Jussie Smollett Supports Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Heart Part 5’ Deepfake: No Plans for a Diss Track
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Kendrick Lamar, known for his sharp lyrical critiques, appears to have no diss track to worry about from Jussie Smollett, at least for now.
During a recent episode of Cam Newton’s Funky Fridays podcast, Smollett discussed Lamar’s 2022 music video for “The Heart Part 5,” in which the rapper used deepfake technology to morph into various controversial Black male figures, including Smollett himself, Will Smith, O.J. Simpson, Ye (formerly Kanye West), and Nipsey Hussle.
“Maybe I’m completely naive, so don’t f—ing fill me in about anything… but I don’t know. I don’t know what Kendrick meant by the video. I really don’t,” Smollett remarked, laughing. “I respect him as an artist, and that’s about as far as it can go. You ain’t going to see me putting out no diss track against him, I’m not doing that!”
Upon its release, “The Heart Part 5” won two Grammy Awards in 2023 for best rap song and best rap performance. However, Lamar did not provide any explanatory commentary to contextualize the politically charged video. Some viewers interpreted it as a commentary on societal hypocrisy and celebrity culture, particularly given the selection of figures depicted. The video earned additional nominations for best music video, as well as song and record of the year.
The music video, which was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards, premiered three years after Smollett was arrested for allegedly staging a hate crime. He subsequently faced lawsuits from the city of Chicago and served 150 days in jail, although he was released after just six days. His conviction was overturned in 2024. As a result of the scandal, Smollett’s character was written out of the final two episodes of the fifth season of Empire. He previously charted on the Billboard Hot 100 with singles including “Keep Your Money” (No. 99), “You’re So Beautiful” (No. 47, with Yazz), and “Conqueror” (No. 42, with Estelle).
“Most people have made up their minds about what they want to believe,” Smollett told Newton. “Either way, okay. Because at this point, my people know. My mother has always known. My siblings have always known. My love has always known.”
Lamar, meanwhile, is set for another nine Grammy nominations at the 2026 awards ceremony. In February, he will be in contention for a range of categories, including album of the year for GNX and song and record of the year for “Luther,” featuring SZA. At the earlier 2025 Grammy Awards, Lamar took home five trophies for his critique of Drake in “Not Like Us.”
For the full conversation between Smollett and Cam Newton, see the clip below.
