Rihanna’s been teasing R9 for so long now that nobody knows what to believe anymore. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess when or if the album is indeed coming. The most recent mention of the album came during a red carpet event for her Fenty makeup line in Los Angeles on April 28th. During this appearance, she teased R9 once again, saying “It’s gonna be amazing.” She also went on about how much the album would showcase her evolution as an artist.
It’s been eight long years since Riri blessed us with a body of work. During this time, however, she’s dropped a handful of singles, including the Oscar-nominated “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. She has primarily focused on her fashion and beauty empire, and since it’s raking in billions, we can’t really blame her. Until definite information is put out, here’s a chronological list of all the information Riri (and others) has put out about R9 since 2018.
The first time Rihanna stirred excitement among her fans about the release of her ninth studio album was in 2018. In an Instagram reply, she shared that fans should expect the album in 2019, sparking anticipation for new music, following her last album, ANTI, released in January 2016. The album was also rumored to be a double-disc release, with one disc featuring chart-friendly songs and the other comprising moody and experimental tracks.
As time passed, rumors surfaced that Rihanna’s upcoming album would involve producer Supa Dups, known for his work with Beenie Man and Sean Paul. With this information, R9 became subject to reggae and dancehall speculations. These rumors and sporadic updates continued to keep the conversation about R9 alive for a while. Moreover, twice in early 2019, Rihanna shared studio session photos on Instagram.
The first time was in January when she posted a video showing her at work in the studio. She did it again in March of the same year when she shared a photo of her best friend and project manager Jennifer Rosales’ baby in the studio. Rosales would repost the baby pic on her own Instagram with this caption: “When tia @badgalriri gives you the first listen . #newmusic.” No one knows whatever became of these studio visits, however.
Further along in the year, in an extensive interview with the New York Times Magazine for a cover story in May, Rihanna confirmed that she was working on a reggae sound. ANTI had featured the iconic hit “Work,” and so fans were thirsting for more. People soon speculated that the album could drop at any moment. Ultimately, this never materialized. The period coincided with her promotion of the Fenty fashion line, and amidst the album buzz, Rihanna was named by Forbes as the richest female musician in the world, and everyone forgot about R9 for a moment.
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, some still held out hope that this would be the year Rihanna releases R9. Why? In May 2020, she graced the cover of British Vogue, and made history as the first person to wear a durag on the magazine cover. Rihanna spoke about her multifaceted career and balancing her music with her business. She then mentioned how she was “very aggressively working on music.” However, she did not disclose a release date. Like a true artist she said: “There are no rules. There’s no format. There’s just good music, and if I feel it, I’m putting it out.”
In February 2023, Rihanna shared insights about her much-anticipated album R9 in an interview for her Vogue UK cover story. During the interview, Rihanna expressed her desire to release the album in 2023, saying, “I want it to be this year. Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year.” She also emphasized how much fun she had to have with her music and the importance of aligning the album with her creative vision.
However, the interview took place shortly after Rihanna’s performance at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, and the announcement of her second pregnancy with A$AP Rocky. Evidently, there was little hope it was coming out that year. Shockingly Capital FM reported that Rihanna was “quietly planning” a huge comeback world tour for 2024 and 2025. However, despite the speculation, insiders eventually clarified that “no tour has been confirmed.”
For her Interview Magazine cover story, Rihanna explained how her creative process for R9 had “a lot of visual ideas,” but “no songs for them yet.” Again, on April 28 and 29, 2024, she made headlines with updates about her personal style and her long-awaited album. She also recently hinted that ASAP Rocky has had some hand in helping with the project’s development. At a Fenty Beauty event, Rihanna shared more about her upcoming album, reiterating that it will be “amazing,” and that the delay in its release is because she wants it to truly represent her evolution. All we can do is wait.
Suge Knight is a polarizing figure in hip-hop. He’s the bodyguard who co-founded Death Row Records. He was the driver of the car when 2Pac got shot. He’s currently behind bars for voluntary manslaughter, and won’t be eligible for parole until 2034. He does, however, have opinions on the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef. Knight hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts on Lamar’s long-awaited diss record, “Euphoria.” His response was predictable in some ways, yet surprising in others.
For starters, Knight came out as pro K. Dot. Not one single hip-hop fan in surprised to hear this. “Round one goes to Kendrick Lamar,” he tweeted. It was the rest of the post that caught fans off guard. Knight, a notoriously violent criminal, decided to use the Drake vs. Lamar beef as a platform to condemn colorism and violence within the Black community.
