Kendrick Lamar

The Report That Claimed Future And Drake Squashed Their Beef Is False, According To Akademiks

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Fans of Drake and Future’s reconciliation celebration parade was short-lived. According to Uproxx’s Elliott Wilson the former collaborators mended their friendship.

During The Bigger Picture‘s latest episode (viewable here), Wilson claimed that the hip-hop heavy weights’ feud was official over. “I have it on good authority that Drake and Future have at least gotten on the phone and resolved their differences,” he said.

However, shortly after HipHopDX posted the confessional clip (viewable here), another industry figure came out to refute the remark. On his own platform, online commentator Akademiks shared insider knowledge to the contrary. “I’ve spoken to extremely credible sources on both sides, and Drake and Future have not been on the phone,” he said (viewable here courtesy of NFR Podcast).

Both Wilson and Akademiks have deep ties to rappers and their close affiliates. So, this has quickly become a case of he said, he said. Users across X (formerly Twitter), have expressed their frustration with these opposing recounts.

“See now this is what we aren’t gonna do, have two different stories over and over again. We need answers,” wrote one user.

Others have begun to question why Drake and Future were at odds to begin with. Hip-hop fans can understand Drake’s disdain for Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar, and Asap Rocky. But the supposed tension between Drake and Future has some stumped.

[WATCH] Ice Cube Explains “Kendrick Before Kendrick” Line On SiriusXM Rock The Bells Radio

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Ice Cube recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells Radio to promote his upcoming album Man Down. During the interview with SiriusXM’s Torae, Ice Cube elaborated on his lyric stating he was “Kendrick before Kendrick [Lamar].”

Check out the clip from Rock The Bells Radio HERE

Known for making what was arguably the best diss track of all time, Ice Cube is basing his statement on a large part of Hip Hop history. When N.W.A. was one of the most popular groups in Hip Hop, Cube decided to leave the group and dropped “No Vaseline”, the song from his Death Certificate LP, which was the catalyst that caused N.W.A. to eventually be disbanded. K Dot’s “They Not Like Us” has now become THE greatest diss track, but the title didn’t leave the West Coast, even though it took over three decades for Ice Cube’s monumental track to be matched.

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Rihanna Doesn’t Understand The ‘Doubt’ Around Kendrick Lamar Headlining The 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show

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The debate over Kendrick Lamar’s selection as the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner has died down. But is is sure to pick back up closer to the performance’s date in February 2025. For now, the “Not Like Us” rapper’s musician friends are in full support of him.

Yesterday (October 24), Rihanna doubled down on her stance at the Fenty x Puma Avanti launch held at BLT Studios in Los Angeles, California. During a chat with Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier (viewable here), Kendrick’s “Loyalty” collaborator and former Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime performer expanded on her subtle nod when she liked the announcement on Instagram with a full statement.

“GOAT,” she said. “Let’s go. What is there to doubt on that? It’s a diamond on a ring finger, honey; it’s meant to be. It’s Kendrick Lamar.”

While many rap fans felt the slot should’ve gone to Lil Wayne, Rihanna expressed why it was Kendrick’s for the taking.

“Kendrick Lamar is the one that’s supposed to do it right now,” she said. “He’s going to crush it. We should never doubt him. He’s an amazing artist. Top-tier. He had an incredible year. He actually brought so many people together. It’s to be celebrated. That’s what culture is. He deserves it. I can not wait to see it. Kendrick, thank you.”

Rihanna isn’t the only superstar to throw their support behind Kendrick’s upcoming set. Despite the pushback, last month Jay-Z, the show’s curator gave his stamp of approval with a statement.

Rihanna Praises “GOAT” Kendrick Lamar For Doing Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Rihanna is on the short list of artists who have done the Super Bowl Halftime Show. She’s the only artist who has performed at the show while pregnant. She has a unique perspective on the responsibility and the honor that comes with being selected as a Super Bowl performer. This is why she’s so excited to see what Kendrick Lamar does with the opportunity. She was recently asked about K. Dot’s Halftime gig. She she made it very clear that it is well-deserved.

