Over the weekend, Kendrick Lamar unleashed on Drake with yet another diss track, “Not Like Us.” On it, the Compton-born performer accuses Drake of being a pedophile, which he’s since denied in his response, “The Heart Part 6.” Of course, the allegations have sparked some serious conversation regardless, with social media sleuths going out of their way to find any potentially questionable piece of Drizzy’s past.
Recently, for example, X users dug up an old clip of Joe Budden dissecting the lyrics to Drake’s track “Teenage Fever” from his 2017 mixtape, More Life. In a clip making its rounds online, Budden insinuates that Drake could have been rapping about a teenager on the song, though Rory and Mal seemed to disagree. “Y’all gonna look back one day and say, ‘Ah, it was right there,’” Budden says.
Budden has since made it clear who believes came out on top in the battle, calling Kendrick the clear winner if it’s over. According to him, Drake sounded “exhausted” on “The Heart Part 6,” and the song left him less than impressed. “I’m over it… Drake sounds exhausted… I want the battle to end after ‘Not Like Us’ … I learned today I like Drake on offense and not defense,” he explained.
Drake’s not the only artist fending off predator allegations nowadays, however. Recently, some old alleged Tweets from Metro Boomin also resurfaced online. “She might be young but she ready,” one from 2014 reads. “I’m tryna tell #oomf that age ain’t nothing but a number,” another from 2011 says. He addressed these in a since-deleted post last night. “I can’t be a pedophile at 15 n***a,” he wrote, though based on the dates, he would have been at least 17. “#NoPedo.” What do you think of Joe Budden’s breakdown of Drake’s track “Teenage Fever” resurfacing after Kendrick Lamar accused him of being a pedophile? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Have you ever thought we, as fans, were working for Kendrick Lamar and Drake? For many in the rap world, Drake and Kendrick’s place as leaders in hip-hop’s commercial space couldn’t be less different. The former is a reclusive and reluctant “savior” of the genre’s traditions with massive acclaim for his album output. In contrast, the latter is an inescapable juggernaut that pushed rap forward and offered some of the genre’s (and frankly, contemporary music’s) most accessible and successful hits. However, their differences don’t mean much when considering that they are playing the same game. It’s two different types of shots at the goal of rap’s throne in the commercial mainstream, two different headliners on the culture’s biggest stages, and two transcendent artistries that make record labels detached from the culture a whole lot of money.
However, perhaps the saddest similarity between Kendrick Lamar and Drake is that they’ve cultivated equally obsessive corners of their larger fanbases that made their current feud of mutually assured lyrical destruction a whole lot messier. We’re not talking about casual fans or fans of both or those who don’t care at all, and this isn’t (fully) an Animal Farm-core “it was impossible to say which was which” take. Stans of either MC are easily distinguishable if only going off of their taste; if they like one and dislike the other, that doesn’t define one’s character. We’re talking about these die-hards that are just as susceptible to spreading bot rumors, fake tweets, personal attacks, and dismissals void of earnestness against their fave’s opponent as they are to ignore these same claims against their champion blindly. They’re not the real problem in this beef, but they are exposing it.
For one, the only rappers truly capable of avoiding any opponent’s smoke are the top dogs, and Drake and Kendrick Lamar are unique in that regard. Sadly, many lyricists can continue a career with horrific allegations against them. But only a few across history have ever truly “survived” a rap beef loss against one of the greats, something that both K.Dot and Drizzy risked with their back-and-forth. As much as To Pimp A Butterfly and If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late operate on different realms, their alchemy produces the same potions. Hit records, cultural ubiquity, respect for their penmanship, brand partnerships, business ventures, and so much more through the capitalist structure of hip-hop’s kiosk in the cultural marketplace. Their acceptance in the culture is very different, but that hasn’t impacted their fanbases or success.
Drake faced a lot of unfair criticism in old-school hip-hop thought but persevered regardless to lead new generations. Kendrick Lamar is astonished on both sides but with lots of “overrated” shots at his rap style, deliveries, concepts, or less accessible material that doesn’t pass the car test. But every single metric can be levied at the opposing side’s fans. No Mr. Morale fan cared much about numbers in comparison to The Boy until these disses, and no OVO supporter believed still-present botting claims from unknown parties until they came against their captain’s rival. Everyone’s reaching for a sextuple entendre or clowning any attempts to do so for the other side. Kendrick fans are trying to beat him in a “Drake hating” competition, and Drake fans act like the support behind the biggest artist in the world is something that the world is always turning against.
