Drake Vs. Kendrick Lamar — Who Won?

The beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has turned into a bloodbath: Kendrick has released four discordant songs in four days, each more brutal than the last, and Drake seems to be struggling to keep up.

The increasingly ugly feud between the two artists has taken over the internet, with commentators dissecting the lyrics, debating the origins of the beef and debating which of the two artists is “winning”.

What's the latest on The Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Beef?

Both rappers have launched serious (and so far, unfounded) allegations of abuse against each other through their songs; Drake has accused Lamar of physically assaulting his fiancee, Whitney Alford, while Lamar has accused Drake and his inner circle of stalking underage women.

Both have attacked their opponent's fatherhood and artistic integrity, each record following a list of searing insults. Hip-hop beefs have gotten out of hand before, but this feud feels deeply personal, removed from performative struggle.

Lamar's most recent song, “Not Like Us,” saw Lamar double down on his accusations, calling Drake a “certified pedophile.” Drake's response, “The Heart Part 6,” sees the Canadian rapper on the defensive, repeatedly denying Lamar's claims.

Drake, one of the world's best-selling music artists, who has more than 81 million monthly listeners on Spotify, has been reduced to singing lyrics such as “I never dated anyone underage.”

Many internet commentators compared Drake's song to a scene from It's always sunny in Philadelphiain which a similar scenario was played for laughs.

Lamar has yet to respond to “The Heart Part 6,” but the Internet is expecting him to release it any other day, with Lamar hinting in his most recent track, “Not Like Us,” that he has many more on the horizon. , rapping:

“How many shares do I really have in stock? / One, two, three, four, five, plus five.”

How did the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud escalate?

The timelines of the beef begin with Drake and J. Cole's 2023 collaboration, “First Person Shooter,” in which J. Cole declares himself, Drake and Lamar the “big three” of rap .

Lamar opposed the “big three” framing and described himself as “just big me”.

Drake's playful response, “Push Ups,” poked fun at Lamar's height and his collaboration with Taylor Swift. While waiting for a response from Lamar, Drake followed with “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which featured the AI-generated vocals of the late Tupac Shakur.

The role of generative AI in the arts is already incredibly controversial, and “Taylor Made Freestyle” was soon removed from social media after Shakur's estate threatened Drake with legal action.

Maybe it was the “big three” comment, the use of artificial intelligence to imitate Shakur, or something more personal between the two rappers, but Lamar didn't hold back on his revenge track, “Euphoria.” .

The song was seen as a surprisingly intense revelation from Drake, highlighted by the now-famous lyrics: “I hate the way you walk, the way you talk, I hate the way you dress.”

Lamar went straight for the jugular, tearing apart Drake's personality, identity and public image; Lamar also hinted that he would take the feud further if necessary, hinting that he had insider knowledge of Drake's inner circle.

Many commentators saw Drake as desperate out of his leaguewith Lamar seen as not only a talented lyricist, but a ruthless brawler who was never going to back down.

Drake responded with “Family Matters,” which matched Lamar's more aggressive tone.

In the song, Drake accuses Lamar of infidelity and domestic violence, and ripped Lamar's image as a socially conscious rapper, essentially calling him a hypocrite: “You just act like an activist, it's an imagination.”

In an extraordinary twist, Lamar released a seemingly pre-written response in less than an hour, “Meet the Grahams,” taking the feud down a darker path.

The song begins with Lamar going straight at Drake's son, going through Drake's family members one by one, with Lamar throwing just about every insult imaginable and accusing Drake of hiding a secret daughter from the public.

Many listeners were alarmed by the cruelty of Lamar's lyrics.

Just as the tone of the speech began to change, Lamar dropped another song, “Not Like Us,” that doubled down on his claims that Drake and his crew were chasing underage women.

This track proved it most popular with listeners, who found the song catchy and intelligentdespite the intensity of the subject matter.

Drake responded with “The Heart Part 6,” but listeners found it missingand many commentators have already declared Lamar the winner.

“The Heart Part 6” sees Drake dismiss Lamar's accusations by speculating that Lamar was abused as a child, based on a bad interpretation of the song “Mother I Sober.”

Drake also claimed to have deliberately planted the story about a secret daughter to expose Lamar's accusations as unfounded.

What about The Drake vs Kendrick Lamar Beef?

Drake concluded “The Heart Part 6” by implying that he had ended the feud, rapping, “You could drop a hundred more records, see you later.”

At the time of writing, Lamar has yet to respond, given the mostly negative reaction to Drake's track, he may be biding his time.

Drake is generally believed to have lost the battle, but fans of both singers still debate the merits of their arguments, with some believing both artists' reputations have already been torched.

Many saw Drake's previous track, “Family Matters,” as an impressive piece of work that was immediately overshadowed by Lamar's quick response.

Given the seriousness of the allegations that have been hurled, it may be some time before the dust settles and the discourse changes, especially if evidence emerges to support any of the claims.

There's a good argument to be made that neither singer has emerged victorious, only bruised and bleeding.