Kendrick Lamar’s deepfake portrayal of Jussie Smollett in “The Heart Part 5” left the former Empire star genuinely puzzled.
Three years after the 22-time Grammy winner released the music video as part of the rollout for his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Smollett addressed Kendrick’s depiction of him on the November 28 episode of Cam Newton’s Funky Fridays. The video also featured deepfake versions of Will Smith, O.J. Simpson, Ye, and Nipsey Hussle.
Around the 1:30:00 mark of the interview, Smollett insisted he had no personal “issue” with Kendrick or with Dave Chappelle, who previously joked about Smollett’s alleged 2019 attack.
“Also, maybe I’m completely naive, so don’t fucking 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 told Newton.
“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,” he added. “I’m not doing that.”
Although Kendrick never explained “The Heart Part 5,” it’s also said that his portrayal of Smollett might symbolize the perceived hypocrisy surrounding the actor’s alleged racist and homophobic attack.
Back in February 2019, Smollett was arrested for allegedly staging the incident, sued by the City of Chicago, and sentenced to 150 days in jail. He served six days before being released on bond, and his conviction was later overturned.
Elsewhere on Funky Fridays, Smollett doubled down on his stance regarding the controversial case, saying “most people have made up their minds about what they want to believe.” He continued, “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.”