Rihanna gave her Kendrick Lamar thoughts to Entertainment Tonight. The outlet inquired about her desire to see the rapper perform in New Orleans in 2025. She could not have been more hyped in her response. “GOAT,” Rihanna asserted. “He deserves it. I cannot wait to see it.” She even thanked Lamar for agreeing to take on the gig. Rihanna, who has a famously rocky personal history with Drake, also gave Lamar flowers for the massive year that he’s had. Kendrick Lamar, of course, defeated Drake in massive rap beef that that spawned hits like “Like That” and “Not Like Us.”

Read More: Rihanna & Naomi Campbell Chop It Up After Beef Rumors

Rihanna Claims That K Dot United Hip Hop Culture

“Kendrick Lamar is the one that’s supposed to do it right now,” Rihanna proclaimed. “We should never doubt him. He’s an amazing artist, top-tier. He had an incredible year.” The “Diamonds” singer went as far as to allude to the “Pop Out” show that Lamar hosted on Juneteenth. A show that doubled as a spot from which to bomb on Drake further. “He actually brought so many people together,” Rihanna added. “That’s what culture is.”

Kendrick Lamar has also spoken highly of Rihanna in the past. The two worked together on the hit 2017 single “LOYALTY,” and the rapper praised Rihanna’s musicality. “I love everything about her,” he stated to Zane Lowe. “The way she expresses herself through music and how she caries herself I love everything about her so I always wanted to work with her.” Both Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar have albums in the works. Rihanna has been teasing her album since 2016. Lamar, meanwhile, has kept fans on the edge of their seats since the Drake battle. Maybe we will get another collaboration in the future. Fingers crossed.

Read More: ASAP Rocky Reveals What Lessons He’s Passing Down To His Kids

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Drake Reportedly Laughed The First Time He Heard This “Not Like Us” Bar

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Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” will go down as an all-time diss song. It will be mentioned in top fives for the rest of time, alongside Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” and Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline.” The song was catchy, and its target, Drake, was somebody that fans were eager to see take an L. And so it happened. The dust has settled on “Not Like Us,” though, and podcast host Mal recently shared exclusive intel as to how Drake reacted when he first heard the song. Mal claimed the 6 God actually laughed, and revealed which bar incited the laughter.

Mal, who has a personal relationship with Drake, talked about his perspective during the beef. He stated that he spoke with Drake about diss records while they were being released, but he never knew when the records would be dropping. “We don’t really talk about the sh*t as much as people think,” he said. “We’d laugh at certain sh*t… like when we heard certain songs.” Mal then pointed to Lamar’s “Not Like Us” as a prime example. “I had texted [Drake] the bar,” the podcaster recalled. “And we just started laughing.” He then shared the bar, which saw Lamar take aim at Drake’s OVO acronym. “What OVO stand for, the other vaginal options,” the Compton rapper asked on record.

Read More: 50 Cent Recalls Giving Drake This Advice After Kendrick Lamar Beef

Mal And Drake Were Both Confused By Dot’s Wordplay

“What is the other vaginal option,” Mal asserted. “Why don’t we talk about that bar?” The podcaster’s point caused the rest of the panel to laugh and concede that they were unclear on the bar’s meaning as well. They then took it a step further, and posited that Lamar’s claim about Drake being a “69 God” is not inherently a bad thing. “What’s wrong with being a 69 God,” they wondered aloud. This is only the latest instance of Kendrick Lamar getting pushback for “Not Like Us” in recent days.

The Compton rapper talked about his Drake diss during a profile with Harper’s Bazaar. He claimed that the song was meant to represent his energy, and the man he is. He shied away from discussing the more heinous allegations that the song makes against Drake. This explanation did not go over well with fans or critics. Many felt the rapper was failing to take responsibility for his words. Others, like Adam22 and DJ Akademiks, put Lamar on blast for getting “softball” questions from former label mate SZA instead of agreeing to an interview with a real journalist.