Suge Knight Condemned The Colorism In K. Dot’s Diss
Round 1 goes to @kendricklamar. But youngin let’s stop saying light skinned people aren’t black. Cause the police think otherwise. Black is Black. That creates division amongst ourselves, and I ain’t fuckin with that. https://t.co/B5GBVs0wEV
This was sparked, presumably, by the ongoing mockery of Drake for being light-skinned, and therefore not as authentic as Lamar. “Youngin let’s stop saying light skinned people aren’t black,” Knight asserted. “Cause the police think otherwise. Black is Black. That creates division amongst ourselves, and I ain’t f**kin with that.” Some X users commended Knight for speaking out on the topic, but others criticized him for being a hypocrite given his past indiscretions. Then there those who simply wanted to know why Knight had access to X.
Those who have been plugged into the Drake vs Lamar beef know, however, that Suge Knight has been giving his opinion the whole time. He was extremely critical of Drake for using an AI-generated 2Pac on the diss record “Taylor Made Freestyle.” He even dedicated a segment to it on his podcast Collect Calls. “Putting him on a song and dissing Kendrick for everybody entertainment– that ain’t how it go,” Knight asserted. “Then putting him on a song with Snoop, who was a part of his downfall and exit, ain’t ever a good look. He never was a pawn.”
Do you agree with Suge Knight’s take? Is Kendrick up 1-0?
Seventeen days after Drake dropped “Push Ups,” his response to Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That,” Kendrick returned fire with disses of his own on his new record “Euphoria.” Kendrick’s response to Drake comes four days sooner than Drake’s own did, and the Compton rapper wasted no bars in the six-minute record. While Drake’s record took aim at Kendrick Lamar as well as took aim at names like Rick Ross, Future, Metro Boomin, Ja Morant, The Weeknd, Kendrick’s diss focuses solely on Drake. All in all, “Euphoria” is an excellently constructed response filled with double entendres that fire back at Drake in more ways than one.
Let’s break down all the disses and peel back the many layers that exist on the song:
“Euphoria” — the song title
The surface-level explanation for the song here is the feeling that Kendrick Lamar has as he puts out his response to Drake. As the artwork for the song reveals, “euphoria” is a “feeling of well-being or elation,” but it goes much deeper than that. Drake is an executive producer on Euphoria, a show centered on the experiences of high school students. Drake has been questioned by fans about his interactions with underage and young women all throughout his career. The most notable one came after Millie Bobby Brown, who was 13 at the time, gushed about her friendship with the rapper in an interview. “We just texted the other day and he was like ‘I miss you so much,’ and I was like ‘I miss you more!’” she said. Kendrick plays into these rumors and allegations with the song title.
“Everything they say about me is true…”
This line is said in reverse at the beginning of “Euphoria.” The audio is from the 1978 film The Wiz in a line said by Richard Pryor. The full line from the movie is “Everything they say about me is true, I’m a phony…” It’s the beginning of several lines in the song that question Drake’s character and authenticity.
“You not a rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of bеing accepted / Tommy Hilfiger stood out, but FUBU nеver had been your collection”
Kendrick continues to question Drake’s authenticity and even goes as far as to question Drake’s Blackness. Tommy Hilfilger was a prominent fashion brand in the hip-hop community during the 1990s, but by the following decade, Hilfiger was accused of being racist as he allegedly disapproved of hip-hop’s embrace of his brand. As a result, hip-hop artists dropped their support for Hilfiger in favor of supporting brands like FUBU. Kendrick casts doubt on Drake’s Blackness by alleging that Drake owned Tommy Hilfiger clothes as he believed it was needed to seem apart of the Black hip-hop community. However, as Kendrick alludes, if Drake was truly apart of the community, he also would’ve had FUBU in his closet, among other Black brands.
“How I make music that electrify ’em, you make music that pacify ’em / I can double down on that line, but spare you this time, that’s random acts of kindness”
Another reference to Drake’s interactions with underage and young women. Kendrick says his music gives people live, while Drake’s own calms people down and puts them to sleep, something a pacifier can help a child do. On the surface, this line is Kendrick’s way saying that Drake’s music is for kids, though he ackownledges a double entendre exists in the line. Despite that, Kendrick won’t go further on the topic, a moment of kindness that won’t be seen again for the rest of the diss track.
“The very first time I shot me a drac’, the homie had told me that “Aim it this way” / I didn’t point down enough, today I show you I learn from those mistakes”
Kendrick recalls the first time he shot a Draco pistol and admits that while he did not do it corrently back then, he eventually learned from those mistakes. Calling the Draco a “Drac,’” creates another double entendre, as it sounds like Kendrick is saying “Drake.” Kendrick is saying that his past jabs at Drake, weren’t good enough, but with “Euphoria,” he proved that he’s figured it all out.
Somebody had told that me you got a ring, on God, I’m ready to double the wage / I rather do that, than let a Canadian n**** make Pac turn in his grave”
Last summer, a report revealed that Drake purchased Tupac Shakur’s famed ring for the price of $1 million, three times more than the pre-sale estimate of between $200,000-$300,000. With this line, Kendrick says he ready to pay double for the ring as Drake possessing it is enough to make Tupac turn in his grave.
“Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m a selfish n**** / The crown is heavy, huh / I pray they my real friends, if not, I’m YNW Melly”
Kendrick doesn’t want to share rap’s crown, and being that Drake and J. Cole have been atop the rap game beside him for years, Kendrick says his hip-hop counterparts are aware of his selfishness. In the end, Kendrick hopes Drake and Cole are his real friends, because if they aren’t, he’ll have to do away with them both as YNW Melly allegedly did to his two friends.
“I don’t like you poppin’ sh*t at Pharrell, for him, I inherit the beef / Yeah, f*ck all that pushin’ P, let me see you push a T / You better off spinnin’ again on him, you think about pushin’ me? / He’s Terrence Thornton, I’m Terence Crawford, yeah, I’m whoopin’ feet”
Kendrick wasn’t a fan of Drake dissing Pharrell on “Meltdown,” so he’s stepping in to respond for Pharrell. Kendrick doesn’t want Drake to diss Pharrell, he’d rather see him deliver his long-awaited response to Pusha T. Furthermore, Kendrick thinks it would be better for Drake to diss Pusha instead of him. Pusha T is Terrence Thornton (his birth name), but Kendrick is like undefeated boxing champion Terence Crawford, whose record is 40-0 (could be a sly reference to Drake’s longtime producer OVO 40). Kendrick will be “whoppin’ feet,” LA slang for beating up someone out of their shoes, in his battle with Drake.
“I know some sh*t about n**** that make Gunna Wunna look like a saint”
Kendrick essentially says if you think Gunna is a snitch in the YSL RICO case, wait till I tell you what I know about Drake and others.
I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk / I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct / We hate the b*tches you fuck, ’cause they confuse themselves with real women / And notice, I said “We”, it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feelin’”
Kendrick hates everything about Drake: the way he walks, talks, dresses, and sneak disses other artists. Kendrick also hates the woman Drake’s has sexual interactions with because they are not “real women.” This could be another jab at Drake’s alleged affinity for underage/young women as a “real woman” could be defined as a woman over 21 years of age. Kendrick then says that it’s not only him who believes it, but the rest of hip-hop or music culture.
You gon’ make a n**** bring back Puff, let me see if Chubbs really crash somethin’
Kendrick recalls the 2014 club incident where Diddy allegedly punched Drake during a fight in LIV Miami. Kendrick considers bringing Diddy into the battle to really strike fear into Drake. This would mean that Chubbs, Drake’s bodyguard, would have to step in and defend Drake. The Chubbs mention is also a response to him calling Kendrick a “little boy.” In a post to his Instagram Story in response to a rumored Drake diss from Kendrick at that time, Chubbs wrote, “Tell That Little Boy Drop!!! But He Won’t.” Well. He did.
Yeah, my first one like my last one, it’s a classic, you don’t have one / Let your core audience stomach that / Didn’t tell ’em where you get your abs from”
Kendrick brags about having classic albums, something he says Drake does not have. He goes on to say that Drake’s fans need to stomach, or accept, the fact Drake doesn’t have a classic album. As if that wasn’t enough, Kendrick then mocks Drake for allegedly getting liposuction surgery in order to have a six-pack core, a fact he seemingly tries to keep hidden.
“Headshot for the year, you better walk around like Daft Punk”
An amazing double entendre!! Kendrick says his bars on “Euphoria” are the equivalent of Drake receiving a gunshot to the head. The head injuries will force Drake to hide his wounds and “walk around like Daft Punk,” the French electronic music duo known for wearing robot-lie helmets. Kendrick is also saying the “headshot” diss make Drake a “daft punk” dur to his brain injuries. Daft by definition is “silly; foolish” while punk means “a worthless person.” Thanks to “Euphoria,” Drake is now a silly, foolish, and worthless person according to Kendrick.
Surprised you wanted that feature request / You know that we got some sh*t to address
Kendrick suggests that Drake reached out to him for a guest verse (allegedly for “First Person Shooter“) despite their ongoing beef, a request that shocked Kendrick.
I’m knowin’ they call you The Boy, but where is a man? ‘Cause I ain’t see him yet
Kendrick is back to questioning Drake’s character, using the Toronto rapper’s nickname as “The Boy” to point to Drake’s inability to be a man.
“When I see you stand by Sexyy Red, I believe you see two bad bitches / I believe you don’t like women, that’s real competition, you might pop ass with ’em”
In recent months, Drake has been spotted with Sexyy Red on multiple occasions. Kendrick believes Drake wants to be like Sexyy Red and other female rappers. A line later, Kendrick goes on to say that Drake doesn’t like women and sees them as competition, enough to shake ass as some do in their videos, performances, and social media posts.
