When Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” dissed Kendrick Lamar from the “perspectives” of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg by replicating their voices with A.I. technology, the latter West Coast legend didn’t really seem to mind that much. He simply uploaded a video on Instagram of him laughing in disbelief, questioning what happened, pointing to his Death Row clothing, and saying that he’s going back to bed. However, Tha Doggfather’s recent Instagram Story repost has fans thinking that he actually picked a side here. Moreover, he reposted a clip of him, ‘Pac, and other Cali icons over the years with the audio of “Taylor Made Freestyle” in the background.
Furthermore, this is a very curious repost given that Drake himself took down “Taylor Made Freestyle” from his social media after a legal threat from Tupac’s estate. Some Kendrick Lamar die-hards are scrambling for answers right now, either criticizing Snoop Dogg for this repost or making excuses: he didn’t hear the audio, he doesn’t run his account, he got hacked… the whole shebang. But to be honest, this isn’t really a surprising co-sign if it is actually a co-sign. After all, he appeared on the Toronto rapper’s For All The Dogs album last year, and maybe he does want K.Dot to uphold unwritten rap beef law and come through with a response already.
Either way, it definitely wasn’t what Kendrick Lamar fans wanted to see, and it would be really curious to hear Snoop Dogg explicitly speak on this issue. Maybe that’s something that we’ll see once (or if) the Compton creative responds, but we know that Drake will likely keep basking in his current, still up-for-grabs victory and taunting him to clap back. His most recent social media troll was wearing chains that either are or at least resemble Tupac’s, plus a sweatshirt of Compton Community College. This is allegedly where Mr. Morale’s wife graduated from.
Meanwhile, the Long Beach MC is busy dealing with his current Death Row tenure. For example, he recently brought back Danny Boy as an artist for the label after years of separation. We’ll see what the future of the collective holds, especially as the West Coast is looking for a “savior” right now. For more news and the latest updates on Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Snoop Dogg, stay logged into HNHH.
Well, it seems like Drake is far from done with trolling Kendrick Lamar again on social media amid their rap beef, for which the latter still has yet to drop another track responding to the former’s two disses. Moreover, some fans think that his latest Instagram Story is actually targeting rival. This is due to what Drizzy is wearing in the “fit pic”: a sweatshirt of Compton Community College, where K.Dot’s wife reportedly (and allegedly) attended, and chains that (allegedly) are or at least resemble Tupac Shakur’s. No caption, no song attached: just a mirror selfie. That’ll definitely show him…
Furthermore, what was once the most exciting and potentially expansive hip-hop “civil war” the genre’s seen in decades now turned into a coup d’état… on both ends. On one hand, you have the “20 versus 1” against Drake, which he’s been able to effectively dismiss despite Future, Metro Boomin, and company’s attempts to unite to “take him down.” On the other, there’s Kendrick Lamar’s lack of response, and how much of the rap community now doubts if he can “hold the crown” if he can’t clap back in a beef he technically started. But it’s fair to say that, for rap fans with no horse in this race, both outcomes have been disappointing to some degree.
For one, Drake’s consistent trolling of Kendrick Lamar is starting to backfire at least a little bit, as putting all this energy with no response is really putting him in a 50 Cent antic category that he was right on the border of. Add onto that a removed diss track that used Tupac and Snoop Dogg’s A.I. voices and you’ve got plenty of reason as to why hardcore rap nerds, casual fans, and the industry at large is either feeling skeptical about this approach or mostly interested in the spectacle of it all. Of course, the Compton lyricist’s lack of response is patient and somewhat confusing, but above all, it speaks volumes as to his confidence in his superiority and his refusal to play into social media bait. But it’s also harder to swallow when he’s been wanting this for years.
