to y’all in this video.’”
Questlove said he was honored by the reference but also surprised: “It’s an honor, but it’s also a surprise when you see people acknowledging you after all this time.”
Earlier this year, Questlove criticized the Drake-Kendrick feud, writing on Instagram: “Nobody won the war. This wasn’t about skill. This was a wrestling match level mudslinging… Hip Hop truly is dead.” Though TDE’s Punch acknowledged Questlove’s remarks, there appears to be no tension between camps.
Inspired by Kendrick’s visual nod, Questlove later confirmed that The Roots will complete their first album in over ten years. Posting a side-by-side image comparing the two videos, he wrote: “Damn now we GOTTA FINISH THIS LP huh? We back BABY!”
He followed up with a message of appreciation: “I wanna thank @kendricklamar for acknowledging something I thought no one saw or cared about. Feeling seen is a great feeling… Yup, new album still coming lol.”