That perspective quickly manifested in ugly ways. Now fans stood by fake Drake tweets, misreadings of “Mother I Sober” and “DUCKWORTH.,” presumptions about relationships with young women, and Instagram follows and real estate as hard evidence for cheating and fatherhood, all of which perpetuates female trauma as talking points to accuse. It’s a narrative war now, but we don’t have the luxury of foreseeing a future in which these claims don’t become a much darker foreshadowing or reckoning, and nobody wants to see another Black man fall to the prison system. After all, the 6ix God’s neighborhood was recently the victim of a reported shooting, in which an alleged security guard was struck. No rap beef should go this far, but fans unwittingly contribute to this warped misinterpretation that could lead to disaster.
That’s not to say that Kendrick Lamar or Drake shouldn’t be held accountable for these alleged crimes if true. But who wants rap beef to bring about violence or lawsuits as a “Gotcha”? Fans’ completely unabashed engagement with the ugly parts of these suppositions becomes moot when you consider that many of these skeletons were already out of the closet.
No tweet from Kendrick’s partner’s brother or testimony from an alleged Drake victim can change that we knew about Kendrick’s team threatening to pull music from Spotify in support of XXXTENTACION and other possibly removed artists (which the team called a double standard callout) or that we already saw that Denver concert video or heard the nature of Drake’s texts to Millie Bobby Brown, talking to her about boys and missing her. Either way, fans blindly stand behind an allegedly terrible person, which isn’t damnation until they engage in selective outrage.
Why Kendrick Lamar & Drake Are The Problem Fans Are Self-Exposing
But this celebrity culture trap refuses to distinguish art and character. Kendrick Lamar fans and Drake fans are one and the same because, when the other side argues against their fave’s opponent, it feels like they are talking to themselves instead of the music. They want validation in their righteousness because they connect with “Money Trees,” and they want to flaunt success against all opposition because they remember the “Marvin’s Room” days. Because victory would be saying something about themselves. There’s nothing wrong with art connecting to you despite its circumstances, but those circumstances are a much more important part of your life than the music itself is. As such, making that distinction and accepting that support of art doesn’t replace actual values would save many of these reaching fans from letting the art blind their hearts.
There can still be a “winner” if we fully embrace the kayfabe of it all, and in that art-driven regard, Kendrick seems to have taken the crown by rap’s metrics as a culture and art form. Like he said, he is not our savior. It’s also important to note that these two predominantly white fanbases on rap’s biggest stage represent the industry-wide problem of exploiting Black art, relationship issues, financial success, political strife, or cultural imposter syndrome for a sense of superiority. The artists are either “the villain” or “one of the good ones,” but neither take from this sub-sect of fans engages with more important issues at hand. Drake and Kendrick Lamar know this too well and effectively leveraged these statuses in this beef one way or another. They fed these specific, terminally online fans the information as master manipulators. They are not like us.
Macklemore has been the butt of a lot of jokes and ridicule over the course of his career. Most of that is from infamously “robbing” Kendrick Lamar of multiple GRAMMY awards at the 56th show. However those criticisms are out the window after the Seattle rapper spoke up in a big way. He dropped “HIND’S HALL,” a pro-Palestinian anthem. It is a form of commentary on the lack of coverage of the tragedies occurring in the Middle East. During the passionate 2:49 track, Macklemore also takes some jabs at Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
“What happened to the artist? What d’you got to say? / If I was on a label, you could drop me today I’d be fine with it ’cause the heart fed my page / I want a ceasefire, f*** a response from Drake (Woo).” It is not a direct shot at either artist. Instead, it is him venting his frustrations at how much publicity their bloody feud is getting. However, it could be taken as “why are my fellow artists not speaking out and doing what they can to show support for Palestine?”
One name who has been heavily criticized for not doing anything during this lengthy travesty is DJ Khaled, especially since his parents are Palestinian. The Weeknd has been one major artist who has done what he could and then some, donating millions of dollars worth of food to aid the Palestinian people. “HIND’S HALL” is currently on Macklemore’s social media platforms. But when it hits streaming, all of the proceeds are doing directly to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees.
