Burgeoning Bay Area rapper Symba is having a bit of a moment right now as his profile climbs in the wake of his signing to Atlantic Records. After sharing the tracklist and release date of his upcoming Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, Results Take Time, Symba official set off his media tour to promote the project with a freestyle on Hot 97’s Funk Flex Show.
However, rather than simply spitting scintillating punchlines — of which there are sure to be plenty on his mixtape — Symba uses the moment to take the show’s host to task for his inflammatory remarks about Tupac Shakur. A little over ten years ago, during a live performance, Flex went on an anti-Tupac rant, then, in 2017, again lashed out against the late rapper on Twitter for some reason. When celebrated rappers like T.I. jumped in to check him during an Instagram Live, Flex insisted that “[Tupac] lied” about his thug persona while apparently on the verge of tears.
Symba, every bit the brash pugilist Tupac presented in his life, wasn’t afraid to confront his host — even though he could have damaged his own opportunities by calling him out. “I got a bone to pick with you, Flex,” he said, prefacing a devastating — yet hilarious — freestyle in which he took Flex to task for his words. “You been a big part of this culture my whole life / So what I’m ’bout to say almost don’t feel right / You say some wild sh*t, most times you actually right / But all that disrespecting Tupac sh*t stops tonight.”
And while Flex could have easily taken offense, he actually seems to agree with Symba, bursting out in laughter and interrupting to promise: “I’m a stop!” Once all that is out of the way, Symba shows off his penchant for punishing punchlines, making his case as one of the most charismatic pure rappers today.
You can watch the full freestyle above.