Questlove and The Roots' music has had a huge influence on today's hip-hop. Kendrick Lamar's "Squabble Up," one of the biggest tracks on GNX, recreated The Roots' 1999 hit, "The Next Movement" music video.
90s and 00s hip-hop fans recognized the similarities in "Squabble Up" immediately after the music video premiered November 2024. The recreation received a tremendous amount of praise on social media.
Appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show on May 22, Questlove recalled waking up to dozens of messages about Kendrick. “I thought he dissed us,” he told J-Hud. “Then they told me it was a tribute.”
The Roots' "The Next Movement" has over 16.9 million streams on Spotify. The single supports the group's fourth album, Things Fall Apart. It peaked at No.4 on the Billboard 200 and achieved platinum certification by the RIAA.
Questlove Squabble Up
"Squabble Up" has revised the sampled track's popularity. Produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff, the track blends Debbie Deb’s vintage flair with Lamar’s sharp lyricism.
It quickly became a standout on Kendrick’s GNX album, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his fifth chart-topper—and third of 2024.
But more than chart dominance, the moment spotlighted Lamar’s deep respect for hip-hop history. In an era that often overlooks its pioneers, Kendrick honored The Roots not with nostalgia, but through thoughtful creativity. He didn’t just reference the past—he reimagined it for today.
By folding their influence into one of his most successful releases, Lamar reminded fans and fellow artists alike that evolution and homage can coexist. In doing so, he reaffirmed the genre’s roots while charting its future.
Kendrick Lamar has been breaking more records on the Grand National Tour with SZA. Now, one of the highest grossing hip-hop tours of all time, Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to have two of the top five highest grossing tours ever. The tour continues on with SZA also amassing recording breaking numbers on her new album, SOS.