What are your thoughts on Macklemore dropping “HIND’S HALL” and calling out Drake and Kendrick Lamar? Does this track come across as corny and as a way to capitalize on the beef, or was this needed? Will either rapper respond, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s beef, as well as Macklemore and “HIND’S HALL.” Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Drake is currently in the midst of a pretty brutal feud with Kendrick Lamar. Overall, fans believe Kendrick is the official winner in all of this. “Meet The Grahams” was a massive gut punch, however, “Not Like Us” was a real knockout blow. It is a catchy track that sees Drake and his entire OVO crew being accused of pedophilia and predatory behavior. This is the last thing Drake needed, and at this point, it seems like he is throwing in the towel. However, Kendrick still has to answer for some things that were laid out in “Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6.”
That said, now that fans have decided that Kendrick is the winner, the Drizzy haters are out in full force. Subsequently, this has led to a whole lot of trolling on social media. For instance, according to TMZ, multiple Drake-related GoFundMes have popped up over the last few days. Many of them are declaring the artist as “finished,” while looking to raise funds for a funeral. Moreover, there are some who are making Kendrick-related GoFundMe pages, with the intent of getting him more studio time. As if he needs money for that?
INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: Drake performs on the Coachella stage during day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival (Weekend 1) at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2017 in Indio, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)
Some of the names for these fundraisers include “Support Kendrick Lamar’s Studio Time for the Ultimate Diss T;” “Join the Love Fund for Drake’s Send-Off;” “RIP Drake(champagnepapi): Fans Unite in Grief.” At this point, GoFundMe is looking to take some of these down as they go against the website’s terms of service. Having said all of that, this just goes to show that fans love to take things too far when their favorites are involved.
Let us know what you think of these tactics from the Drake haters, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that things are going way too far now? Is there such a thing as a “line” when it comes to rap beef? If this is all, indeed, over…who do you think came away as the winner? 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.
Kendrick Lamar has been putting in a whole lot of work over the past week. Overall, this has all been in the name of trying to take down Drake. Firstly, he came through with “Euphoria.” Secondly, he dropped off “6:16 In LA” which was a means of taunting the megastar. Once Drake dropped “Family Matters,” Kendrick came through just 20 minutes later with “Meet The Grahams.” Of all of the songs in the feud, this one is the most haunting and disturbing. It almost felt like a horror movie thanks to The Alchemist’s production.
On Saturday, Kendrick Lamar decided to pour salt into the wound. He did so with the track “Not Like Us,” a West Coast anthem that has people dancing along to pedophile allegations. There is only one artist who could get people to do that, and it just so happens to be Kendrick. As it turns out, “Not Like Us” is such a success that it is currently breaking Spotify records. According to Chart Data, it had the biggest single-day stream of a hip-hop song in the history of American Spotify. The original title holder was Drake and Lil Baby for “Girls Want Girls.”
Kendrick’s diss tracks seem to be charting incredibly well right now. In fact, it is believed that “Euphoria” could very well end up being the biggest song in the world come next week. It is an impressive feat, especially when you consider how diss tracks are not meant to do these kinds of numbers. However, when the two biggest artists go at each other, this kind of performance is inevitable.
Let us know what you thought about “Not Like Us,” in the comments section down below. Do you believe that this was the best song to come out of the feud thus far? Do you think that Kendrick will be dropping a music video for it? 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.
Metro Boomin instigated the great rap war of 2024. He pitted Drake against Kendrick Lamar, and the endless torrent of diss tracks since have been amazing. Lamar looks as though he won, or is at least winning, thanks to serious accusations he made about Drake’s personal life. Metro co-signed a lot of what Lamar said on songs like “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us.” Unfortunately for the producer, his social media footprint is not spotless. Metro is currently running the “BBL Drizzy” challenge on social media, but that hasn’t stopped X users from digging up some questionable Metro tweets.
Most of the tweets that have gone viral were posted between 2009 and 2014. They may reference to being with underage girls, which is exactly what Drake has been accused of. Some tweets have been deleted, but screenshots have been taken and collected on IG. “I’m tweeting via web like a f**king child molester,” the producer tweeted in June 2012. Another one sees him liken himself to a “pedophile” at a grocery store. “Walking through the grocery store with both hands in my khakis,” he wrote. “Like a true pedophile tho.”
These posts mostly come off as jokes, but a surprising amount of them have been unearthed. The 2014 tweet reading “She might be young but she ready” has gained lots of attention in particular, with many fans criticizing the producer for making light of grooming. There’s also a bizarre number of tweets that are aimed at Rihanna. Metro Boomin repeatedly makes fun of the pop star and her domestic abuse past with Chris Brown. He retweeted a 2009 post that read: “Chris Brown’s album Graffiti is already outselling Rihanna’s album… he just can’t stop beating her.” He also retweeted a 2013 post claiming that anybody who liked Rihanna’s music was a “thot.”
