Rapper Kendrick Lamar Disses JBS in New Song with Future

Groove Guru ’26

Tunnel Traveller

Rapper Kendrick Lamar disses the tenure president in a feature on the new song “Like That” by Future. The iteration of rap that emerged in the 2010s and continues in popularity to this day has seen its share of iconic disses and “beefs.” It has never, however,  been so close to the Trinity campus and community. There have been a number of Trinity administrators who have been indirectly dissed in songs and verses over the years, but never one so direct as this.

This was until the release of the album We Don’t Trust You which is a collaboration album between rapper Future as well as producing legend Metro Boomin. There is one song in particular that has the Trinity campus in a frenzy, this, of course, being the song Like That.  The song features none other than Kendrick Lamar, a song that some theorize is referencing and dissing the current president of Trinity College, Joanne Berger Sweeney, the line in question clearly stating “Mother F*** Trinity, it’s just big me”.  

When the song was first released, it was widely debated who Lamar was referring to. Some listeners even heard “the big three”, thinking it a reference and a dig at prominent rappers Drake and J. Cole. Evidently, this has been disproved with the much more reasonable explanation being that Lamar is referring to the president of a small liberal arts college in New England.

Many were not aware of the history these industry giants have with one another.  It has been kept largely out of the public eye, but some have been able to piece information together about their strained partnership. It has been continuously reported and generally understood from sources close to both parties that the two have a “long-standing beef.” It is theorized that the two were partners and planning to release a project before Lamar’s 2012 project good kid, m.A.A.d. city. This was until Berger-Sweeney pulled out of the project at the last minute to focus on her career in academia. As she rose to recognition for getting to the position of president of Trinity College, it was clear that resentment had grown from Lamar, as disses throughout the rapper’s discography have been linked back to Berger-Sweeney. 

It is unclear what has happened for Lamar to bring this situation up yet again in a new release. It has seemed as though the conflict had settled down in recent years, neither party ever formally commenting on the situation. Some believe these lingering feelings of resentment were stirred up yet again when the rapper was not asked to perform at Spring Fest in the tunnels this year. Berger-Sweeney has yet to respond, but a statement is expected to be released in the coming week. She is additionally expected to be doing a tell-all interview with Tucker Carlson about the historic rap beef “what really happened in the coming months.