Kendrick Lamar Archives - Page 4 of 133

Drake Beats Kendrick Lamar In Three Categories At Billboard Music Awards

December 12, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake has had a tough year. The rapper had war declared on him every other superstar in the genre. Then, he went toe-to-toe with Kendrick Lamar. He did an admirable job, but he lost, and he did so by a wide margin. “Not Like Us” ran the summer, and Drake has struggled to regain his chart dominance. At least, with new music. The 6 God managed to get a lick back on Thursday night, though. Drake and K. Dot were going head-to-head in several categories at the Billboard Music Awards. And Drizzy was the big winner.

Drake took home three massive awards at the BBMAs. He won Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, and his 2023 album For All the Dogs won Top Rap Album. The decision to award For All the Dogs to Drake is somewhat logical, since Lamar didn’t have an album during the eligible period for consideration. He was still nominated for Top Rap Artist and Top Rap Male Artist, though, and Drake swept him. Kendrick Lamar did not win anything at the Billboard Music Awards, actually. There were only three artists nominated for Top Rap Male Artist, with the other being Travis Scott. That’s a pretty pointed W on Drake’s part.

Drake Took Home Top Rap Arist And Top Rap Album

Drake just won 3 awards at the #BBMAs

– Top Rap Artist
– Top Rap Male Artist
– Top Rap Album (“For All the Dogs”) pic.twitter.com/vILoUOMFL8

— HotNewHipHop (@HotNewHipHop) December 13, 2024

It is worth noting, however, what For All the Dogs did beat. Lamar may not have had an album, but Future and Metro Boomin did. We Don’t Trust You went up against Drake’s latest for Top Rap Album and lost. It is a notable decision, given the Future and Metro album effectively started the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle in the first place. Lamar is featured on the album single “Like That,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and saw the rapper bash both Drizzy and J. Cole. All of Drake’s ops were shut out, and he managed to take home of trio of statues.

Billboard did extend flowers to both Drake and Lamar in the hours leading up to the awards, however. The organization dropped the shared revenue totals for the diss tracks that both artists released during the year. Drizzy and Kenny were responsible for a staggering $15.3 million. Lamar led the pack with “Not Like Us” and the aforementioned “Like That.” Still, Drizzy came in third and fourth with “Family Matters” and “Push Ups.” These two dominated the year’s rap cycle, there’s no denying it.

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Billboard Reveals Massive Revenue From Drake And Kendrick Lamar Disses

December 12, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Drake and Kendrick Lamar were the hip hop story of 2024. They dominated the conversation from the start of the year to the end. They were responsible for the most discourse, and their songs absolutely dominated the charts. Lamar managed to score two number one singles with Drake disses. To put this into context, Lamar only had two number singles in his career prior to the feud. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Drake and Lamar’s Billboard numbers are bonkers. What is a surprise, though, is just how much money they generated.

Billboard released the revenue from each of the diss songs that charted on the Hot 100. The numbers are staggering. In total, Drake and Kendrick Lamar brought in $15.3 million. That’s from six songs. Billboard is not even counting the disses that failed to make it to streaming. “Taylor Made Freestyle,” “616 In LA” and “The Heart Part 6” did not contribute to the $15.3 million, which makes the number even more shocking. Kendrick Lamar’s disses led the pack in terms of financially successful songs. “Not Like Us” generated a whopping $7.6 million, while “Like That” pulled in $4.6 million. These are the number one records we just alluded to. Drake, meanwhile, generated $981.3K for his scathing diss, “Family Matters.”

Drake And K. Dot Generated Over $15 Million

Drizzy may have been crowned the loser, but his disses were not slouches in terms of performance. His other diss, “Push Ups,” brought in $969.4K. Unfortunately for the 6 God, Kendrick Lamar takes the final two spots. He released more diss records, so it makes sense. “Meet the Grahams” earned $795.1 K, all while being one of the most unnerving and haunting songs of the decade. It’s also garnered attention as of late due to the timestamps that have been added to each verse on YouTube. Lamar’s “Euphoria” is the last entry on the list. The banger pulled in $441.3K.

