Out of the many shots that Drake had for Kendrick Lamar on his leaked “Push Ups” diss track, one in particular instilled fear in the hearts of even the most hardcore OVO fans. “I be with some bodyguards like Whitney,” he rapped on the cut, referencing his security detail and Whitney Houston’s role in the film The Bodyguard. However, the real notable aspect of this bar is that K.Dot’s partner’s name is Whitney Alford, and the common interpretation is that The Boy is claiming that she cheated on him with his bodyguards. As DJ Akademiks recently explained on his livestream, this is a very dangerous game for him to play again considering how this worked out for him the first time.
“Drake… you did the same thing twice now,” DJ Akademiks pointed out. “You mentioned Virginia Williams or whatever, Pusha T’s wife. And you saw that n***a took the gloves off, and we saw what happened. You mentioned Whitney, and Kendrick Lamar’s wife’s name is Whitney. You have to be prepared for anything! There is no, ‘Oh, nah, I can’t believe you said that.’ No! ‘Cause you’re talking crazy already, too. This is a knock-them-out slugfest, this is no holds barred, this is, ‘I don’t care what that n***a says!’ He could expose…”
Furthermore, this is a hot topic of debate for rap fans now, especially those who remember the savagery of Pusha T’s “The Story Of Adidon.” Still, DJ Akademiks still thinks that Drake has the leg-up right now, and that Kendrick Lamar is “on the clock” to respond quickly with a retort. Many continue to debate over whether either MC can really beat the other, considering the wildly different lanes they occupy. Also, it seems like no matter what happens in this beef, neither fanbase will ever be able to reconcile with the other.
Meanwhile, who do you think will “win” this showdown? Does the Whitney bar pose a grave threat to the 6ix God now or is the Compton lyricist the more affected target? However you may feel, drop your thoughts in the comments section down below. Also, log back into HNHH for more news and the latest updates on DJ Akademiks, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar.
Now that Drake’s leaked diss has officially set the stage for what might be the biggest rap battle we’ve seen since Jay-Z and Nas, everyone has one question dominating their mind: when and how will Kendrick Lamar respond? It’s important to note that the OVO mogul went for three full weeks since “Like That” before dropping a response on wax (albeit indirectly but… who’s buying that this wasn’t calculated?). Now, folks like DJ Akademiks think that K.Dot has a limited time to respond, as he expressed with a recent tweet. “You are on the clock,” he quote-tweeted a post from his TV page about this Drizzy line on the leak: “You had a song for four years, drop that s**t or shut your mouth.”
Furthermore, this is obviously inspiring a lot of debate among rap fans, especially given Rick Ross’ lightning-fast response to the shots he caught on the leak. Some folks think that Kendrick Lamar should at least have as much time as Drake had in the public eye to drop a lyrical retaliation. Others think that the aforementioned “four years” bar puts a bit more pressure on him to act fast. Also, we have to consider that the 6ix God didn’t just have to write up returning fire for the Compton lyricist, but for Rozay, Future, Metro Boomin, and what feels like half of the mainstream rap game.
In fact, DJ Akademiks had previously said that Drake doesn’t have a time limit at all. His explanation pointed to the fact that Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” was just a short verse, not a full song, and thus was more of a warning shot. However, now that The Boy dropped four minutes’ worth of relentless attacks, the media personality thinks there’s some real pressure on the table. It makes sense when you look at the historical timeline of previous rap feuds, including the Toronto superstar’s own.
Still, it doesn’t change the fact that the overall conversation and hype around these very different tracks is basically the same, so it’s a level playing field in the public eye. Plus, “Like That” was a very direct attack against Aubrey, so it’s not like he was just taking his time to decide whether to really fall for presumed bait or not. While DJ Akademiks thinks that the “Wick Man” spitter will come out on top when all the smoke clears, we want to hear your predictions for this beef in the comments. As always, for more news and the latest updates on Ak, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake, stay logged into HNHH.