Metro Boomin worked with Rihanna on the song “Faded.” Things get even more complicated, though, when considering the fact that Metro enlisted the father of Rihanna’s children, ASAP Rocky, on his album to diss Drake. Rocky, and by extension, Rihanna, have been associated with Metro’s side of the rap war. These tweets could greatly complicate matters. Metro has been caught deleting tweets before. He went through and got rid of anything that praised Drake after fans went digging, but these latest discoveries are going to be harder to dismiss.
Uncle Luke has cast a large shadow on hip-hop as a whole. His influence can be directly linked, however, to the music of Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Luke’s name was referenced in the Drake-assisted song “Pop That” from 2013. Kendrick Lamar also rapped about getting a girl loose “like an Uncle Luke anthem” on 2011’s “Sherane aka Master Splinter’s Daughter.” A decade later, and these two are embroiled in one of the biggest rap battles of all time. Uncle Luke has takes on the battle, and they may just surprise you.
Uncle Luke, born Luther Campbell, came out as pro-Drizzy. He gave Lamar his props, but the 2 Live Crew rapper claimed that Drake was “undefeated” when it comes to rap battles. “Kendrick ain’t gonna stop until he win one round,” he stated. “He’s not gonna stop. He gonna stay in the studio all night… But I’m telling you that Drake. Drake is like undefeated. Drake been doing it for a minute. He be bodying people, man.” The praise continued from there, with Uncle Luke noting that in order to get the title, a rapper has to go at the 6 God.
The 2 Live Crew rapper made reference to the Meek Mill battle, but things really took an unexpected turn when he described the next battle he’d like to see Drake get involved in. He thinks it would be fun to see the Toronto go to war with Chris Brown on the basis that both are “undefeated.” Uncle Luke gave Breezy the W in the Quavo battle. “Drake been doing it for a minute,” he added. “He ain’t running from no smoke… It’s gonna take some Chris Brown or something. Drake vs Chris Brown.”
Drake and Brown certainly had periods where a battle would have been possible. They hated each other for nearly a decade. The thing is, the two men have set their differences aside in recent years. They had a monster 2019 single together, “No Guidance.” There’s also the fact that Drake and Brown got involved in their respective battles because there was personal animosity towards the other rappers. They didn’t just do it for the sport. Both of these points are going to deprive Uncle Luke of the battle that he wants to see. Even if Drake appears done with K. Dot.
A lot happened on May 3. The battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar had been pretty evenly played up to that point, but the latter snatched the lead. He dropped 3 diss tracks against Drake in the span of 36 hours, and all of them hit. Hard. Drake’s own diss, “Family Matters,” got lost in the shuffle, and when he was able to muster a response, “The Heart Part 6,” fans had already made up their minds. Lamar is the frontrunner to win, now, if he hasn’t already.
Drake and Lamar have been invested in this battle, but something has changed with the former. The 6 God seems gun shy, and O’Shea Jackson, Jr. has noticed. The actor and son of Ice Cube hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to reflect on the latest Drake diss. His conclusion? The rapper might have called it a day in the song’s lyrics. “Wait,” Jackson tweeted. “Did he just lowkey say he done with this? ….” The actor didn’t provide evidence, but a glance at the lyrics for “The Heart Part 6” definitely supports the theory.
The outro to the song sees Drake reflect on the battle in the past tense. He repeatedly talks about losing interest in the battle and moving on. “You could drop a hundred more records, I’ll see you later,” he raps. “Yeah, maybe when you meet your maker. I don’t wanna fight with a woman beater, it feeds your nature.” Drake also drops bars about not wanting to get into things unless Lamar plans on being “truthful” with his accusations. “Just let me know when we’re gettin’ to the facts,” he adds.
Jackson’s theory is further supported by Drake’s previous diss. “Family Matters” is a six-minute epic, but the second verse has the rapper claiming that he’s going on vacation. “I’m goin’ on vacation now, hope next time y’all plan it right,” he spits. “‘Cause you gotta pay for sayin’ my name, guess now n**gas understand the price.” Drake sounded like he wanted to be done on “Family Matters,” but taken in conjunction with the latest diss, and we may very well be looking at the end.
Drake is also in the difficult decision of having to wait on Lamar again. He’s technically the last person to respond, so if Lamar doesn’t drop again then he will effectively be declared the winner. Do you think he will come back? Or do you share O’Shea Jackson, Jr.’s concern?