There’s been talk about whether a “Big Three” ever truly existed. Some have said no, and argue that Drake and Kendrick Lamar are not as relevant as the “Big Three” narrative claims. Well, the numbers do suggest that these two still dominate the conversation. Spotify recently released its stats for the most streamed rappers in the world. Drake placed at number one (again), and Lamar placed at number five. These achievements, coupled with Billboard’s revenue chart, suggest that Drizzy and Kenny are going nowhere.

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Wack 100 Ridicules Top5 For Repeatedly Threatening Kendrick Lamar

December 12, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Wack 100 has had thoughts all year. The West Coast veteran and music exec has been riding with Kendrick Lamar throughout the Drake feud. He’s made it clear that he’s team Dot, and predicted that his joint tour with SZA is going to be huge. Wack 100 also found time to rag on one of Dot’s self-appointed ops. Top5, a Canadian artist with ties to Drake, has been taking shots at the Compton legend since he was released from prison in September. Wack is not concerned, though. In fact, he’s kind of amused.

Wack 100 was asked what he thought about Top5 during a recent interview with DJ Vlad. The executive was informed that Kendrick Lamar and SZA would be performing in Drake’s hometown, and asked if he was concerned about Top5 taking action against them as a result. He was not, to put it nicely. “You ain’t nobody, bro,” Wack 100 told Top5. “We watched this same dude get mushed in the face and kicked in the a*s.” The West Coast figure claimed that Top5 was not as tough as he claims. “I don’t know where you come from, bro,” Wack added. “We off the porch at 12. Dude just do a lot of talking.” he went on to make fun of Top5’s physical appearance.

Wack 100 Claims He’s “Not Worried” About Top5

“Ain’t nobody worried about dude,” Wack added. In a more practical sense, the music executive said that Kendrick Lamar’s team will ensure his safety. He praised the rapper for knowing who he is, and his team for being similarly mindful of how they should behave in other cities. Wack 100 proceeded to make fun of Top5 and the Toronto scene, questioning whether they’re going to have “sharp shooters” on deck for the Compton rapper’s show.

Wack 100 also had some words for the 6 God. “Drake ain’t in control of Toronto, ‘cuse he ain’t stopping that show,” he noted. “Either it was a myth or how much pull he had.” Wack posited that Toronto listeners may be changing up on Drizzy, and shifting their allegiance toward Lamar. “Out with the old,” the veteran exec posited. “It’s a new king here.” Wack 100 also theorized that the fans are going to go “crazy” when Lamar plays his smash hit diss, “Not Like Us,” in Toronto. “The same thing that’s gonna happen at the Super Bowl,” he quipped.

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Kendrick Lamar’s “Meet The Grahams” Gets Chilling Timestamp Update

December 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Kendrick Lamar dropped an EP worth of classic diss songs in 2024. The rapper masterfully played Drake in the rap battle of the decade. “Not Like Us” dominated the conversation, and topped the Hot 100, but it was “Meet the Grahams” that secured the win. The Alchemist produced song is among the darkest and most damning songs ever put out against another rapper. And thanks to YouTube, the song has become even darker. Timestamps have been added to “Meet the Grahams,” giving each verse a sinister title of its own.

Those familiar with the song know Kendrick Lamar addresses different people in each verse. He speaks to Drake’s son, Adonis, then to his mother, Sandi Graham. Dot then turns his focus toward a daughter he claims Drake is hiding from the world. He closes the song out by addressing the 6 God himself. It’s very unnerving to listen to, thanks to Dot’s flow and Alchemist’s horror-movie production. The timestamps make each verse hit harder, though. If you scrub through “Meet the Grahams” on YouTube, you’ll notice that the first verse has been titled “Daddy Issues.” The second verse is “Family Issues,” then to “Father Issues” and finally “The Grahams.”

Kendrick Lamar’s Diss Has Titles For Each Verse

Fans were shocked to find this change. It not only emphasis the surgeon-like precision Kendrick Lamar employed in writing the song, it emphasizes the flaws he found in his opponent. Some have questioned whether the timestamp titles were auto-generated, but they align with Lamar’s specific wording. The last verse on “Meet the Grahams” sees him list out Drake flaws in a similar vein. “You got gamblin’ problems, drinkin’ problems, pill-poppin’ and spendin’ problems,” Dot raps. “Bad with money, whorehouse Solicitin’ women problems, therapy’s a lovely start.”

