Drake

Kendrick Lamar Was Spotted Filming The ‘Not Like Us’ Video, Which Means His ‘Drake Victory Lap’ Isn’t Over

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The person who coined the phrase, “all you need is love,” didn’t meet Kendrick Lamar. Although the “Euphoria” rapper receives more than enough praises from fans and peers alike, users online have joked that he’s currently running off of his pure hatred of Drake.

Today (June 22), Kendrick was spotted in his hometown Compton, California, reportedly filming a music video for “Not Like Us.”

The chart-topping Drake diss track has been unofficially declared the “song of the summer,” and Kendrick’s The Pop Out: Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert presented by Amazon Music, demonstrated why.

Despite being filmed in the public, details surrounding the video shoot have remained under wraps. However, if it is anything like his June 19 show, you should expect to see tons of guest cameos from across industries, including the song’s producer Mustard, Kendrick’s former Black Hippy collaborators (Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q), basketball stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan, plus so many others.

Of course, none of this has been confirmed, but that hasn’t stopped folks from wishing for it. Users online have also speculated that YG is set to appear in the visual after he posted clips with controversial podcaster Bobbi Althoff in the city.

As of today, the video’s release date hasn’t been shared with the public. But given the speedy turn around of the song, it won’t be vaulted much longer.

Ski Mask The Slump God Disses Ryan Garcia Over XXXTentacion Claim

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Ryan Garcia has managed to make himself incredibly unlikeable in 2024. The boxer has bad outrageous assertions, and tested positive for PEDs before title matches. He somehow managed to combine these two pastimes on June 20. Garcia was suspended from boxing for one year following his second positive PED test. In response, Garcia inexplicably claimed that Drake had XXXTentacion killed. There isn’t more context. The tweet literally reads: “F*ck it Drake killed X.” This made a lot of people mad, and Ski Mask the Slump God was one of them.

Ski Mask the Slump God did not humor Garcia’s claims. Instead, he chastised the boxer and anybody who believed him. “Whoever believe this stupid sh*t,” he tweeted. “Too deep in the YouTube conspiracy rabbit hole. “Go outside touch grass my n**ga.” Ski Mask is known for his outrageous and oftentimes silly rap persona, but he doesn’t play when it comes to XXXTentacion. The rapper was close with X during his lifetime, and they collaborated on multiple songs together. During a Rolling Loud concert in 2022, Ski Mask paid tribute to his friend by posting a message on the background screen. “I wish I told you how much you really meant to me more often,” Ski Mask wrote. “Out of everyone you knew my pride brings me down.”

Read More: Ski Mask The Slump God Announces 11th Dimension World Tour

Ski Mask The Slump God Included X On His New Album

Things weren’t always friendly between the two rappers, though. Ski Mask the Slump God and X had a falling out in 2017, when the latter refused to give Ski Mask a feature on his album. “My response to the request for the song by Ski is no,” X wrote on Instagram. “I am going to destroy all of these rappers.” Sources close to Ski Mask the Slump God claim they squashed the beef before X died. “What most people don’t know is that they squashed that old thing a long time [ago],” they told Urban Islandz. “They were like brothers again, they both came up in the same hood and went through a lot of sh*t together.”

Ski Mask has made a point of keeping XXXTentacion’s legacy alive. The rapper included X on the song “Jah’s Interlude” from his new album, 11th Dimension. The song is a reworked version of X’s “Hope (Freestyle)” without an instrumental.

Read More: Ski Mask The Slump God Net Worth 2024: What Is The Rapper Worth?

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Joe Budden Tells DJ Akademiks To Stop Reporting About Drake

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Joe Budden is a polarizing figure in hip-hop media. He’s been called a hypocrite, especially with regards to his personal life. He’s also been called a hater, as seen in his infamous Lil Yachty interview. The former rapper does make some good points, however. He reflected on the Drake coverage that DJ Akademiks has been doing in recent weeks, and he sees a problem. In Budden’s estimation, Ak’s bias towards the 6 God has made him an unreliable source for fans.

Budden broke it down on an episode of the Joe Budden Podcast. He applauded DJ Akademiks for his journalism skills, but criticized the way Ak has shared it. He pointed to the recent bot allegations that were made against Kendrick Lamar during the NBA finals as a prime example. “Ak is the one on stream during the NBA finals,” Budden asserted. “Good journalistic sh*t you was doing, but you gotta know that any Drake news coming from you is viewed through a different type of eye.” The former Slaughterhouse member pointed to Ak’s relationship with Drake as the problem.