Read More: RZA Claims Drake’s Team Gave Him Bad Advice During Kendrick Lamar Battle

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RZA Claims Drake’s Team Gave Him Bad Advice During Kendrick Lamar Battle

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RZA is one of the most respected producers in hip hop history. He served as the architect for the entire Wu-Tang Clan movement, and has worked on classic projects in different mediums. He possesses a lot of insight, so when he speaks on a topic, fans generally listen closely. Such was the case on October 23. RZA spoke to Complex about the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and he broke down the differences between them. He also pinpointed the ways in which he felt like Drake’s people let him down.

RZA claimed that Kendrick Lamar was a “natural lyricist,” whereas Drake was a “trained lyricist.” Both men possess talent, as far as he’s concerned, but Lamar’s natural abilities ultimately gave him the edge. As least, as far as the Wu-Tang founder was concerned. “You could train a fighter and he could be good,” he noted. “Then you got those natural fighters.” RZA conceded that Drake has “bars forever,” but felt K. Dot’s bars had more potency. Especially when it came to to diss records both men released earlier in the year. RZA then turned his attention toward the OVO camp, and stated that Drake should have been told to avoid a direct confrontation.

Read More: Adam22 Puts Kendrick Lamar On Blast For “Softball” Interview With SZA

RZA Praised Drake For His Expanding Hip Hop Culture

“The battle, bar for bar,” he explained. “Was something that was just not good advice on Drake’s camp.” RZA seems to agree with most hip hop fans that Lamar won the battle, but he made a point of giving the 6 God his flowers. “Drake is a powerful figure in our culture,” he stated. “He helped the culture when the culture needed it. He expanded it with his melodies… he rose a generation, too. You can’t take that away from him.” RZA concluded his Complex discussion by noting that Drake and Kendrick Lamar are still alive and very much active, which is what matters most.

The Wu-Tang founder told the outlet that Tupac and Biggie’s deaths added a weight to rap battles that previously hadn’t existed. RZA was present throughout the battle, and even produced records on Big’s final album. He notes that he gained wisdom and clarity over time, and put old grudges behind him. He hopes Drake and Kendrick Lamar ultimately do the same. “Hopefully, as they mature more,” RZA added. “They can go ‘Wow that sh*t was crazy.’”

Read More: Joe Budden Theorizes That Kendrick Lamar Was Pandering To Drake’s Audience During SZA Interview

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Ab-Soul Was ‘A Little Upset’ With J. Cole Over ‘Pi,’ But Not For The Reason You Might Think

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A week after Top Dawg Entertainment President Punch Henderson debunked rumors of beef between rappers on his label and J. Cole, TDE’s Ab-Soul has admitted that he was upset with Cole over their collaboration “Pi“… but not for the reason fans might think.

“Pi,” which appeared on Cole’s April mixtape Might Delete Later, raised fans’ antennae for potential beef, as it appeared on the tape with “7 Minute Drill,” Cole’s response to Kendrick’s incendiary verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” After K. Dot called out J. Cole and Drake for supposedly “sneak dissing” him on their collab “First Person Shooter,” Cole was the first to accept the challenge. However, featuring K. Dot’s former labelmate and Black Hippy band member Ab-Soul on “Pi” had some listeners wondering if there was some petty gamesmanship on Cole’s part.

As it turns out, no, there wasn’t. Cole decided his heart wasn’t in it, deleted “7 Minute Drill” from streamers, and moved on eventually addressing things on “Port Antonio” early this month. However, at the same time, Soul dropped his own new song “Squeeze 1st 2,” with lyrics listeners believed were shots at Cole for involving him in the “beef” with Kendrick. However, Punch clarified on Twitter that all the involved verses and songs had been recorded before the “beef,” and that “Squeeze 1st 2” had little to do with “Port Antonio.”