The Breakfast Club is weighing in yet again about the biggest question in rap right now: when will Drake and Kendrick Lamar face off? Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy, and Jess Hilarious all had different perspectives on what the Toronto superstar could do, and what the Compton creative’s plans and motivations are. “I got confidence in Drizzy. To rap!” Envy proposed. “No, he gon’ come back. I don’t know when, hopefully soon. You don’t think so? Nah, we acting like Drake ain’t got bars. Is that what we’re saying? Y’all stop it, man, y’all stop it!”
“Yeah, he can rap, but he ain’t got nothing on Kendrick Lamar,” Charlamagne Tha God remarked. “He better keep chilling with Sexyy Red, that’s what he better keep doing,” Jess Hilarious added. “Drake is phenomenal, Drake and Kendrick Lamar would be a phenomenal match-up,” Charlamagne clarified. “I’m just telling you, he don’t want it with Kung Fu Kenny. He don’t want it with Kung Fu Kenny.” “He can take A$AP [Rocky], he can take The Weekend, he can sing back,” Jess posited. “Drake is a smart championship fighter,” Tha God elaborated. “He knows the match he should not take. He been ducking this match for several years. Several!”
“Did people say that when he battled Meek, and him and Meek went back and forth?” DJ Envy asked. “That was a good fight for him, and he won that,” Charlamange Tha God responded. “But then he lost to Pusha, and he don’t want it with Kendrick. And if he do want it with Kendrick, then he need to show improvement. But if he chooses not to, I’m cool on that, too. But I just want him to know that the opp is Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick is the one that wants the fight. Kendrick has been challenging him for several, several years.”
“Okay, well, maybe he’s gonna do it on his time, right?” DJ Envy suggested. “He’s not going to listen to your social media antics and he’s going to do it on his time when he wants to do it.” “I’m not mad at that, either,” Tha God concluded. For more news and the latest updates on The Breakfast Club, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, keep checking in with HNHH.
As if J Cole hadn’t shocked the world back-to-back already with a Kendrick Lamar diss and a walk-back of it, he had one more surprise in store. Well, in reality, Future and Metro Boomin had it, as they included a feature from the Dreamville boss on their new album WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU. On the cut “Red Leather,” Cole has a couple of bars that seem to address how he apologized to Kendrick for his diss, saying that it didn’t feel right with his spirit last Sunday (April 7). While it’s unclear whether he recorded this before or after this whole situation, it still couldn’t have come at a more fitting time considering the context.
“My energy was never on some toughest n***a s**t / I was just a conscious rapper that would f**k a n***a b***h,” J. Cole raps on “Red Leather.” Specifically, he ties a lot of this into his relationship with the streets (“Kept my nose out the streets, but I love to get a whiff“) and why he really presented that image in the first place (“The blicks get to blasting, I turn into a track star / Wanted all the h*es, what the f**k you think I rap for?“). Either way, it paints a pretty compelling picture, albeit one that he should’ve stood by in the first place instead of dropping “7 Minute Drill.” But the better late than never reversal indicates that the North Carolina MC truly had a change of heart and perspective.
Also, this J. Cole feature is interesting for what it means for Future and Metro Boomin, the latter of which had joked about Cole making sleepy music way back in the day. It seems like he “switched sides” on Drake, if he ever really took his side to begin with, and the duo is walking back on their alleged animosity against the “Neighbors” spitter, or at least what subtle shots or observations were relayed through Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” feature. Does this mean they trust him now? There are a lot of confusing and probably not that deep loyalties and relationships to keep track of right now.
Overall, what we can safely say is that, albeit a little dead-pan and unexciting, this was a pretty solid Cole verse, even if the shock of it will overshadow its actual content. Others on WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU like A$AP Rocky not only provided even better performances, but threw their hat into the Drake diss ring too… at least, allegedly. Maybe J. Cole will be the one to mediate peace between both sides, and “Red Leather” is a bright indication that things will begin to heal after this civil war. To find out whether that’s just wishful thinking on our end, or if hip-hop really goes hard in its competitive roots, check back in with HNHH.