Read More: Jay-Z Called “Cap” On Alleged Beanie Sigel Betrayal, Joe Budden Reveals

Joe Budden Tried To Give His Former Co-Host Advice

DJ Akademiks shared messages he got from Drake during the Kendrick Lamar battle. Drake even used a sample of Ak on the diss song “Push Ups.” Joe Budden correctly noted that whenever Ak tries to defend Drake, it will look like he’s being given orders by the rapper. “It comes off as a mission sent from Drake,” he explained. His advice to both DJ Akademiks and Drake is to take a couple plays off. Especially in the wake of Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out” concert, which was an overwhelming success. “It’s too much to fight,” he added. “You’re gonna look away.”

Joe Budden ultimately urged DJ Akademiks to stop proselytizing on Drake’s behalf. “Ak is the mouth piece,” he complained. “As a Drake fan, I want Ak to stop announcing things about Drake… The Drake releases are much better as a surprise. Anything with Ak reporting it, it just looked a way.” Joe Budden wrapped up his statement by assuring fans that he has respect for DJ Akademiks. He did throw him a bit of a dig, however, when he said that Ak doesn’t care about criticisms because Drake is a “brand builder.” He’s not wrong.

Read More: Drake Fans Theorize He Was Taking A Shot At Joe Budden With His “One Trick Ponies” Post

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The Game Clarifies His Friendship With Drake Amidst Kendrick Battle

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The Game had a lot to get off his chest on June 20. The rapper was tired of the rumors that he was beefing with Kendrick Lamar. He was also annoyed by those same rumors serving as the reason why he didn’t attend Lamar’s “Pop Out” show on Juneteenth. The Game got on Instagram Live to clear the air. He also clarified where he stood with Kendrick Lamar and Drake, which has been a controversial topic over the last few months. The claim that The Game supported Drake over a Compton rapper isn’t true. Well, mostly not true.

The rapper made a point of giving Kendrick Lamar his flowers. He dubbed the “Pop Out” show an “amazing” feat, and praised Lamar for being “big-hearted” and sharing the spotlight. The Game also made it clear that he hasn’t turned his back on Drake. He considers the rapper to be a friend, no matter what happens between him and Kendrick Lamar. “As far as my relationship with Drake,” he said. “Drake is my n**ga, I f*ck with Drake.” He went on to compliment the 6 God for being there when he’s needed, and for providing things for Game’s family whenever he can. “My loyalty is with muthaf**kas that’s loyal to me,” he added. “Drizzy, he know what the f*ck it is when he see me.”

Read More: The Game Criticizes J Cole For “Watering Down” Rap Battles

The Game Is Still Close Friends With The 6 God

The Game also praised Drake for his handling of the Kendrick Lamar battle. He doesn’t make a ruling on who won, but he felt both men delivered. “I think what [Kendrick] doing is amazing,” he asserted. “What Drake doing is amazing. I think them n**gas just came out of one of the biggest hip-hop beefs ever and survived. Tupac and Biggie didn’t.” Fans may be surprised to see The Game play a centrist role in such a volatile beef, but he’s always done this with Lamar and Drake. He had both artists featured on 2011’s The R.E.D. Album. He linked back up with Drizzy for the 2015 album The Documentary 2, and made a point of getting a Lamar verse as well. The Game has never tipped his hand one way or the other.

The Game is famous for picking fights with other rappers. He recently dropped a diss track on Rick Ross out of the blue. Things have evidently changed. The rapper told his IG followers that he doesn’t want to get involved in a situation that he isn’t already part of. “As far as the Kendrick and Drake sh*t,” he stated. “That’s Kendrick and Drake sh*t. That sh*t ain’t for me man. I had to navigate myself through this sh*t. I been in this sh*t since 2003 being a solid a*s n**ga to everybody.” It’s hard to imagine a time when The Game isn’t beefing, but we’ll take him at his word.

Read More: The Game Clowns Sean Kingston’s Mother After Her Mugshot Surfaces Online

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Why Did Kendrick Lamar Call Out Drake For Tupac’s Ring At ‘The Pop Out’?

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kendrick lamar The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch
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Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert — at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on Wednesday night, June 19 — was bookended by Lamar reasserting his deep hatred for Drake. Lamar began his set with “Euphoria,” and his instantly iconic finale involved running through “Not Like Us” five times (six, if you count the instrumental as he left the stage) — both live debuts of his Drake diss tracks.

Fans noticed something different about “Euphoria,” as explained below.

Why Did Kendrick Lamar Call Out Drake For Tupac’s Ring At The Pop Out?

While performing “Euphoria” live for the first time, Lamar added a bar: “Give me Tupac’s ring back, and I might give you a lil respect.”