Meanwhile, with rumors that this was all to promote a supposed new album from the pgLang creative, that would certainly be a sad reality to cope with that many fans are fearing right now. If all the smoke is for marketing or to give yourself a boost, weren’t there less combative, incendiary, or genuine ways of building hype? It’s clear that the only thing that can get things back on track is a response, or at least something from Mr. Morale, but it’s definitely been an interestingly bizarre dynamic to witness. On that note, come back to HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
Fat Joe is an industry legend. He’s been around for decades, beefed with some of the best rappers of all time, and lived to tell the tale. He knows a thing or two about beef protocol, which makes his remarks on the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar battle all the more insightful. The “Lean Back” rapper got on IG Live to discuss Drake’s AI-generated diss, and determine whether Lamar still has a fighting chance to win the battle. He had a mixed opinion on the former, but he made his stance clear on the latter. As far as he’s concerned, K. Dot has already lost.
Fat Joe made it clear that he doesn’t prefer one artist over the over in the battle. “I got no horse in this game,” he asserted. “I wish they would all get along.” He did, however, make it clear that he feels Drake came out on top. He pointed to the fact that Drake rattled off two diss tracks in the span of two weeks, while Lamar has failed to put out a proper response. “I don’t think Kendrick’s cooking up,” he admitted. “It didn’t take him three-four weeks. I think that’s over.” Joe’s comments are not unique among hip-hop insiders. Many are waiting on Lamar to come back, and fear that he won’t complete the battle that he effectively started with “Like That.”
Drake’s second diss, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” has been another major talking point. The rapper was forced to take the song down after 2Pac’s estate threatened legal action. The estate claimed that the 6 God’s antics were a “blatant abuse” of the late rapper’s legacy. Fat Joe was much more complimentive of what Drake did, and even went as far as to say it pushed the boundaries for rap beef. “I thought it was creative,” he noted. “Using the AI 2Pac, pushing the envelope.” Joe may be displaying a bit of bias in this instance, however.
The New York rapper bumped heads with 2Pac at the height of the West Coast-East Coast beef in the 1990s. During an interview with Cam Capone News, Joe went as far as to claim that he made a collab “diss” album with The Notorious B.I.G. The latter died before it could be completed. “We made a bunch of songs,” he recalled. “But it was like really disrespectful and hateful and so [Biggie] died and ‘Pac died. They might have burnt them sh*ts, to be honest with you, ’cause you know, it was distasteful after the fact.” Joe’s experience lends credence to his desire to see Drake and Lamar smooth things over.
Drake knew he was playing with fire when he dropped “Taylor Made Freestyle” on Instagram. The rapper decided to use the AI-generated voices of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg to troll his current opponent, Kendrick Lamar, and it worked. The diss went viral and fans debated its use of AI, but 2Pac’s estate made it clear they did not like what they heard. 2Pac’s brother criticized Drake for his decision, and the late rapper’s estate threatened to take legal action against Drizzy if he didn’t take it down. It looks like he obliged.
2Pac’s estate issued a statement to Billboard on April 24. They decried the use of the rapper’s voice and called it a “blatant abuse” of his legacy. The estate also claimed Drake’s antics were a “flagrant violation” of the law, and vowed to get it taken it down one way or another. The same day the statement dropped, a cease and desist letter was reportedly sent to Drake and his legal team. According to Billboard, “litigator Howard King told Drake that he must confirm that he will pull down his ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’ in less than 24 hours or the estate would ‘pursue all of its legal remedies’ against him’.”
Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” Is No Longer On Instagram
Tupac’s estate has hit Drake with a cease and desist for using his voice on “Taylor Made”. He has 24 hours to take it down.
“…a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use.” pic.twitter.com/SrLBuqyvD2
Drake has not addressed the situation with 2Pac’s estate, but he did take “Taylor Made Freestyle” down from Instagram on April 25. The track is no longer available to listen to in a legal capacity, since it wasn’t uploaded to any streaming platforms. “Taylor Made Freestyle” was the subject of intense scrutiny from music publications in the week it was available. Rolling Stone issued a lengthy oped in which the author claimed that Drake “made himself look bad.” The author also claimed that Drizzy’s use of AI set a very dangerous precedent for the music industry writ large.
Drake’s had a complicated history with 2Pac. His Apple Music bio relates an anecdote in which he saw a sign that read “Less Drake, More 2Pac” in 2011. Drake reportedly bought the sign and used it to motivate himself as a rapper. He also made tipped his hat to Makaveli on the 2016 track “4PM In Calabasas.” The 6 God dropped bars about blurring the lines between singing and rapping, and uses ‘Pac as a reference point. “Mike never tried to rap like Pac, Pac never tried to sing like Mike,” he notes. “Those my dad’s words to me when I asked him how to make it in life.”