Kendrick Lamar has been an integral part of the mini resurgence in hip-hop this year. His verse on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” has seemingly reignited the competitive fire that fans have been yearning to see again. It got J. Cole to respond with “7 Minute Drill,” but that has proven to be a failure as many think he fell flat on his face. The apology has further cemented K-Dot as the top dog in many people’s eyes. In addition to bringing the hype back to rap, “Like That” has done wonders for Kendrick, as he just scored a new milestone.
According to HipHopDX, Kung Fu Kenny has just nabbed his longest-running number song on the Billboard Hot 100. With “Like That recently remaining atop the chart for a second consecutive week, it surpassed two previous major works. Those include his guest appearance on Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood,” and the lead single for DAMN., “HUMBLE.” In terms of hard stats for “Like That,” they are equally impressive.
In just about three weeks, the diss aimed at Drake and J. Cole has collected over 109 million streams on Spotify. For context, it pulled in about 46 million in the last seven days. Furthermore, radio impressions are also high, sitting at around 10 million, and 6,000 sales-equivalent units is a respectable figure too. With all of this success, it would be wild if Kendrick, Metro, and Future were to team up on We Still Don’t Trust You. We can dream can’t we?
What are your thoughts on Kendrick Lamar earning his longest-running number one hit milestone with “Like That? Is this his best top-charting track, why or why not? Does it lose points for it being a feature, or does that it make it more impressive? Is this still the best song on WE DON’T TRUST YOU? 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 Kendrick Lamar and “Like That.” Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the world of music.
The J Cole apology to Kendrick Lamar is akin to Neo taking the blue pill in many’s eyes. The only thing slightly greater than our disappointment in one of “The Big Three” refusing the lyrical competition he sought for over a decade is our respect for the higher ground of peace and love in one of the most active beef battlegrounds we’ve seen in hip-hop in a very long time, as these three aren’t the only ones feuding. Still, the retraction wasn’t entirely surprising given the one-foot-in, other-foot-out approach to previous beefs with Noname, Ye, or Wale. Also, the transphobia on Cole’s Might Delete Later cut “Pi” is garnering him more deserved heat than this walk-back. But K.Dot’s other opponent right now is not as forgiving.
Drake is battle-tested, but so far, he’s only offered vague alleged responses to DJ Akademiks, subliminal Instagram captions, and self-affirmation speeches while on tour with J. Cole. Meanwhile, following the likes of Big Sean, Jay Electronica, and Lupe Fiasco, this is yet another instance of Kendrick Lamar’s opponent not giving him the battle experience because, frankly, they realized didn’t even want that pressure to begin with. So now there are two lone soldiers on the front lines: the biggest rapper right now and hip-hop’s balance-achieving boogeyman. Does this apology from Cole mean that The Boy must finally comply with pressure and respond to the Compton titan on his own? While we’d bet that he will, we don’t think that we’ll be hearing a verse for a bit longer.
First of all, Drake had already mentioned that he planned on taking a short break from music following 2023’s For All The Dogs era (might’ve been a troll). We got a 4batz feature and a removed Bfb Da Packman verse (likely so he can at least say something about Kendrick Lamar), but not much else. Drizzy just wrapped up his tour, and he might be taking his time with this beef as opposed to some of his more prompt responses in past feuds. It’s also important to note that “The Big Three” refers to the 2010s, not right now. These aren’t the high stakes they would’ve been back in 2013, and Cole didn’t really say anything disrespectful enough regarding the “trio.” He just showed he was a bit more self-aware about the situation with this apology.
As such, J. Cole doesn’t exit “The Big Three” of the 2010s automatically… at least, if he was in yours to begin with. Similarly, maybe Drake hasn’t responded yet because he doesn’t feel like he needs to. He already has a cemented spot as one of the biggest rappers period, and his die-hards are less pretentious and backpack-y than his “Big Three” counterparts, who place much more overt value on lyricism, messaging, and competition. OVO goons didn’t mind “The Story Of Adidon”; we doubt they’ll mind anything Kendrick Lamar has to say. But the Toronto superstar has a pen he punches under the weight of far too often, and when it hits, it hits. Now, this slightly unsharpened tool is the only thing that has (barring ghostwriters) to defend himself against Kendrick Lamar, as he can no longer count on Cole as a sparring partner.