Boosie Badazz has had plenty of rap battles. He spent most of the 2000s beefing with the likes of T.I. and Plies, even if he retroactively said him and Plies were on good terms. One would assume that he would be a fan of the current battle going on between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, but the Louisiana hitmaker feels the exact opposite. He got on social media on May 6 to criticize the way both rappers have handled the battle. He also went out of his way to criticize both of their fanbases.
The rant took place on X (formerly Twitter). Boosie kicked off his statement by claiming that too many fans are rooting in the downfall of Drake and/or Lamar. “I never seen so many men excited to see men tearing each other down thru music,” he wrote. “The men r more excited than the women lol.” Boosie went on to claim that fans have repeatedly asked him about his thoughts on the battle. Evidently, he’s getting tired of answering. He also said that he doesn’t want to see either rapper damage their hugely successful career.
I NEVER SEEN SO MANY MEN EXCITED TO SEE MEN TEARING EACH OTHER DOWN THRU MUSIC smh THE MEN R MORE EXCITED THAN THE WOMEN lol I CAME N THE CASINO MF LEAVE HIS GIRL N ASK ME “ BOOSIE WHO DO U THINK GOING DOWN DRAKE R KENDRICK smh LIKE THATS WHAT U THINKING ABOUT WITH A BADDIE…
“Do y’all really want to see one of these great artist career done cause they lost a rap battle?,” he asked his followers. “Do y’all want all what they have done for hip hop overshadowed by rap beef. They talking about children, baby mommas, dirt, fiances, molestation, pedophiles, etc.” Boosie Badazz then widened the conversation and inferred the dangers that could potentially be awaiting Drake and Dot in the future.
He theorized that traveling to the other’s home city may be dangerous for both rappers, which is not something that should be encouraged. “I hope y’all don’t think these artist n crews snaking hands n smiling when they see each other,” he added. “Nobody go be safe n the next artist city. Not to mention when other artist start picking sides n getting involved smh that’s when sh*t get serious.” Boosie isn’t the only rapper who’s expressed their disappointment over the battle. Chuck D felt that Drake and Dot should be presenting a united front to the rest of the music world. The Public Enemy rapper went as far as to say the two of them should go on tour with J. Cole.
While a truce may be possible in the future, the vitriol Drake and Kendrick Lamar have shown towards one another makes it difficult to see any peaceful resolution happening soon.
Chuck D was one of the most controversial and combative rappers of all time during his prime. He had no problem taking it to anybody that criticized his message. That being said, the Public Enemy rapper is not one to promote division for division’s sake. He’s been watching the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle like the rest of the world, and while there are aspects he’s enjoyed, he’d prefer to see the two stars make up. Chuck D went as far as to suggest that they should reunite with J Cole and take the “Big Three” on tour.
Chuck D hopped on X (formerly Twitter) May 5 to set the record straight on the Drake vs. Lamar battle. He clarified that he was team Lamar, but felt that both men would be better serving the genre by banding together and presenting a unified front. He included J. Cole in his hopes. “These fantastic 3 rappers (I’m biased for KL) have songs that never will get this public attention,” he noted. “Hence this low hanging kid sh*t turns casuals heads.” Chuck D felt the best possible outcome for hip-hop fans would be a tour. “Get them all on a TOUR so we can pick seats,” he added.
The Public Enemy rapper also noted the difference between rap now and when he got into the game. He pointed out how he was considered “old” when he hit his 30s, yet Drake, Cole and Lamar are all pushing 40. “I didn’t make music for kids, but if they got it, it wouldn’t ROT them,” he explained. “When I turned 30, I was old in Rap. Same with 40, 50, 60. Now, with all going on in the world, 40 year olds asking me about 3 millionaire great rappers beefing.”
There have been lots of veteran rappers who have weighed in on the Drake vs. Lamar battle. Memphis Bleek voiced his support for Lamar, as did Rodney O from the duo Rodney O & Joe Cooley. Bun B didn’t pick a side, but he had a more positive take on the situation than Chuck did. He took to Instagram to say that as long as there isn’t violence involved, rap beef is entertaining for the fans. “Fans get more music done on a high level,” he asserted. “No one is physically hurt. Enjoy it! I know I am!”
pic.twitter.com/wVKMOLRGu9
I CAME N THE CASINO MF LEAVE HIS GIRL N ASK ME “ BOOSIE WHO DO U THINK GOING DOWN DRAKE R KENDRICK smh LIKE THATS WHAT U THINKING ABOUT WITH A BADDIE…