Hakeem Prime: The Bay Area Underdog Challenging Kendrick Lamar
– The Source Magazine
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In the wake of rap’s increasingly recycled narratives and algorithm-fueled personas, Hakeem Prime initiates a seismic shift with “The Kernel Reboot (Prime.exe).” A standout performance from singles of his upcoming mixtape ‘Boise Mutation’, These track aren’t just all disses—it’s a full system override into hakeem primes world and he’s catch our attention. With surgical bars and a digital grit that echoes both pain and precision, Prime reprograms the genre’s core while taking direct aim at complacency in the culture. This isn’t imitation—it’s real hip hop, straight from Boise Depot. Watch the full video here:
In a massive turn of events, he releases a new single at the end of this life performers video that is a catchy tune that piggybacks off his previous known song, viral single ’I’m a let you go’ Intends to tease a new project after just releasing his newest mixtape, listen to that song below:
Dissecting all four diss tracks aimed at Kendrick Lamar
Hakeem Prime doesn’t just make noise—he sparks a conversation. The Bay Area-raised, Boise-polished lyricist is challenging the sacred status quo, naming names and questioning royalty in a climate where Kendrick Lamar has long been untouchable. With a #39 ARIA-charting single (Rather Die) under his belt, an increasingly vocal fanbase, and a fearless approach to truth-telling, Hakeem Prime is flipping the narrative: Can an underdog emcee from the unknown, Bay Area blood & Atlanta state of mind, really go bar-for-bar with Compton’s crown jewel? In a year where Kendrick Lamar dodged bullets from Drake, another storm brews—not from L.A. or New York, but from Boise, Idaho, where independent artist Hakeem Prime has fired off a calculated barrage of diss tracks that mix surgical bars with systemic critique.
From “CTRL+C | Boise Distortion” to “Dysphoria”, Prime didn’t just jump into the Kendrick–Joey–TDE crossfire—he anticipated it. Dropping “CTRL+C” weeks before Joey Bada$$ ignited the Red Bull Spiral cypher, Prime called out Kendrick’s industry favoritism, Bay Area mimicry, and Pulitzer-glossed trauma narratives. “Gassed off the Pulitzer Prize with googaly eyes / That was for pity,” he spits—cutting through the mythos with raw precision. Which was heard around the internet.
Then came “Meet The Duckworths”, a flipped open letter à la Kendrick’s “Meet the Grahams,” turning the lens back on Kendrick’s origin, his mother Paula, and even Drake’s son. Not personal attacks—but a generational warning: “They’ll call you conscious but they’ll market your grief.” Prime exposes the industry’s commodification of Black trauma while wearing his own Oakland roots with pride.
“6:11 in BOI” highlights overlooked youth like Karmelo Anthony, framing Prime as more than a battler—he’s an activist emcee re-centering the genre on struggle and voice. With “Dysphoria,” his most recent offering, he decodes hip-hop’s current identity crisis: “This culture’s code is in chaos—hieroglyphs hidden in the Red Bull cypher.” Akademiks even had a few words to say about him while reviewing his songs on his twitch stream.
What makes Hakeem Prime different? Awareness. Timing. Skill. He didn’t ride the wave—he forecasted it. With no label, no co-signs, and zero apologies, he’s challenging the rap hierarchy from the margins. Whether Kendrick responds or not, the message is clear: this isn’t just beef—it’s a battle for hip-hop’s soul. With these releases going live he strategy dropped his LP today! Titled..
‘HAKEEM PRIME – BOISE MUTATION’
Listen:
https://on.soundcloud.com/v4VzvtpvV1hIZoBKzH
Listen to all diss tracks here on DSPs: https://open.spotify.com/album/46wKDMk1V0gJKrb7sIIgof?si=8Az4Hir8SBqlI-cwo6CjOQ
Full Album Lyrics: https://genius.com/albums/Hakeem-prime/Boise-mutation
The Backstory: Hyphy Da Spider to Hakeem Prime | Bay Area Stamped
Born in Oakland, Hakeem Prime cut his teeth in the hyphy trenches—riding BART trains, ghost-riding whips, and absorbing the pulse of a region that thrives on rhythm and rebellion. Born to a Congolese mother and raised with Southern influences from Jackson, MS, and Alabama, Hakeem Prime’s music is a gumbo of culture. But it’s the Bay Area chapter of his life that forged his voice and alias—Hyphy Da Spider. The name’s a nod to the wild, erratic energy of the hyphy movement and his web-like lyrical style that ties street grit to introspective bars.
He’s not just repping the Bay—he’s defending it. Hakeem Prime soaked in the Bay’s sound, slang, and code before moving to ATL—a double-dose of hip-hop culture. The Bay Area ain’t just about hyphy. It’s a mentality. It’s an independent hustle, unfiltered truth, and not giving a damn if you don’t catch the slang the first time. When Hakeem critiques Kendrick for jacking the Bay Area wave, he’s not speaking as an outsider looking in—he’s talking as someone who lived in the soil that birthed it. Taking on the mantle in 2006 As Hyphy Da Spider. But moving in clarity of his cultural struggles as Hakeem Prime.