Cole’s apology also sets a precedent for what fans don’t want, and with clamors for blood, it seems like Kendrick Lamar is getting exactly what he wanted with his “Like That” verse. But does a response from the 6ix God even matter? Absolutely. Pusha T proved he was mortal. Kendrick might prove he’s fodder. Drake has to exemplify his music and persona’s pretenses and confidently go all the way. The Take Care pioneer certainly has more experience with lyrical wars, although his overuse of subliminals and social media will not be enough anymore. Kendrick is the only rapper close to his commercial level to still retain the positively traditionalist qualities of an all-time MC. He’s undefeated because he doesn’t focus on that status: he focuses on the craft.
It’s not that risky for Mr. Morale, either: if he wins, it’ll be his final victory atop the rap mainstream’s throne as the best of our generation, and if he loses, it won’t be for lack of trying. His music is resonant and powerful enough to carry his legacy on its own with ease. Drake’s loss (or silence) could mean losing any slightest chance of being remembered as an all-timer by the classic art of rap that he reveres so much, although he would never lose the massive fanbase and commercial appeal that is built in his DNA at this point. But if he competes and wins… there would be a whole lot of shocked haters in line to apologize, and it would hopefully be something that would prove and improve his talent as an MC for years to come. Is Drake truly hip-hop? Hopefully, we’ll see.
March was clearly a massive month for hip-hop and rap adjacent artists. We received major releases from the likes of ScHoolboy Q, SiR, and Tierra Whack. However, the handful of names that dominated the month were Metro Boomin and Future, along with Beyonce. WE DON’T TRUST YOU and COWBOY CARTER raked in gargantuan first week sales numbers and hit songs. The big-ticket tracks from both have been “Like That” and “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” respectively. However, only one remains the king of the Billboard Hot 100 throne. For the second consecutive week, “Like That” will hold the top spot in the next update.
According to Billboard, the upcoming top 10 includes three entries from COWBOY CARTER with “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” vaulting back up to number two. The next highest is “II MOST WANTED” with Miley Cyrus at number six and the modern twist on “JOLENE” slotting in at seventh. On top of all this Beyonce’s album is easily reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 200 heap. It sold a whopping 407,000 units, which is now the highest mark of the year but quite a substantial margin.
However, Metro Boomin and Future are also scoring another record in the upper echelon. “Type S***,” featuring Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, will crack the 10th spot. Other R&B and hip-hop acts include Jack Harlow still doing well for himself with “Lovin On Me” at eight. Finally, Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” is right behind it in ninth.
What are your thoughts on “Like That” staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 over any of Beyonce’s tracks off COWBOY CARTER? Is this still the best track on WE DON’T TRUST YOU, why or why not? Are you surprised that it stayed on top of the chart? Are you still amped for We Still Don’t Trust You? 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 “Like That” and COWBOY CARTER. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the world of music.
Reactions to “7 Minute Drill,” J Cole’s clapback at Kendrick Lamar’s diss against him, have been pretty split among the hip-hop community. Everyone seems to be celebrating the back-and-forth as competitive spirit, but the jury’s still out on whether it was actually an appropriate, cutting, or worthwhile response. Joe Budden and the rest of the members of his podcast said during their latest episode that the Dreamville boss did not strike gold with this diss track as he likely wanted to. While there were a few different points here, the most salient and reoccurring one in their discussion was that Cole just doesn’t have the conviction or energy to back up this aggression.
“The tone,” Joe Budden remarked as to what his main problem with the verse was, or at least the point he and his cohosts discussed the most. “This is my issue with this f**&ing narcoleptic sounding s**t. This sounds like… if I was actively looking to cop fentanyl this is what I would put on. I want to hear him sound alive.” Regardless of this criticism, it seems like the surprise mixtape that J. Cole put “7 Minute Drill” on will still perform quite well.
