Drake and Kendrick Lamar; two of the most streamed rap artists that have been beefing for years now, have recently both dropped diss tracks, forcing fans to choose sides.
This tension between both rappers has been going on for a decade. Initially, they collaborated on fan favorites such as “Buried Alive Interlude” and “Poetic Justice” back in 2011-2012. However, things have gone downhill ever since Kendrick called out Drake and other rappers such as Jay-Z and A$AP Rocky in Big Sean’s song “Control” in 2013. In this song he says, “But this is hip-hop and them folks should know what time it is. And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T, Wale, Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake…. I got love for y’all but I’m trying to murder you folks.” During this time, Kendrick had rocketed into fame. He called out all of those big-named rappers and mentioned how he admires them, but wants to destroy them with his unique style.
“I was surprised when I first heard about this beef, considering the fact that they’re two of the most iconic rappers ever,” sophomore Lorena Gonzalez-Abreu said.
This brawl had remained quiet until Drake and J. Cole released the song “First Person Shooter” on Oct. 6, 2023. In this song, J. Cole said, “Love when they argue the hardest MC.
Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.” J. Cole was attempting to compete with both Drake and Kendrick. He even considered the three of them as the “big three.”
“I don’t consider Drake, Kendrick and J. Cole the big three because Drake has fallen off really bad. I consider J. Cole and Kendrick are more like a duo,” freshman Kalel Clewis said.
Then on March 22, 2024, Kendrick had made a feature on Future and Metro Boomin’s song “Like That” regarding the sneak-dissing in “First Person Shooter.” He also mentions how he doesn’t consider them as “the big three,” just “big me.”
“I prefer Kendrick because he is the family man and his points are more valid than Drake’s,” senior Hallie Kramer said.
Due to this, J. Cole had tapped out and apologized. But Drake then clapped back with a song called “Push Ups,” where he clowns Kendrick for being 5”5 and calling out his previous record label Topdog for taking 50% of his earnings for that label. That is why Drake says in that song, “”Drop and give me 50, ” like some push-ups.” Kendrick Lamar then responded back with “Euphoria,” targeting Drake’s skills, appearance, racial identity, plastic surgery and parenting. This brawl continued with Kendrick releasing “6:16 in LA.”
“I am definitely on Kendrick’s side because Drake has said shady things and he needs to be held accountable,” sophomore Kylie Nail said.
Drake responded back with “Family Matters,” where he calls Kendrick a fake activist and alleges that Kendrick had physically abused his wife, Whitney.
Kendrick then released “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us” targeting Drake’s family and personal life. Also in the track “Family Matters,” he mentions Drake having a daughter that he never spoke publicly about. Finally, Drake released “The Heart Part 6” responding to Kendrick’s allegations.
“I support Drake. I don’t like the fact that Kendrick is going after his family and his son. I don’t think it’s fair for him,” freshman Emenike Okafor said.
Although they are both considered some of the greatest rappers, some find it impossible to form an opinion.
“I’m neutral because I do not want to be on anyone’s side since they’re two of my favorite rappers,” sophomore Nicole Zaki said.
With having two of the most iconic rappers throw diss-tracks on each other, students find it hard to decide on who’s better, one thing remains certain: their music and impact on the hip-hop music industry ensure that this beef will remain iconic.