This latest incident is only going to further the notion that 2Pac and Drake are on different planets, musically speaking. Drake isn’t trying to be the new ‘Pac, though. He’s trying to use the rapper to bait Kendrick Lamar into battle. Only time will tell if “Taylor Made Freestyle” did the trick.
Drake versus Kendrick Lamar has been a long time coming. They were the defining rappers of the 2010s, and they even featured on each other’s classic albums. Nothing was the same, however, after K. Dot put out the “Control” verse and referenced Drake by name in 2013. They have have been subliminally dissing each other ever since, which makes the sudden explosion of diss tracks and blatant call-outs so exciting. The gloves are finally off, and one of them could not be more eager to engage in full-on battle.
DJ Akademiks has become the unofficial mouthpiece for Drake throughout the Lamar feud. The online personality has broken news on his live streams and updated fans with messages from the 6 God. He continued to do so during a recent episode of his Off the Record podcast. Akademiks clarified that he doesn’t share every text exchange he has with Drake, but felt that the rapper’s comments about Lamar warranted reporting. He told the other guests on the show that Drake has been waiting for “10 years” to battle Lamar, and is hopeful his opponent rises to the challenge.
DJ Akademiks relayed Drake’s frustration with K. Dot and his pattern of dropping combative verses and then going away. “[Drake’s] watched the pattern,” Ak noted. “Like he specifically told me, ‘I’ve watched this guy do the same bait and switch every time. He drops like a verse that people are hyped up about. I’m always ready to engage, always ready to defend myself, and then [Lamar] goes ghost and nothing happens.” Akademiks then referenced the diss track that K. Dot has allegedly been writing for several years, and inferred that Drake’s desire to engage is what has fueled his trolling via social media posts and diss tracks.
“You can tell [Drake] wants the showdown to happen now,” Ak added. “Not for everybody to go back to their corners and reconvene another time. He wants it now.” Drake’s constant trolling could not be more different in approach to Lamar, who has been silent since he dropped the “Like That” verse. Fans have debated which approach has been more effective thus far, but a decisive winner can’t be decided until Lamar decides to come out of hiding and drop a response to Drake’s “Push Ups.”
While Kendrick Lamar fans either patiently or desperately anticipated his response to Drake’s “Push Ups,” his opponent chose not to wait until he suits up. Drizzy dropped “Taylor Made Freestyle” on Instagram late Friday night (April 19) after sharing “Push Ups” on streaming services that same day. Add onto that the other players in rap’s coup d’état, and you’ve got a whole lot of drama that the 6ix God is happily laughing through.
The principal idea is that Drake wants Kendrick Lamar to respond to him because the Compton lyricist has supposedly been sitting on a diss track for four years. That’s in addition to the fact that Dot ignited this whole situation with his verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” On “Taylor Made Freestyle,” Drake uses three main tactics and angles to portray K. Dot as a scared dog who “barked up the wrong tree and got his head popped off in a crowded room.” Whether you think this is a desperate move or a nail-in-the-coffin moment, the OVO mogul certainly got what he wanted: respect through being disrespectful.
Examining the primary controversy surrounding the song is imperative to understand the levels of disrespect. The first two verses on “Taylor Made Freestyle” use A.I. technology to replicate Tupac and Snoop Dogg’s voices, respectively. Drake raps from their “perspective” about how “they” want Kendrick Lamar to ether Drake on behalf of the West Coast. However, lines like “You supposed to be the boogeyman, go do what you do” question whether Kendrick is really like that, as Snoop and ‘Pac were more combatively upfront in their Death Row days. Aubrey also alludes to Snoop passing Kendrick the torch as the new frontrunner for the West Coast at a 2011 concert in L.A., emphasizing this historical pressure.