Of course, commercial success doesn’t really get at the heart of most rap beef, especially between two lyricists who champion artistry and skill like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar do. But this moment is easily one of the biggest in rap of 2024 so far, and no discussion on quality can take that away. Now all that’s left to prove is whether or not “The Big Three” will fully rise to the competitive occasion or just see this as a big moment for some quick engagement. With many others in the hip-hop world responding passionately to this confrontation, there’s a lot of pressure on them to perform.
On that note, we still haven’t (un-subliminally) heard from Drake, who arguably caught the brunt of K.Dot’s ire on “Like That” rather than the MC who actually responded. Maybe his hypothetical response will have more fire than what Budden thought Cole had on “7 Minute Drill.” Do you think it’s a worthy comparison point or did the North Carolina spitter satisfy your hunger? Let us know in the comments and keep checking in with HNHH for more on Joe Budden, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole.
The civil war between Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Drake is ramping up now following Cole’s “7 Minute Drill” response to the former TDE MC’s disses. However, while this whole situation has folks remembering Kendrick’s callout of other rappers on Big Sean’s “Control” a decade ago, not enough people are remembering how these lyricists responded to him back then. At least, that’s what Joey Badass thinks, as he took to Twitter on Friday (April 5) after the Dreamville boss’ diss dropped with a simple message: “Never Forget,” and a link to his “Killuminati Pt. 2” song’s lyrics. On this song, he responded to Kendrick’s “Control” shots with a lot of hunger, aggression, and boastfulness.
“No escaping, you in a swimming pool of champagne,” Joey Bada$$ rapped against Kendrick Lamar on the Knwledge-produced track about 11 years ago. “You set yourself up for that one, mane / The King of New York? Ha! We ain’t just gon’ let that one hang.” This seemed to be a direct address when it comes to J. Cole and Drake beefing with Kendrick right now, and in particular how folks are only keeping this debate to “The Big Three.” As such, it seems like the New York spitter is opening it up to the entire rap game, and to names like his who fans might be overlooking right now in the face of “Like That” and “7 Minute Drill.”
Of course, Joey Bada$$ and Kendrick Lamar have shown each other a lot of respect and love over the years despite this competitive attitude. Still, this is pretty interesting since Kendrick never explicitly named Joey in his “Control” verse, yet naming himself the King of New York clearly and rightfully struck a nerve with the Pro Era boss. For now, at least, it seems like the general hip-hop community will keep this beef to “The Big Three,” but there’s still plenty of room to debate whether folks like Joey should replace one of them in conversations. Might this be a prelude to him making this a full-on lyrical attack, throwing his hat into the ring?
That seems unlikely, but it would certainly be pretty incendiary. As more reactions to “7 Minute Drill” pour in, folks will likely continue to bring up other rappers in this debate. But let’s not act like this is the culmination of 11 years of silence; MCs have been challenging K.Dot for the throne for a while. For more news and the latest updates on Joey Bada$$, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, stay posted on HNHH.
Two weeks after Kendrick Lamar challenged J Cole and Drake on “Like That,” the “MIDDLE CHILD” offered a fitting response. On “7 Minute Drill,” the final track on his surprise mixtape Might Delete Later, he clapped back at Kendrick’s shots with non-subliminal force. Cole questioned his artistic output, called out his frequent absence from the rap game, and claimed that he’s craving attention.
However, “7 Minute Drill” also contains admissions of this not being a real hip-hop “beef” per se, but rather a creative and art-centric battle. Kendrick Lamar adopted a similar philosophy with his feature on Metro Boomin and Future’s album WE DON’T TRUST YOU, so this is truly tat-for-tat. But how do the actual bars on this brand-new J. Cole diss stack up?
