Playboi Carti has been keeping his fans on edge, breaking his long silence with a series of moves that have both excited and entertained his followers. After years of hardly any social media presence and no music releases, Carti has dropped two singles, including a collaboration with The Weeknd, and has been actively promoting his upcoming album. But amidst all his recent activity, he’s also found time to join the latest internet drama, this time laughing at popular streamer Adin Ross after the latter was mocked by L.A. rapper Hitta J3.
The drama surrounding Adin Ross and L.A. artists began on September 26, when the streamer found himself at odds with someone claiming to be affiliated with Kendrick Lamar. The individual reportedly said that Ross was unwelcome on the West Coast due to his association with Drake. Ross immediately denied these accusations and went on to threaten legal action against the person in question. In a video, he escalated the situation further, claiming he would hire security to physically confront the individual. The situation took a more public turn when Hitta J3, a rapper who claims to be connected to Kendrick Lamar, took to Instagram Stories to mock Ross.
In his post, Hitta J3 referenced a now-infamous incident involving Playboi Carti. Back in February, Carti appeared on Adin Ross’ stream, only to leave after six minutes, reportedly taking $2 million of Ross’ money with him. Hitta J3 didn’t hold back, writing, “No wonder Carti didn’t take your podcast serious. You n**gas be kids with some fame & let it get to yall head Adin.” The insult was sharp, calling out Ross for allegedly letting his success inflate his ego.
What made the diss even more brutal was Playboi Carti’s response. The rapper found Hitta J3’s comment so amusing that he reposted it on his own Instagram timeline, adding a laughing emoji for good measure. It’s clear that Carti found humor in the fact that Ross is still being ridiculed for the February incident. Carti’s reaction also suggests that he may not have much respect for Ross as a figure in the entertainment industry, and it certainly didn’t help Ross’ case.
Playboi Carti’s repost reignited interest in the brief yet memorable February stream, where his abrupt departure from Ross’ podcast left viewers—and apparently Ross—stunned. To this day, the incident remains a sore spot for the streamer, and Carti’s recent actions have only rubbed salt in the wound.
While Carti hasn’t directly involved himself in the ongoing beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, his dig at Ross, who is firmly in Drake’s camp, could be interpreted as a subtle jab at the situation. While it’s unlikely that Carti is picking sides in the larger feud, his public mockery of Ross is the closest he’s come to engaging in the tension between the camps.
Playboi Carti wasn’t the only artist to come after Ross this week. Smac TDE, another L.A.-based figure, also voiced his displeasure with the streamer. Smac, who admitted to once being a fan of Ross, expressed frustration with the streamer’s recent “tough talk” and even threatened to mace Ross’ security if they ever crossed paths in Los Angeles.
While Adin Ross is no stranger to controversy, the piling on from artists like Hitta J3, Carti, and Smac suggests that he may have underestimated the intensity of L.A. culture and the seriousness with which some artists take their public image. For now, it seems that Ross will have to contend with not just his legal threats but also the continued mockery from big names in the rap industry like Playboi Carti.