Aside from any ethical conversations about the use of A.I. here, the illusion is just a shiny taunt in this context and doesn’t truly emulate either Cali legend. Kendrick, on the other hand, previously used similar technology in ways many felt were more thematically appropriate and less disrespectful to their subject’s memories. These include talking to ‘Pac on TPAB‘s “Mortal Man” or using deepfakes of Will Smith, Nipsey Hussle, and more to draw parallels between their stories and his own in the music video for “The Heart Part 5.” But more importantly than all of this, the “Evil Ways” spitter questions the “Savior” creative’s L.A. ties by mentioning an apartment he bought in New York, and accuses Lamar of faking his aggressive funk and being “out of moves” in this “chess game” that the world is watching.
Kendrick Lamar Is A Swiftie Through & Through, Drizzy Declares
Drake also audits Kendrick Lamar’s artistic roots through Taylor Swift’s new album, which dropped the same day “Push Ups” hit DSPs and this “freestyle” hit @champagnepapi’s IG. Specifically, he claims that Kendrick hasn’t responded yet because he doesn’t want to interfere with Swift’s schedule, despite Drake mentioning her as his only competition on the song “Red Button” last year. “She Taylor-Made your schedule with Ant, you out of the loop / Hate all you corporate industry puppets, I’m not in the mood,” he raps, possibly referencing TDE’s Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, or Kendrick’s manager Anthony Saleh. It follows similar points from “Push Ups” and posits that Mr. Duckworth is prioritizing money over his craft.
On this point, though, someone tried to turn this argument against Drake: Kanye West. The now-independent Chicago artist raps the following on his “Like That” remix: “Where’s Lucian? Serve your master, n***a / You caught a little bag for your masters, didn’t ya? / Lifetime deal, I feel bad for n***as.” This paints the former Degrassi star as a puppet of UMG head Sir Lucian Grainge who, in 2022, confirmed that Drake entered a multi-faceted deal with Universal Music Group, per Variety. At the time, the publication reported that Drake signed a rumored “Lebron-sized deal” with UMG that could be worth upwards of $400 million.
Nonetheless, Ye’s retort remains muddy, speculative, and lacks actual information that would make these claims worthwhile in this feud. Another muddy point is how Ye and Drake argue over ghostwriting and credits when they’ve both written for each other. Regardless, Kendrick Lamar is now “independent” through pgLang. However, another separate report from Varietyin 2020 indicated that Lamar signed a worldwide administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing.
“Taylor Made Freestyle” Anticipates Kendrick’s Next Shots
Drake throws shots at Kendrick Lamar on ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’
“Dot, I know you in that NY apartment / You struggling right now, I know it…”
“In the notepad doing lyrical gymnastics, my boy / You better have a motherf***in’ quintuple entendre on that sh*t” pic.twitter.com/NQWnAU7AGU
Finally, Drake addresses potential disses that Kendrick Lamar’s response track would include. The Tupac A.I. verse begs K.Dot to call out the “Canadian lightskin” for “liking young girls.” First, this attempts to disarm shots at his perceived racial ambiguity and insecurity. Later, it addresses the speculation surrounding his alleged proximity to Millie Bobby Brown, Bella Harris, and others when they were underage. It’s important to note that the only documented evidence of this type of alleged behavior was from a Denver concert in 2010. Per The Guardian, the then-23-year-old Drake brought a girl onstage, caressed her, kissed her on the lips, and was shocked when the girl told her that she was 17 — the age of consent in Denver — afterward. However, her actual age is still officially unconfirmed at press time.
In addition, Drake jokes that Kendrick Lamar needs a “quintuple entendre” on his response track, mocking how folks hype up his complex pen. This complements his claim that “Push Ups” only took him “an hour or two” to write and that his next diss track is when Kendrick will really lose. Overall, the Certified Lover Boy tries to downplay his rival’s artistic value and patience through consistent pressure. Some jabs could be interpreted as hypocritical, though, such as Drake questioning Kendrick’s street ties. Nevertheless, as of writing this article, there are only rumors of whether or not K.Dot will eventually respond mercilessly or if he’ll pull a J. Cole. But history shows us that a single verse can change everything.