J Cole’s Direct Responses To Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” Bars
While Kendrick Lamar is never explicitly called out by name on “7 Minute Drill,” J. Cole makes his subject very clear, thanks in part to some direct responses to “Like That.” “Light work, like it’s PWC,” Cole raps at the very beginning, possibly alluding to Kendrick saying that his “best work is a light pack.” In addition, “I told him chill out, how I look having henchmen? / If shots get to popping, I’m the one doing the clenching” seems to be a response to Mr. Morale mentioning his bodyguard on “Like That,” suggesting that he’s not really being upfront by hiding behind a security guard. As such, the “Neighbors” spitter is challenging his “Savior” counterpart to make this a purely one-on-one clash, and telling up to step up to the plate and back his words up.
Not only that, but J. Cole also comments on Kendrick Lamar’s “best work” being a “light pack” as well, another direct rebuttal. He called good kid, m.A.A.d. city a “classic,” Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers “tragic,” said that To Pimp A Butterfly “put n***as to sleep,” and that DAMN. was “massive” and his “prime.” Cole additionally uses classic rap beef history to question the worth, significance, shelf life, and release-related inconsistency of Kendrick’s artistic output, taking a play out of Jay-Z and Nas’ infamous feud. “Four albums in twelve years, n***a, I can divide” Cole raps, referencing Jay-Z’s “Takeover.” Nevertheless, the apparent exclusion of Section.80, instead naming GKMC as “the first s**t,” is a curious choice that many fans will likely invalidate.
J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar perform at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2014. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Rather than sticking to albums, J. Cole claims Kendrick Lamar is not as strong or relevant as he used to be, whether due to his actual moves or, perhaps most importantly, a lack of them. Bars like “He still doing shows, but fell off like The Simpsons” and “He averaging one hard verse like every thirty months or something” point to Kendrick Lamar keeping quiet and losing his skill. Still, others like “Lord, don’t make me have to smoke this n***a ’cause I f**k with him / But push come to shove, on this mic, I will humble him” establish this as an artistic competition about who the best MC is out of the Big 3. They both collaborated on the “Black Friday” singles, which saw Cole ironically spit over the beat to Kendrick’s “Alright” off of TPAB.
With this in mind, neither MC wants to hinge on their past successes. But J. Cole thinks his claim to the throne is more pure in rap than Kendrick Lamar’s explosive moments and claims of greatness. “Boy, I got here off of bars, not no controversy / Funny thing about it, b***h, I don’t even want the prestige / F**k the Grammys ’cause them crackers ain’t never done nothing for me,” he spits against a frequent Grammy winner. Through this exchange, the Dreamville boss insinuates the former TDE MC is more concerned with accolades, grandiose acclaim, and worship than with proving his worth through verses. It’s an underdog narrative that uses Cole’s constant output and participation as proof of his lyrical and artistic superiority.
K.Dot Is Seeking Attention & Can’t Keep Up, Jermaine Thinks
Furthermore, many lines in “7 Minute Drill” highlight this contrast in consistency, presence, and earnestly earned attention rather than provocative proclamations, albeit with an admission of K.Dot’s previous reign. “I was trailing right behind and I just now hit [my prime] / Now I’m front of the line with a comfortable lead / How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want something with me.” This particular bar sees J. Cole calling Kendrick Lamar a clout chaser. “If he wasn’t dissing, then we wouldn’t be discussing him” and “Your arms might be too short to box with the god / Who live his life without the pressures of a constant facade” are killer standouts claiming Kendrick is faking the funk, as well as joking about their height difference. Long story short, Cole thinks the pgLang creative is not that guy anymore.
Overall, this all contributes to J. Cole looking at his war of words against Kendrick Lamar right now as “swatting a fly” despite his love for him as a fellow rapper. He also dismisses that this beef is important compared to what they really go through, which Kendrick is accused of not really wanting to engage in. “The rap beef ain’t realer than the s**t I seen in Cumberland” suggests that K. Dot lost sight of not just the futility of rap beef, but also their history as individuals and peers. As a final nail, Cole calls the 36-year-old out for switching sides “like the tassel on the cap and the gown,” as he helped Kendrick link with Dr. Dre. With the promise of “dropping two classics right now” and with The Fall Off on the way, Jermaine is decidedly unafraid on “7 Minute Drill.”
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