It’s astounding that “Meet the Grahams” peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also says a lot that “Meet the Grahams” is the only diss that Kendrick Lamar did not perform live during the Pop Out on Juneteenth. It’s somber tone, and its harrowing accusations make it unnerving to listen to, so it makes a lot of sense that Lamar preferred to run back “Not Like Us” five times. Unsurprisingly, Lamar is targeted in the legal drama involving Drake and their mutual label, UMG.

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Wiz Khalifa Weighs In On J Cole’s Legacy After Kendrick Lamar Apology

December 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Wiz Khalifa dropped by Club Shay Shay to discuss the current state of hip hop. He’s an established star, following the same meteoric rise and subsequent transition to stoner celebrity as Snoop Dogg. It can be easy to forget, however, that Wiz Khalifa came up during the same blog rap era that produced the likes of Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J Cole. He may no longer be as relevant as the “Big Three,” but he’s uniquely qualified to speak on their careers. This qualification is what made his opinion on J Cole so interesting.

Shannon Sharpe asked Wiz Khalifa how he felt about Cole’s apology. The Dreamville veteran infamously took down his diss against Kendrick Lamar, and deemed it the “wackest sh*t” of his career. Wiz was not expecting the question, but he gave a measured response. He admitted that, as a rapper, he wasn’t very into what J Cole did. “In hip hop, according to the rules,” Wiz Khalifa posited. “Nah, hell nah. You’re not supposed to do that.” However, the Pittsburgh legend felt that what J Cole did was the smart move on a human level. “In real life, you can take back some sh*t that you said,” he admitted.

Wiz Khalifa Dubbed J Cole The “Bigger Man”

Wiz Khalifa on J Cole apologizing pic.twitter.com/yJxS22fpUa

— Akademiks TV (@AkademiksTV) December 11, 2024

Wiz Khalifa also felt J Cole proved himself to be the “bigger person” by apologizing. “It takes a bigger man to actually be like, ‘I don’t want no problems,’” he explained. “In real life, I f*ck with it… I’ll let other people do the hip hop thing.” Wiz Khalifa falls into the majority of rappers when it comes to assessing J Cole’s apology. While it was generally frowned upon at the time, Cole’s decision to apologize has since been praised for being a mature decision. Charlamagne Tha God was someone who initially clowned J Cole but subsequently changed his tune. “I’m a spiritual being living a human existence has nothing but respect for what J. Cole did,” he said.

Wiz Khalifa also weighed in on the third person in the “Big Three” discussion, Drake. He was asked what he thought about the 6 God’s motions against UMG and Spotify. Without missing a beat, the rapper said that Drake has always been the same person. “Naw, it sounds like a Drake move to me,” he quipped. Wiz did praise the rapper’s business acumen, though. “He’s a musician and a businessman in my eyes,” the rapper added. “I mean it’s a smart thing to do.”

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TDE Got Kendrick Lamar, SZA, And More For Their 11th Annual Christmas Concert And Toy Drive

December 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

In November, Top Dawg Entertainment announced its 11th annual Christmas concert and toy drive at the Nickerson Gardens housing project in Watts. Now, though, more of the lineup has been unveiled, and the most notable add is Kendrick Lamar.

The lineup features Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul (so all four members of Black Hippy), SZA, Doechii, Isaiah Rashad, SiR, Ray Vaughn, and Zacari, as well as some unannounced special guests. Some “local openers” are set to kick things off at 1 p.m. PT before the “main show” starts at 2:30.

There are no tickets for sale, but attendees looking to get in are asked to bring an unwrapped gift.

As Uproxx’s Aaron Williams previously noted, “In addition to the performances, the event also usually includes food trucks and other activities, while the next day will be Community Giveback day, with barbering services, family holiday photos, raffles, sports activities, and of course, the toy giveaway. There’s also a job fair with onsite employment opportunities.”

Lamar’s inclusion on the bill shows there’s still plenty of love between Lamar and TDE following their split: Lamar’s latest album, GNX, was his first one released not via TDE. As for the Black Hippy side of things, it’s unclear if they plan to perform together like they did this past summer.

Snoop Dogg Bashes Lil Wayne For Kendrick Lamar Halftime Show Hate

December 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Snoop Dogg is a keeper of the flame in hip hop. He’s still active, of course, but he has graduated to legend status. His opinion matters, which is why he’s been so involved in the Kendrick Lamar saga. Snoop Dogg, a fellow West Coaster, has been riding with Lamar throughout his 2024 Young Money feuds. He picked Dot over Drake, and now he’s picking Dot over another legend, Lil Wayne. Snoop went as far as to criticize Weezy during a recent podcast appearance.