Tupac’s brother, Mopreme Shakur, reportedly gave his thoughts to TMZ Hip Hop about Drake using A.I. technology to replicate the West Coast legend’s voice on his Kendrick Lamar diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle.” According to the publication, Mopreme thinks he went too far with this weaponization of ‘Pac’s voice for the sake of a rap battle. Apparently, he compared it to bringing a tank or dropping a nuclear bomb in a one-on-one battle, something that he thinks should stay a personal showdown with no external help. Mopreme also considered the context of this being rap beef (something that Tupac and other icons were no strangers to), acknowledging how the Toronto rapper just did this to get a rise out of K.Dot and his love for the “All Eyez On Me” MC.
Furthermore, Mopreme Shakur also commented on a point of retort that Drake fans have for people criticizing his use of A.I. technology here. OVO supporters called out Kendrick Lamar’s “conversation” with Tupac Shakur on “Mortal Man” off of To Pimp A Butterfly, which he constructed using old interview clips and re-contextualizing them with new questions from the former TDE MC. However, Mopreme actually co-signed this specific homage according to TMZ Hip Hop due to its presentation as a respectful tribute that touches on the themes that ‘Pac was actually passionate about in that interview. All that aside, he said that he’s got love for both MCs in this head-to-head, and for J. Cole as well. Mopreme wants them to stay focused on the sport, but to avoid incendiary moments like these and prevent violence from taking over.
Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” Diss Against Kendrick Lamar Using A.I. Tupac & Snoop Dogg Voices: Listen
Of course, Mopreme Shakur said that he loves hearing his brother’s voice, but not in this combative and exploitative context. Still, according to TMZ Hip Hop, apparently Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” made him realize that this technology is “a hell of a tool.” But for younger generations specifically, Mopreme fears that they won’t be able to tell the difference between the real and fake ‘Pac. As for who’s “winning” this beef right now, he thinks they still have more in store, so he can’t call a victor just yet.
Meanwhile, what do you think about that last point, and about this A.I. situation as a whole? Did you catch what Snoop Dogg had to say about it after Drizzy used his A.I. voice, too? However you may feel, drop your thoughts down in the comments section below. Also, come back to HNHH for the latest on Mopreme and Tupac Shakur, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar.
J Cole aspired to be Kanye West when he started out. He rapped and produced like West, he did his own version of West’s “Last Call” on his breakout mixtape, and he signed a record deal with Jay-Z. The list of similarities dwindled over the years, as Cole developed his own persona, but West remained an influence. This context is useful in the wake of West’s brutal interview comments. The polarizing pop star recently went on The Download podcast to discuss the Big Three feud, and he absolutely laid into Cole.
West was asked how he felt about J. Cole apologizing to Kendrick Lamar, and he did not mince words. He was not a fan. “F**k all that pussy sh*t,” West told The Download host. “F**k all that sh*t. Because, like that n**ga J. Cole went on tour with Drake, he know what it is. Like, n**ga, you can’t run now. It’s you also.” Kanye West went a step further, and stated that he’s never listened to J. Cole’s music or co-signed him as an artist. “I don’t listen to J. Cole so I wouldn’t even know,” he explained. “I just heard he had a song called ‘False Prophets’ and somebody told me it’s halfway about me.”
The podcast host tried to get some semblance of positivity by asking West if it was “up” for J. Cole, but West did not budge. In fact, he doubled down. “You can’t put Cole and ‘up’ in the same sentence.” This is only the latest instance of the rapper going about Cole in a public space. West previewed a remix of Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” on The Download, and the track included the line: “Play J. Cole, get that p**sy dry.” He then posted a meme on his Instagram account that sees a cartoon get sexually rewarded for not listening to Cole’s music. Absolutely brutal.
West had plenty of withering things to say about Drake, the main target of his remix verse, but the lengths he’s gone to dismiss Cole makes it clear that he does not see the Dreamville boss as a legit threat. The general consensus in the hip-hop world is that Cole’s handling of the Kendrick Lamar feud has been poor, but nobody has taken him to task the way that West has. It’s safe to assume we won’t be seeing a collaboration from these two artists in the near future.
