If you’ve been online today, you’ve seen that Kendrick Lamar dropped the latest diss track in a weeks-long rap battle with Drake, J. Cole and other rappers who inserted themselves into “the rap beef of the decade.”
What you may have missed, though, is that a new name has entered the chat: Joel Osteen.
That’s right, the Houston-based megachurch pastor of Lakewood Church was name-dropped by Lamar in his new track, “euphoria.”
“Am I battlin’ a ghost or AI?” Lamar said. “N**** feelin’ like Joel Osteen.”
Now, if you stop there, you may wonder how in the world Osteen plays into the ongoing beef. The truth is, he doesn’t at all. Lamar actually meant to name-drop Haley Joel Osment, the child star of films like The Sixth Sense and AI. Lamar references both of those films in the following lines.
“Funny, he was in a film called AI / And my sixth sense tellin’ me to off him.”
The Internet quickly noticed the flub, and within hours both Osment and Osteen were trending on X.
I really don't care for either of them…
But I feel like Kendrick mixing up Haley Joel Osment and Joel Osteen gives Drake a point this round.
— Lord Giron (@Lord_Giron) April 30, 2024
Joel Osteen got 24 hrs to respond.
"I recognize my Lord & Savior, He's the real "TOP DAWG" The REAL 6 God. Who created the world in 6 days? God." pic.twitter.com/ifWo0gxJS1
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) April 30, 2024
confusing haley joel osment and joel osteen is the most i've ever related to a rap artist
— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) April 30, 2024
Haley Joel Osment being brought up in a rap beef was not on my 2024 bingo card pic.twitter.com/h3L5xROWq0
— z (@ZGronda) April 30, 2024
haley joel osment today pic.twitter.com/nsI7rFIDRB
— tracy clayton jr the 3rd (@brokeymcpoverty) April 30, 2024
