UNITED STATES—Who would have imagined we would have received a rap battle in 2024 that would place the battles of the past to shame. When I think of epic rap battles the biggest that comes to mind is Tupac vs. Biggie Smalls or aka Biggie. That was 1995 and 1996, and we all know how that ended. Two of the greatest rappers of all time lost their life. This is not to say that one caused the death of the other, but it was quite speculative that one was after the other.
The point of that backstory is that Tupac vs. Biggie was a rap battle that ended terribly. The other big beef I can recall is between Nas and Jay-Z, two rappers who are considered greats and their beef in the early 00s was well documented and followed, and we’re talking about two who are eclectic to say the least. That beef ultimately ended amicably.
However, the last beef between commercial success rapper Drake, and critically acclaimed, multiple-nominated Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is one to admire. Look, I think Drake can craft a hit single like any other, and they are damn catchy along the way. “Hotline Bling” and “Started From the Bottom” are two of my favorite hits. They are just catchy and unforgettable songs. However, when I think of lyricists, Drake is not at the top of my list. He can rap, he has a great flow, but lyrically, a lot of the stuff he raps about does align with the rap culture of those who have grown up in the hood, ghetto or inner city. I mean we all know Drake is from Canada, not the United States and he starred on that Canadian series “Degrassi.”
On the flipside, you have Kendrick Lamar who is lyrically one of the best rappers of this current century in my opinion. “To Pimp A Butterfly” is beyond a classic album and the fact that he didn’t win Album of the Year haunts me. Look, Taylor Swift is a great songwriter, but the Grammys are just full of kiss-asses, when you have great musicians who have never won the ultimate prize, but she claims it 4 times, come on. That is an entire other column that we won’t even touch right now.
It all started with Drake claiming himself J. Cole and another rapper (you know its not someone important if I can’t remember there name) being listed as the top lyricist. That did not bode well with many in the rap industry and shots started to be fired with Lamar addressing the mayhem on the diss track “Like That.” A few weeks later Drake responded with “Push Ups” and another one, “Taylor Made Freestyle” not long after.
Would Lamar respond, that is the question we all wanted to know, and when I say he responded, I mean he responded with “Euphoria” which was gripping at Drake’s throat. However, it was Lamar’s 6-minute diss, “Meet the Grahams” that had me giddy as well. Lyrically, Lamar dug Drake’s grave and tossed him right in it. Not only was it bold, but it was brutal. Drake has responded with his own diss noting he purposely leaked fake information to see if Lamar would take the bait, but that just seems stupid and makes absolutely no sense if you’re asking me. Why would you leak information about yourself to see if some would take the bait and try to use it against you? Make it make sense Drake!
Drake just can’t compete with Lamar who hails from Compton, that is a gritty region to grow up in, Drake didn’t live that street life. For those of us who have lived in those areas and are familiar with that lifestyle, if you rap about it, you better be able to showcase proof of it, otherwise it defeats the purpose and your credibility is completely tossed out the window as a result.
The beef has simmered a bit this week, but I’m just waiting for Drake or Kendrick to craft up that explosive radio single that gets so much play it will be nearly impossible to ignore. It hasn’t happened just yet, but time will tell that it is coming a lot sooner than later, and for fans of rap music and lyricists like myself, you are glued to the internet waiting for the next diss track to arrive. Who’s winning? Kendrick Lamar easily, but Drake is giving him a run for his money, but that blow from Drake just hasn’t landed yet in my opinion.