Yesterday, Ab-Soul appeared on DJ Hed’s SiriusXM show, Effective Immediately, and reflected on his real issue with “Pi” — that he wasn’t informed by Daylyt, the third collaborator on the song, about Cole’s involvement until after the fact. “I’m lowkey hot,” he joked. “I’m like, ‘Lyt, bro, this is one of the best rappers in the world… I’m on his head like, ‘Bro, you have to let me know if you’re gonna send this shit off. He ate us up.’” Soul also made absolutely clear that “Cole is the homie, for real,” but that he was only upset because he wanted the North Carolina rapper to appear on his song “F*ck Out My Face [FOMF],” but rather than delivering the 12-bar verse that needed, issued 48 bars on “Pi.”

You can watch the full interview above to get Ab-Soul’s hilarious story.

Adam22 Puts Kendrick Lamar On Blast For “Softball” Interview With SZA

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Kendrick Lamar has kept the world waiting for new music. He hasn’t provided any updates or release dates. He did, however, open up about his personal life during a recent Harper’s Bazaar profile. K. Dot spoke with former label mate SZA about his approach to music, and his feelings about the recent Drake feud. It was gleefully consumed by Kendrick Lamar’s fans, but hip hop personalities were less pleased. No Jumper host Adam22 felt that Dot sidestepped several difficult questions that he should have been asked.

Adam22 felt that the publication and the interviewer were cherry-picked to make the interview go as smoothly as possible. “Supporting Black media outlets, hip hop media outlets,” he said sarcastically. “Supporting real journalism, you let your label mate, basically, interview you.” Adam22 also took issue with the “elitist” persona that he felt Kendrick Lamar adopted for the profile. “That interview had so little substance to it,” the podcaster asserted. “So many words and so little thought-provoking sentiments… It’s a softball interview.” Adam22 called Kendrick Lamar out for “shielding himself” from tough questions regarding the Drake battle and the allegations that he made about the 6 God.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar’s Explanation Of “Not Like Us” Causes Social Media Uproar

Adam22 Believes Kendrick Lamar “Shielded Himself”

The No Jumper host also had smoke for SZA. He felt the R&B singer was complicit in letting Lamar give vague non-answers to questions about the battle. He cited the discussion surrounding “Not Like Us” as being particularly disappointing. Adam22 felt that the serious claims Lamar leveled at Drake should have been addressed. He even drew parallels between the Diddy situation, and the countless accusers who have come forward, with the lack of accusations made against Drake. “He makes the number one song of the year,” Adam22 explained. “Calling Drake an abuser and a pedophile. zero girls have showed up to confirm this.”

Adam22 is not the only hip hop personality who has taken umbrage with Kendrick Lamar’s interview. DJ Akademiks went ballistic on the Compton rapper during his live stream. He criticized Lamar for claiming to care about the culture, and then giving an interview to an outlet outside of the culture. He also noted that Lamar’s support of Colin Kaepernick has given way to the rapper’s plan to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Read More: TDE Punch Delivers Hot Take On Hip-Hop Journalism After Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s Interview

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Jermaine Dupri Clowns ‘Secretive’ Artists For Ruining Their Career Momentum

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Jermaine Dupri has seen it all and done it all. He’s made stars from scratch, elevated stars to superstars, and helped fallen superstars regained their groove. He gets it. The producer has taken a step back in the last few years, barring his brief appearance during the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show. That said, he has some thoughts on the current generation of artists. Jermaine Dupri has nothing but respect for the talent and artistry of the current wave. He just feels like the way they’re rolling out their music is proving to be a hindrance.

