Ben Baller has changed up his tune when it comes to his previous criticism of Kendrick Lamar’s surprise GNX album after being accused of favoring Drake over the West Coast MC.
The well-known celebrity jeweler and cultural commentator didn’t hold back during a fiery segment on his latest podcast episode addressing the backlash he’s facing after admitting to skipping all the songs on GNX.
Critics accused him of being biased due to his longstanding ties with Drake, one of his high-profile clients, but Baller came armed with receipts and a sharp tongue.
“I think people got me f##### up saying that, you know, I was hating on dude,” Ben Baller started off. “I said I skipped every track. It’s not really too much I like, right? I like ‘squabble up.’ There’s a couple things here and there.”
Dismissing claims that he’s a “Drake d#ck rider,” Baller explained that his history with Kendrick Lamar and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) runs deep.
“I’ve known Kendrick for 20 years. I’ve known Top, m############ TDE, for 20 years,” he emphasized. “Two T’s is in my motorcycle gang with me. We in the same g###### motorcycle gang, and Two T’s is Kendrick’s right-hand man and Top’s right-hand man.”
He reinforced that their relationships are solid, saying, “We all cool. We good.”
However, Baller had sharp words for those who jumped to conclusions about his comments. “You say s##t, and people say stupid things like, ‘F#ck you, GNX.’ You don’t f##king know my relationship with Kendrick,’” he declared.
There’s no denying that the bond between Baller and Lamar runs deep, as well as his connections to TDE. Earlier this year, ScHoolboy Q laughed with the Baller during a podcast interview about he and his associate’s plans to rob the jewelry designer more than 10 years ago when he was still an up-and-coming rapper.
Earlier this summer, Baller revealed he designed the custom iced-out crucifix chain Lamar wore during his celebratory Juneteenth concert during which he trolled Drake over the 2Pac’s ring that he purchased at an auction.
“L.A. went crazy tonight,” he tweeted. “And Dot had my ice around his neck all night. $600k cross shuts it down. Nobody better and he knew who to call.”
It’s also worth noting that Baller also has extremely close ties with Drake, who’s been a client for more than a decade. In a 2011 tweet, he shared an image of Drake rocking a pair of pieces he crafted for the Toronto rap star while roasting Drizzy haters in the process.
“My homey @champagnepapi rockin a thermal by polo, vest by moncler, watch & Cali chain by me, hating by you,” he wrote in the caption of the post.