Last July, Drake bought a custom ring formerly belonging to the late Tupac Shakur at an auction. USA Today reported at the time that Drake dropped more than $1 million for the ring, which Sotheby’s described in a press release as “an exceedingly rare piece of Tupac’s signature aesthetic and a slice of hip-hop history” while confirming that Drake was the purchaser “after Shakur’s grandmother and lifelong supporter, Yaasmyn Fula, put it up for auction.”

Seeing as Tupac was a cornerstone for West Coast rap — Lamar has since taken on the mantle — and Drake has absolutely no allies within Los Angeles rap, it makes sense that Drake owning anything related to Tupac doesn’t sit well with Lamar.

Tangentially related, Lamar name-checked Tupac twice (“You think the Bay gon’ let you disrespect ‘Pac, n****?” & “Yeah, it’s all eyes on me, and I’ma send it up to ‘Pac”) in “Not Like Us” after Drake used AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg on “Taylor Made Freestyle,” one of his Kendrick diss tracks from April. Drake took a massive L on that — deleting it from social media after Tupac’s estate threatened legal action.

Drake Got Eviscerated At Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Pop Out’ Concert And People Can’t Help But Imagine His Reaction

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Given that yesterday (June 19) was Juneteenth, it was a relatively slow news day in the music world. That is, except for one thing: Last night, Kendrick Lamar hosted The Pop Out — Ken & Friends, a special concert event that wasn’t about the Drake feud, but was also totally about the Drake feud. A number of Lamar’s Drake diss tracks made the setlist, most notably “Not Like Us,” which was performed five times in a row to end the show.

Folks online took notice: Drake became the No. 1 trending topic on X (formerly Twitter) and still is as of this post on Thursday morning.

A lot of the reactions were people imagining Drake’s reaction to the show, particularly to the repetition of “Not Like Us,” with tweets comedically imagining Drake feeling anger, frustration, or sadness.

Others just admired the whole situation. As one user put it, “17,000+ people gathered together in one place to call Drake a pedophile with Kendrick Lamar. This level of hate will never be duplicated.” Another noted, “Not Like Us to Drake is how Back To Back was for Meek [crying laughing emoji] Kendrick preformed the song 4 times and the entire arena rapped it word for word all 4 times.”

Check out some more reactions below.

Kendrick Lamar’s Fiancée Whitney Alford And Kids Spotted At “Pop Out” Show

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Kendrick Lamar was declared the winner of the Drake battle. His songs hit harder, and did better on the Billboard charts. If there was any doubt as to whether he was the victor, it was squashed on Juneteenth. The rapper put on his “Pop Out” show in Los Angeles, which featured appearances from a host of icons and TDE affiliates. The most surprising appearance of the night, however, came from Kendrick Lamar’s fiancée, Whitney Alford.

Alford was spotted by fans during the concert. iPhone footage was taken of Alford sitting next to her and Lamar’s kids. Innocuous on the surface, but those who have been keeping up with the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake battle know that Alford’s presence was not guaranteed going into the evening. Drake has made grim accusations against Lamar on record. Many of them had to do with Alford, and the rumor that the Compton rapper has been abusive towards her. Drake made this claim on the chilling “Family Matters.” “They hired a crisis management team,” he spit. “To clean up the fact that you beat on your queen.”

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Blows The Roof Off Of The KIA Forum As Dr. Dre Intros “Not Like Us”

Kendrick Lamar’s Family Was In Attendance

Drake also cast doubt on Alford’s relationship with Kendrick Lamar’s business partner, Dave Free. He went as far as to speculate that Free is the real father of Lamar and Alford’s son. These rumors have persisted for weeks. Fans pointed out that Whitney Alford failed to wish Lamar a Happy Father’s Day, despite previously wishing herself a Happy Mother’s Day on social media. Drake’s accusations have remained purely speculative, however. Alford has never addressed the rapper’s claims, nor has she publicly spoken about her relationship with Lamar.

The only time Whitney Alford has talked about Lamar, in fact, has been on record. She narrates three different songs on the rapper’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (2022), including the album opener, “United In Grief.” Alford is also photographed holding her son on the cover. Kendrick Lamar does not speak about his fiancée, either, but he did admit to relationship woes in Mr. Morale‘s penultimate song, “Mother I Sober.” “I made it home, seven years of tour, chasin’ manhood,” he rapped. “But Whitney’s gone, by time you hear this song.” It appears, at least, publicly, that the two have figured things out.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Urges Drake To Give Him Back Tupac’s Ring In “Euphoria” Lyric Remix

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Dr. Dre Teed Up ‘Not Like Us’ For Kendrick Lamar, And He Disrespected Drake By Performing It Five Times In A Row At ‘The Pop Out’

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It was already a consensus opinion that Kendrick Lamar obliterated Drake when they exchanged diss tracks this spring. But just in case there were any doubt, Lamar delivered an epic knockout punch during his set at his The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on Wednesday, June 19. First, Lamar opened his set by performing “Euphoria” live for the first time — adding a Tupac-related bar, to boot — but that paled in comparison to Lamar’s grand finale.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Compton rapper welcomed Dr. Dre to the stage. They performed “Still D.R.E.” and “California Love,” and that seemed to be that before Lamar stopped him from walking off the stage. “You ain’t gonna say nothin’ else before we continue to party?” Lamar asked. Dre said, “Psst, I see dead people,” thus beginning a relentless medley of Lamar performing “Not Like Us” five times in a row.

