Rap beefs are nothing new, and artists have been dropping diss tracks on one another almost as long as rap and hip hop have been around. The reason the newest series of studio battles has been so popular is because of the massive implications it has and the artists it involves.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been two of the biggest heavyweights in the modern age of rap, titans of the industry with influences that are ingrained in the fabric of the music world and the culture of today.
So, how did the beef start?
Well, strictly speaking, the first shot was fired by Kendrick on Future and Metro Boomin’s song “Like That,” where he claims that there is no “big three” in the rap game (referring to J.Cole’s bar stating that it consists of himself, Drake, and Kendrick) and that he is better than his competitors. Fans started picking sides, with supporters of Cole and Drake saying that they are in fact the “big three” and that the line was a compliment to Kendrick.
However, the start may have been much earlier than was publicly realized. Kendrick claims that Drake was “sneak-dissing,” essentially hating on Kendrick in his songs without naming him as the subject of the diss. Drake himself stated in his response track that Kendrick’s verse “did not start the beef with us,” and that tensions had already been “brewin’ in a pot.” The artists both started consistently dropping new tracks pointed at the other, but after J.Cole publicly apologized to Lamar and took down his diss track, “7 Minute Drill,” Drake became seemingly alone on his side while multiple artists, including Rick Ross, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and more started making posts and songs joining in to throw shade at Drake.
What are the sides fighting about?
The main problem with unsubstantiated claims is that, without proof, listeners do not know which claims are factual and which are exaggerated or fake. This is important considering the insults that have been thrown around, some of which are very serious or illegal, such as:
Kendrick has made claims that not only does Drake have an illegitimate daughter, but that he is a “horrible person” and a bad father. He made claims that he has sources inside Drake’s music label who are not actually his friends. Lamar also made serious claims that the Toronto rapper is inappropriate to minors.
Drake makes it clear that he believes he helped many of the artists hating on him successful. He also pointed his lyrics toward Kendrick’s contract with his label, that he pays out half of what he makes on his music, saying in “Push Ups” Kendrick should “drop and give [Drake] fifty.” He also claims that the leaked information Kendrick is getting was actually given to him by Drake and that his inside source is actually on Drake’s side. More serious claims toward Kendrick are that he is not the father of one of his two children as well as domestic abuse.
What does this mean for fans?
Kendrick fans point to Drake being “fake” and praise Lamar for his intricate lyrics, or simply agree with his unsubstantiated claims. Drake fans point to his massive success as one of the top artists in the world and that it proves his music is good, and that Kendrick fans are acting as if they are better than other fans.
It is still unclear if the beef is on hold or ended, with days going by without a response to Drake’s “The Heart Part 6,” released on May 5. The important thing to focus on, regardless of who fans think won, is that some of our favorite artists were/are consistently dropping new music for us to enjoy. It is also important to release that this is for entertainment purposes and not to blindly accept lyrics as facts.
