NLE Choppa has reignited one of hip-hop’s most volatile rivalries. On October 30, the Memphis rapper—now going by NLE The Great—released a new single titled “KO,” a fiery diss track aimed directly at NBA YoungBoy. The song, which arrived with an intense, symbolism-heavy music video, marks Choppa’s boldest artistic and personal statement yet. Built around a sample of 2Pac’s legendary 1996 diss “Hit ’Em Up,” “KO” blends aggression, homage, and moral confrontation into a record already shaking up the rap world.
Clocking in at just under three minutes, “KO” sees Choppa positioning himself as a kind of moral avenger. “Yahweh sent me to decease ’em / So I’m the reaper to greet ’em,” he raps, declaring that his mission is to “cleanse” the genre of negativity—a pointed jab at YoungBoy, whom he accuses of being a “toxic influence” on the culture and his young audience.
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In one of the track’s most discussed verses, Choppa delivers a stinging name-drop: “YoungBoy, what? This the big boy league / Put one in the gut under the Jesus piece / Last thing that I heard was ‘Jesus please,’ had me looking at the devil like this is your king.”
He continues his critique with lyrics that question YoungBoy’s influence on fans: “You poison the youth, nothin’ positive you do / You the reason n***** beating b****** thinking that it’s cute / You send n***** to do what you wouldn’t even do / Role model, you will never fit the shoe.”
The accompanying music video, directed by Michael Jackson collaborator Travis Payne, elevates “KO” beyond a typical rap diss. Visually ambitious, it finds Choppa embodying cultural icons such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Prince, and Jackson himself—complete with moonwalk choreography and a pair of MJ’s original stage shoes. In another striking sequence, he channels 2Pac’s Hit ’Em Up energy, donning the late rapper’s signature bandana and stance.
Symbolism runs deep throughout the visuals. A recurring checkerboard floor evokes themes of duality, fame, and control, while one controversial scene shows Choppa holding a severed head resembling YoungBoy—a metaphorical “knockout” rather than a literal act of violence. The YoungBoy-inspired antagonist in the video represents what Choppa calls “demonic” forces in modern rap, tying into his larger message of artistic and spiritual cleansing.
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