Jermaine Dupri fired off two tweets with this sentiment on October 22. The first was brief. “Hits don’t allow you to be secretive,” he wrote. The second, however, saw the producer expand on his issues with the “secretive” approach. “N**gas all extra secretive on dey IG like they coming with that killa,” he wrote. “Y’all done let these none going out executives trick you.” Dupri believes that artists should follow a more traditional rollout when it comes to building anticipation for new releases. Rappers and singers are doing less, and the numbers support the producer’s claims.

Read More: Jermaine Dupri Believes Modern R&B Singers Can’t Compete With The ’90s

Jermaine Dupri Criticized Current Music Executives

There has also been frustration on the part of fans. 2024 has seen artists like Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti and Frank Ocean tease new music. Some have dropped new songs, but have yet to announce plans for a release date. The timing of Jermaine Dupri’s tweets led some to speculate as to whether he meant to refer to Lamar, in particular. The Compton rapper released an interview with Harper’s Bazaar the day before, in which he still refused to reveal info about new music. Some in the comment section felt Dupri was out of touch. Others, meanwhile, agreed with his sentiments.

This is not the first time Jermaine Dupri has criticized the current state of the music business. The producer went semi-viral for his take on AI music back in February. “I don’t even know why people are excited because… it’s fake,” he said during an Atlanta conference. “It takes away from what you actually feel… AI comes in and it’s like washing away all of this.” To be fair, Dupri is putting his money were his mouth is. He recently launched a partnership with Create Music Group to focus on developing a new crop of artists.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Drags Kendrick Lamar For Talking To Non-Hip Hop Publications

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DJ Akademiks Drags Kendrick Lamar For Talking To Non-Hip Hop Publications

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Kendrick Lamar has spoken. The rapper came of hiding to speak with SZA for a profile with Harper’s Bazaar. The profile shed light on Lamar’s feelings towards his recent feud with Drake, as well as his plans for the future. It was well-received by fans, who appreciated the camaraderie between Lamar and SZA, as well as some of the rapper’s observations about life. One person who did not appreciate the interview, however, was DJ Akademiks. The hip hop personality took Lamar to task during his October 22 stream. His reasoning? He believed Lamar was being a hypocrite.

DJ Akademiks did not mince words when it came to his feelings about K. Dot. He feels the rapper has tricked fans into thinking he’s an advocate for the culture. While, at the same time, granting interview to publications outside of the culture. “A guy who claims he’s standing on morals and principles, but every time we see his actions, it seems like it’s not the truth,” Ak asserted. “A guy who says he’s only for the culture, but as soon as he gets an opportunity to go get on a platform that’s non-cultural, he runs to it.”

Read More: TDE Punch Delivers Hot Take On Hip-Hop Journalism After Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s Interview

DJ Akademiks Claims K. Dot ‘Used’ Hip Hop Culture

The hip hop personality also pointed to Kendrick Lamar’s hypocrisy with regards to Colin Kaepernick. He noted that Dot stood with the former NFL star, only to turn around accept the headlining gig for the next Super Bowl Halftime Show. “He’s playing with y’all,” DJ Akademiks insisted. Ak even took it a step further by pointing out that Lamar labeled Drake a colonizer during their feud. Despite the fact that Drake has, in Ak’s opinion, made more of an effort to connect with hip hop personalities. “At least Drake tried to tap in with me, Kai [Cenat]…”

DJ Akademiks proceeded to get more worked up as the stream continued. He pointed to hip hop media figures like DJHed and Elliott Wilson, and the fact that they championed Lamar throughout the feud. Yet, when it came time to give an interview, Lamar chose to go with Harper’s Bazaar. “I told y’all this before,” Ak stated. “Kendrick used the culture, gained the Infinity Stones. And he’s still talking that Mr. Morale sh*t.” DJ Akademiks, despite being a Drake supporter, claimed that Lamar has more power than Drizzy at this point. This is partially where his frustration stems from. He feels like Dot has turned his back on hip hop now that he’s proven victorious.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Slammed By His Own Followers For Constantly Sneak Dissing Kendrick Lamar

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