Why are Kendrick and Drake beefing? Origin of the rappers’ conflict
There’s been a highly publicized face-off between the biggest rap stars, with disses being exchanged. What’s the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar?
Exchanging insults is part and parcel of rap culture, but there’s been a very public face-off between two rap stars that has taken centerstage in recent weeks.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been dissing each other in the past month by exchanging hostile verses, and the recent conflict actually began with the words of a third rapper, J. Cole.
What is the origin of the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar?
Late last year, Cole collaborated with Drake on a track called “First Person Shooter” which was featured on the Canadian’s eighth album “For All the Dogs”.
The song became Cole’s first and Drake’s 13th number one hit, tying him with Michael Jackson as the male solo artist having the most number one singles.
J. Cole suggested on the Hot 100 No.1 song that he, Drake, and Lamar were the top three in the current world of hip-hop.
“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,” Cole sang.
This was the line that launched a thousand ships, as it didn’t sit well at all with the only Pulitzer-Prize-winning rapper.
READ ALSO: Tupac and Snoop join Drake-Lamar beef
Lamar strikes back
On March 22, the collaborative album “We Don’t Trust You” dropped, featuring a song called “Like That” with a hostile verse from Lamar that hit back at “First Person Shooter” and Cole.
Denying that there existed a “big three”, he proclaimed that “it’s just big me.” He also referenced and belittled Drake’s achievement of matching MJ’s record, arguing that he was Prince to Drake’s Michael Jackson.
J. Cole then released “7 Minute Drill” dissing Lamar in response, but later apologized for releasing the song. He also promised to erase it from streaming services.
READ ALSO: Kanye slams J Cole: “you can’t run now”
READ ALSO: Kendrick Lamar releases new Drake diss ‘Euphoria’
A RAP-id exchange of fire
Drake, however, did not back down, and dropped a song called “Push Ups (Drop and Give Me 50)” where he insulted Lamar’s height and belittled his status in hiphop culture.
Kendrick responded by firing another salvo at the end of April with a six-minute diss track titled “Euphoria.” The title referred to the HBO show with the same title which Drake produces.
This time he rapped a list of things he didn’t like about Drake, calling him a “master manipulator” and a “habitual liar”.