If you’re a rapper and you haven’t talked about the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef yet, you’re either missing out on some clicks or avoiding feeding into feud narratives that only benefit the powers that be. However, some expert voices feel like they almost have to weigh in, and one veteran in rap spats recently reflected on his biggest battle. Moreover, Ja Rule recently responded to a fan on Twitter who was referencing his rivalry with 50 Cent and the rest of G-Unit. This came up as a result of discussion around K.Dot and The Boy’s current head-to-head, and the Murder Inc. affiliate reminisced on how things were just different back then.
“They said @50cent had ja rule seeing 20,” one fan responded to Ja Rule’s expression that he can relate to Drake being in a “20v1.” “[G-Unit] literally had an ORDER OF PROTECTION against murder Inc… can you imagine if one of the camps in this beef right now put an order of protection on the other… [laughing face emojis].” Still, the New York MC also had some more nuanced and communal perspectives to share on the beef. “Hip hop is a family… and no one wins when the family feuds!!! Don’t let that go over your head… #hiphopvseverybody,” he had ironically tweeted a day before speaking on his nemesis 50 Cent.
Ja Rule Thinks His 50 Cent Feud Looked Way Different From Drake & Kendrick Lamar’s Current Spat
Gunit literally had an ORDER OF PROTECTION against murder Inc… can you imagine if one of the camps in this beef right now put an order of protection on the other… #CWWTSThttps://t.co/xh7GTs9eSB
As for that historical spat, here’s how Steve Stoute broke down how the 50 Cent and Ja Rule war began. “I think 50 knew that Ja was not who he was portraying as an image,” he remarked on Club Shay Shay. “Ja [was a] Jehovah’s Witness… I’m not saying they not supposed to rap, but Ja was coming up with this gangster image. It was like, ‘That’s a stretch for you,’ they had some very neighborhood beef. I remember when we signed 50 there was something going on. I think he snatched Ja’s chain, or somebody snatched somebody’s… And then they had a fight in Atlanta… And it was just like, I never understood it.”
Meanwhile, Ja thinks that this is a one-sided feud, and that he actually beat 50 in a fight during all this back-and-forth. How do you think their battle compares to Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s? Whatever the case, let us know what you interpret down in the comments section below. Also, log back into HNHH for the latest updates and more news on Ja Rule and 50 Cent.
Adin Ross has built a massive platform for himself over these past few years. Overall, his streams are some of the biggest in the world, and he has helped build a whole new site with Kick. At this point, one could assume he is one of the richest streamers in the world. Although he recently said he was retiring, it seems like that was a lie. In fact, over the weekend, he was streaming with a plethora of people, including xQc and even DJ Akademiks.
Ross did find himself streaming by himself at points, and it was here where he gave a detailed outlook on the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud. Overall, Ross is known for having a good relationship with Drake. The artist has called Ross on stream a whole bunch of times, and they are both affiliated with Stake. Needless to say, they have a working relationship that is blossoming in real-time. Having said all of that, one can make the safe assumption that Adin is siding with Drake as it pertains to the Kendrick Lamar feud. In fact, the feud went a step further this weekend with the “Taylor Made Freestyle” which featured AI vocals from Snoop Dogg and 2Pac.
Adin Ross wonders why Kendrick hasn’t dropped yet and says that if Drake took this long, people would be calling him out, but because it’s Kendrick, it’s not getting the same energy. pic.twitter.com/FTweQy8Oa2
In the video clip above, Ross came out and said that this is all a very bad look for Kendrick. Moreover, he noted that there is a double standard at play here. He believes that Kendrick is getting a pass for not responding when Drake would be getting roasted by now. Furthermore, Ross is confused as to why Kendrick hasn’t given a response, especially since he instigated the whole thing. It’s not a unique take in the slightest, although it does speak to how Drake fans are viewing this beef right now.
Let us know what you think of this take from Adin Ross, in the comments section down below. Is he qualified enough to even speak on this kind of stuff? Will you be listening to Adin Ross on these matters, going forward? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
Gunit literally had an ORDER OF PROTECTION against murder Inc… can you imagine if one of the camps in this beef right now put an order of protection on the other… 