Kanye West & Playboi Carti Drop Same Song With NBA YoungBoy As Beef Boils

Posted on by EDITORIAL FEATURES

Kanye West and Playboi Carti left Hip-Hop heads scratching their heads Tuesday (May 21) after both artists released different versions of the same track titled “Alive” featuring NBA YoungBoy, escalating an already tense relationship between them.

Kanye West posted his version of “Alive” on Instagram, featuring a sample from DJ Swamp Izzo’s vocal mix of “Alive,” which initially appeared on Carti’s song “Crank” from his 2025 album I AM MUSIC.

The track, however, was not released on streaming platforms.

Hours later, Carti fired back with his own version of “Alive” along with a video, also featuring NBA YoungBoy, and made it clear he wasn’t pleased with West’s use of his work.

In an Instagram caption, Carti wrote, “DIS MY SONG LIL BRA @/ YE,” signaling frustration over what appears to be an unauthorized sample.

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The dueling releases have reignited long-standing tension between the two rappers. West served as executive producer on Carti’s 2020 album Whole Lotta Red and appeared on the track “Go2DaMoon.”

But their working relationship has since soured.

In 2025, Carti dropped MUSIC, a project that notably left West off the tracklist, despite West co-producing “BACKD00R,” a song featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jhene Aiko.

Kanye West later aired his grievances on X (formerly Twitter), calling out Carti for excluding him and for using vocals from his daughter North without permission.

The confusion over the two versions of “Alive” has sparked a wave of reactions online. Some users expressed disbelief, while others laughed at Carti referring to West as “lil bruh.”