He embraced the explosive, kinetic energy of Bay Area culture while building a pen game early on.
His relocation to Boise wasn’t an escape—it was a chess move that leaned toward spiritual introspection. “I didn’t leave the Bay. I expanded it,” Hakeem once said. From Idaho, he then launched his ThreePeat track 6:11 in BOI, blending scripture, soul, and smoke, making him one of the few artists to infuse hyphy roots with conscious lyricism.
And his credibility runs deep: a collaboration with East Oakland’s Beeda Weeda on Over Time cemented his respect among Bay Area staples. For those paying attention, it’s been clear—Hakeem Prime isn’t gunning for viral fame. He’s gunning for legacy. Listen now:
Why It Matters: The Spirit of the Bay, Reborn
Hip-hop has always been about competition, call-outs, and climbing over titans to make space for truth. What Hakeem Prime is doing isn’t new—but it is necessary. is obviously not about the TDE d*** riding like others in the west. Maybe that’s because he has a staple in the east? In a post-streaming era where artists are often scared to offend, his approach recalls the energy of Mistah F.A.B.—outspoken, culturally grounded, and allergic to compromise. Even Ab soul and Joey Bada$$ had a few bars aimed at each other on their recent Red Bull Spiral video this week. Joey is still aiming at Kendrick Lamar, Daylyt & TDE.
Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, Ab-Soul | Red Bull Spiral Freestyle
While Kendrick reps Compton. Long Beach native Ray Vaughn stepped in with ‘Hoe Era’ aimed at Joey, and in only 24hrs Joey responded with his track ‘The Finals’, Hakeem stands for the overlooked and the underestimated—the voices outside the algorithm. so as Joey declares this is not about east coast west coast. It takes press off individuals like Hakeem Prime to grow his following fast in the Thizzler circuit, with Bay Area fans hailing him as a new wave hyphy prophet. Since the Pack or even Clyde Carson has seen someone so balanced, regional authenticity bold. with national potential. Hakeem’s diss isn’t about tearing down—it’s about demanding accountability from hip-hop’s highest throne.
What’s Next: Join the Debate,
Deleted Villain Still Under Fire after Hakeem Primes Diss Track release: https://x.com/deletedvillain/status/1938432703029993688?s=46
@whatsthedirt says:
“Hip-hop has always been about showing face and standing ten toes down on who YOU are. It’s about your identity and owning your voice. ‘THE CULTURE’ – 2025 🤡”
After @HakeemPrime joked,
“Wow, made that man Deleted change his avatar… just to go hide again 😂”,
Deleted fired back with:
“Bruh we packed u up a long time ago, fraud. Tryna act like you a Bay native with that trash ass music 💀. Might block you off the strength.”
But Prime came with receipts—replying with a Thizzler blog post featuring his Kendrick Lamar diss tracks and the caption:
“Packed who lil nigga?! You been out the loop. Shoutout @TheThizzler for rocking with the Prime.”
And just like that… Deleted went silent.
Whether you ride with Kendrick or believe in Hakeem’s rising fire and cultural support the question stands: Is this the beginning of hip hop’s change in dynamics?
Now’s the time to tune in. Stream all four of Hakeem’s diss tracks CTRL+C, Meet the Duckworths, & 6:11 in BOI, and Dysphoria. Knock Over Time & his new ‘Spin The Block’ to feel the range. Truly, Hakeem Prime has flipped Kendricks whole tracks aimed a Drake back at him legendary! Follow Hakeem Prime on X or IG (@HakeemPrime)— where fans are drawing lines, quoting bars, and questioning the myths they once worshipped.
Find more hakeem prime here: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/hakeem-prime/1185130932
Is He Qualified to Speak?
Absolutely. And not just because of where he came from. His catalog, including standout tracks like “Try It Again” and “Imma Let You Go”, proves he’s not new to this. Over 4 million streams on Apple Music, and 8 Million streams on his first album. ‘Detour 2’ he has a growing YouTube following, and performance receipts at Oakland’s Elbo Room Jack London make it clear—Hakeem has both the resume and the roots.
In fact, his Bandsintown has over 189K Concert Followers and his unapologetic website bio speak to a grounded, independent artist with an ear to the streets.
Some call it brave. Others say it’s opportunistic.
But that’s hip-hop. It’s a culture of checks and balances. From LL Cool J to Ice Cube to Pusha T, calling someone out isn’t new—it’s necessary. And if you claim to carry the West, especially in 2025-2028 where regional pride is at war with algorithmic sameness, you better be ready to be called to the mat.
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“Hakeem Prime’s bars hit harder than a hyphy beat” #HakeemPrime #TheSource”