Eventually, Lamar was joined on stage by the guest performers from the night — plus DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook — and they all metaphorically danced on Drake’s grave. Still, Lamar paused between the fourth and fifth run through “Not Like Us” to emphasize that this Juneteenth concert was meant “for all of us to be together on stage” and display “united at its finest.” Lamar shouted out the late Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant and acknowledged, “We lost a lot of homies to this music sh*t, to this street sh*t.”

Lamar dropped “Not Like Us” in early May, and it became his fourth-career No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Kendrick Lamar And Ab-Soul Perform “6:16 In LA” During “Pop Up” Show

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Kendrick Lamar pulled out all the stops. The Compton rapper made his “Pop Out” concert an LA event for the ages. Part of the reason it was so memorable was because he showed love to all of the artists that he’s worked with over the years. DJ Mustard and Dr Dre showed up, but TDE fans were especially hyped to see Lamar link back up with Ab-Soul. It’s wasn’t clear which song Soulo would perform, but Kendrick Lamar decided to bring him to debut his Drake diss, “6:16 In LA.” The results were spectacular.

“6:16 In LA” is the most obscure and dense Drake diss that Lamar dropped. It’s still not on streaming platforms. This made it the perfect song to perform with TDE’s most esoteric rapper. Ab-Soul walked onstage and immediately hyped up the crowd. “I guess somebody lied,” he said. “Smells like somebody lied. I don’t see no muthaf*cking fire!” Soul and Lamar then linked up and the Al Green sample for “6:16 In LA” kicked in. The two rappers bobbed and put an arm over each other while they rapped the diss. K. Dot handled most of the bars (no surprise), but Ab-Soul served as the perfect hype man. He provided ad-libs and cheered his fellow Black Hippy member on.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Performs “Euphoria” Live For The First Time: Watch

Ab-Soul Hyped Up Kendrick Lamar’s Performance

This is the first time Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul have performed together in years. There was some confusion as to their relationship in the months leading up to the “Pop Out” show. Ab-Soul dropped a guest verse on J Cole’s Might Delete Later album, which contained a Lamar diss. Ab-Soul also went through a turbulent period behind closed doors. He attempted to end his own life in 2022, which he detailed on his most recent album, Herbert. Despite the perceived distance between him and Lamar, Soul always spoke highly of the latter.

“We’re brothers first and, you know,” the rapper told XXL. “He’s still somebody that I can call on and vice versa. I support him in whatever. He’s incredible. He’s an incredible artist. I’m behind it 100 percent.” Ab-Soul obviously made good on his word by making an appearance at the “Pop Out” show. Long live Black Hippy.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Urges Drake To Give Him Back Tupac’s Ring In “Euphoria” Lyric Remix

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Kendrick Lamar Kicked Drake While He Was Down By Starting His ‘The Pop Out’ Show With His ‘Euphoria’ Diss Track

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Kendrick Lamar’s The Pop Out — Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert marks his first public appearance since he and Drake exchanged several vicious diss tracks. DJ Hed and Mustard delivered stacked opening sets featuring guest performances from the likes of Westside Boogie, BlueBucksClan, Tommy The Clown, Blxst, Ty Dolla Sign, Dom Kennedy, Steve Lacy, Tyler The Creator, Roddy Ricch, and YG.

Lamar immediately reminded everyone that he is and forever will be the main attraction when he began his set with the live debut of “Euphoria,” one of the aforementioned Drake diss tracks.

Lamar additionally proved that he still disdains Drake by adding a new bar to “Euphoria,” according to various publications like Complex and XXL Magazine. The line is, “Give me Tupac’s ring back, and I might give you a little respect.”

To make matters worse for Drake, the Kia Forum crowd chanted “OV-Hoe” before Lamar took the stage for his set.

Lamar released “Euphoria” on April 30. The six-plus-minute diss track is a total evisceration. “Don’t tell no lies about me, and I won’t tell no truths ’bout you” is a self-explanatory bar, but Lamar’s attacks throughout the song are nuanced — the embodiment of “it’s levels to this,” as explained by Uproxx’s Wongo Okon.