The Kendrick Lamar-Drake Feud: A Cultural Phenomenon
The ongoing feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has transcended the realm of hip-hop rivalry, infiltrating the most prominent stages of pop culture and sparking a global conversation. What began as subtle lyrical jabs has escalated into a full-blown war of words, accusations, and public displays of animosity, captivating audiences and dominating headlines.
The year began with hints of the impending storm. At the Grammy Awards in early February, as Kendrick Lamar accepted the prestigious Record of the Year award, a chorus of voices erupted in a spontaneous rendition of the now-infamous "A minor" line from his diss track "Not Like Us." The moment, captured on camera and shared across social media, served as a potent symbol of the song’s cultural impact and the growing fervor surrounding the feud. Lamar, dressed in a "Canadian tuxedo" as he collected his five Grammy awards for the song, was a subtle nod to Drake’s Canadian background and the origins of the rap beef.
The reverberations of the conflict extended far beyond the confines of the music industry. Days later, the Super Bowl 59 crowd, a massive audience of sports fans and entertainment enthusiasts, joined in unison to chant the same line during Lamar’s halftime show performance of "Not Like Us." The inclusion of the diss track in such a high-profile event underscored the feud’s widespread reach and its transformation into a cultural touchstone. Even "Saturday Night Live," a bastion of American comedy, acknowledged the phenomenon with a rendition of the hit song during its 50th-anniversary concert, further cementing its place in the cultural zeitgeist.
The feud reached an arguably surreal peak at the 97th Academy Awards, where host Conan O’Brien addressed the beef during his opening monologue. In a provocative joke aimed at the gathered Hollywood elite, O’Brien quipped, "Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile." He followed this with the statement, "Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up," a clear reference to the legal implications of the serious allegations leveled against Drake.
The roots of the conflict between Drake and Lamar can be traced back to years of subliminal disses and veiled critiques exchanged through their music. As far back as 2013, in Lamar’s song "Control," subtle barbs hinted at a simmering tension between the two artists. The tension began to boil over last year on Drake and J. Cole’s song “First Person Shooter.” On the track, Cole boldly declared himself, Drake, and Lamar as the "big three" of rap. This apparent attempt at unity was quickly rejected by Lamar on Future and Metro Boomin’s track "Like That," released in March. Lamar dismantled the notion of a triumvirate, rapping, "Forget ‘the big three’… it’s just big me," a clear indication that he considered himself superior to his contemporaries. He further challenged Drake, saying, "It’s time for him to prove that he’s a problem."
The conflict rapidly escalated in April, when Drake released two full-fledged diss tracks, "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle," directly targeting Lamar. The latter caused controversy for using an AI version of Tupac’s voice in order to taunt Lamar. Lamar responded with his own tracks, "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA," unleashing a torrent of lyrical venom and escalating the feud beyond mere artistic competition.
The trajectory of the feud shifted dramatically, however, when the exchanges took a deeply personal and potentially damaging turn. Fourteen hours after "LA," Drake released "Family Matters," a track that levied serious allegations against Lamar, accusing him of physically abusing his partner, Whitney Alford. Lamar retaliated with "Meet the Grahams," unleashing a barrage of accusations of his own, including claims of abuse, addiction, and the existence of a hidden second child fathered by Drake.
On May 4, Lamar released "Not Like Us," a track that solidified the narrative of the feud and further amplified the controversy. The song accused Drake and his associates of grooming young girls, labeling them "certified pedophiles." These were weighty allegations with potentially severe legal and social consequences.
While the complex history of the decade-long feud is difficult to condense, "Not Like Us" became a vehicle for Lamar to attack Drake’s presence and perceived status within the music industry. Lamar has accused Drake of being a "colonizer," someone who attempts to appropriate and exploit Black culture without genuinely belonging to it.
"Not Like Us" became an undisputed hit, dominating streaming charts and finding its way into commercials, parties, and other aspects of popular culture. The feud has also found new life through the instigation of social media, with a lot of users feeling that Lamar came out victorious in the feud. It gained honors from the Grammys and a performance at the Super Bowl, solidifying its impact on the cultural landscape.
The Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud has exposed the raw underbelly of the rap world, revealing the complex dynamics of competition, ego, and cultural ownership. Beyond the personal attacks and public spectacles, the feud has raised important questions about the role of social media in shaping public opinion, the responsibility of artists to address controversial issues, and the delicate balance between artistic expression and personal accountability. The story serves as a reminder of the power of music to ignite passions, provoke dialogue, and ultimately, reflect the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary culture.