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre went on Drink Champs to promote their upcoming album, Missionary. They talked about their friendship and legacy as a duo. They also, of course, talked about Kendrick Lamar. Both men have served as mentors to Lamar, and they promptly stuck up for him in the current feud between Kenny and Weezy. The whole thing stemmed from the fact that Lamar was chosen to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans. Lil Wayne has expressed his disappointment with the decision, but Snoop Dogg believes he’s being too sensitive.

Snoop Dogg Accused Lil Wayne Of Acting Entitled

“This is a big event,” Snoop Dogg asserted. “You should just be honored that hip hop is being able to be seen on that platform, for all of us, and not hate on the next man, but be happy.” Snoop, who performed alongside Dre (and Lamar) at the 2022 Super Bowl, was confused by Lil Wayne’s sense of entitlement. He didn’t believe any artist should be “guaranteed” a spot, regardless of where the Halftime Show is set. “I didn’t feel like I was supposed to be there or in demand to be there,” he said about his Halftime appearance. “People look at everything when they pick the person to perform.”

Snoop Dogg did not reference Lil Wayne by name. He did, however, praise JAY-Z for giving hip hop artists an opportunity to shine on a huge stage. “Before JAY-Z got control of the Super Bowl, wasn’t no n**gas performing,” he asserted. “He’s creating a wave of artists that have an opportunity to perform.” Snoop Dogg then addressed Weezy indirectly. He told the veteran rapper that his time will come, if not in 2025 then in the future. For two men who were referenced on Kendrick Lamar’s “wacced out murals,” Snoop and Wayne could not be further apart on the Super Bowl issue.

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The NFL Will Play Both Sides Of The Kendrick-Drake Beef With An Upcoming OVO Collab

December 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

When Kendrick Lamar was announced as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans this coming February, it certainly seemed as though the NFL was taking a side in the year’s biggest rap beef between Lamar and Drake.

The truth is, the NFL is agnostic when it comes to believing in anything other than making the most money possible, but it did make for a lot of funny jokes on social media when the Kendrick announcement dropped. We got further confirmation of that fact on Tuesday, when Drake’s October’s Very Own label announced it’s latest upcoming merchandise collaboration with the NFL, teasing a pair of Starter-esque jackets on Instagram with a release date of December 13.

It’s not the first time the NFL has partnered with OVO, as they’ve done a handful of collaborations in the past, but the timing on this one certainly will generate plenty of buzz given the upcoming Kendrick Lamar performance. That said, it’s probably safe to assume this has been in the works for quite some time, likely before Lamar’s announcement as the Super Bowl halftime act. In any case, the NFL always seems to find a way to come out on top, no matter what side of most any issue people find themselves on. I will say the funniest outcome to all of this would be for Kendrick to wear one of these jackets at his Super Bowl halftime performance.

According To 50 Cent, Drake’s Accusations Against UMG Are Actually An Admission

December 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

It was likely only a matter of time until someone in the recording industry pointed out how Drake’s legal action against Universal Music Group over its promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” could sound very much like a pot calling a kettle black. It’s only right that that person turned out to be 50 Cent, who has never been afraid to bait controversy and has his fair share of battle scars.

During an appearance on BigBoyTV, 50 Cent weighed in on Drake’s controversial move, pointing out how there’s some truth to Drake’s accusations — but those accusations are admissions as much as anything. “What he’s saying the system has done, they’ve done it,” he asserted. “They’re guilty of what he said they did.” He pointed out how during his tenure at Interscope (which is also a subsidiary of UMG, and which distributes Kendrick’s music), the company promoted both sides of his famed battle with former G-Unit member The Game (Look over 50’s shoulder during the interview… UMG isn’t the only one playing both sides). “It’s just business, it’s selling the record,” he said. “But everything he said that they did for Kendrick, they did for him.”

He did allow, though, that he didn’t see the battle as being as damaging to Drake as fans seem to. “Whenever you say you lost something — what exactly did you lose?” he questioned. “There’s nobody who’s a Drake fan who won’t go out to see his show right now.”

You can watch the full interview above.