“Let’s speak on percentage, show me your splits / I make sure I double back with you / You was signed to a n**** that’s signed to a n**** that said he was signed to that n**** / Try cease and desist on the ‘Like That’ record / Hoe, what? You ain’t like that record?”
Kendrick responds to Drake’s claim that Kendrick was being extorted in his previous record deal with TDE and reminds Drake that once signed to Young Money under Cash Money Records which is under Universal Music Group. The “that n****” may be Birdman who was sued by Lil Wayne and accused of withholding profits and refusing to release his Tha Carter V album. Next, Kendrick accusses Drake of sending a cease and desist letter for Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” which Kendrick appears on and used to diss Drake in his verse. This isn’t the first time Drake was accused of sending a cease and desist letter to another rapper.
“‘Back To Back’, I like that record / I’ma get back to that for the record / Why would I call around tryna get dirt on n****s? / Y’all think all of my life is rap?
That’s hoe sh*t, I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin’ ’bout that / Wakin’ them up, know nothin’ ’bout that / And tell ’em to pray, know nothin’ ’bout that / And givin’ ’em tools to walk through life like day by day, know nothin’ ’bout that / Teachin’ the morals, and take all the discipline, listen man, you don’t know nothin’ ’bout that / Speakin’ the truth and consider what God’s considerin’, you don’t know nothin’ ’bout that”
Kendrick shows love to Drake’s “Back To Back” record, which the Toronto rapper released in 2016 in response to Meek Mill’s ghostwriter claims against him, but explaining why he would never go on a search for dirt on Drake. Kendrick says fatherhood — something he believes Drake is failing at in multiple ways — occpuies too much of his time, making it impossible for him to find the dirt that would be useful for a diss. “Euphoria” proves that Kendrick didn’t need that dirt.
“Ain’t twenty-v-one, it’s one-v-twenty if I gotta smack n****s that write with you”
Since Meek Mill’s ghostwriting accusations against Drake in 2016, the Torono rapper has been unable to shake off claims that he does not write all of his music. So in response to Drake’s “What the f*ck is this, a twenty-v-one, n****?” line on “Push-Ups,” Kendrick corrects Drake and says it will actually be him against Drake and his ghostwriters if things get more violent.
“Am I battlin’ ghost or AI? N**** feelin’ like Joel Osteen / Funny, he was in a film called ‘AI’ /And my sixth sense tellin’ me to off him”
Kendrick responds to Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” which featured AI verses by Snoop Dogg and Tupac from Drake, by asking if he’s battling AI or a ghost, instead of a real-life rapper. He then likens himself to Joel Osteen, though he actually meant Haley Joel Osment, the child actor who starred in the films The Sixth Sense and AI: Artificial Intelligence. Our own Aaron Williams dove into the connection to Haley Joel Osment in his ranking of the disses on “Euphoria.”
“Yeah, OVO n****s is d*ck riders / Tell ’em run to America to imitate heritage, they can’t imitate this violence”
Kendrick disses Drake’s OVO crew and suggest that they all left Canadian and came to the US to appropriate the culture in the states. Probablem is, as Kendrick says, they’re unable imitate everything including Kendrick’s level of aggression and violence on “Euphoria.”
“Don’t speak on the family, crodie / It can get deep in the family, crodie / Talk about me and my family, crodie? / Someone go bleed in your family, crodie”
Kendrick warns Drake about dissing his loved ones as things will get violent if the Toronto native decides to ignore his warning. Kendrick also mocks Drake by using a Toronto accent and the word “crodie,” a crip variation of “brodie” that Toronto rapper and member of the crip Wassa gang, in these bars.
“Whoever that’s f*ckin’ with him, f*ck you n****s, and f*ck the industry too”
Drake’s friends and the overall industry won’t stop Kendrick from going to war, and he’s ready to battle anyone who wants to stand beside Drake.
Kendrick Lamar’s feud with Drake heated up today as the Compton rapper dropped “Euphoria,” a fiery diss track loaded with spicy takedowns of the Canadian hitmaker. The song has become an instant fan favorite, as Twitter users spent the afternoon dissecting its best bars and laughing at Kendrick’s accidental(?) confusion between two similarly-named celebrities. Even the State of New York joined the discourse, using the song to troll rival NBA star Joel Embiid ahead of a possible closeout game in the playoffs.
One part of the song sparking curiosity is its intro, which is a reversed vocal sample. According to the Dissect Podcast account, the sample comes from The Wiz, the 1978 musical film adaptation of the stage reimagining of The Wizard Of Oz. Toward the end of the film, after the Wiz (Richard Pryor) is exposed as a washed-up politician from Atlantic City, he exclaims, “Everything they say about me is true! I’m a phony!”
Obviously, Kendrick’s use of the sample is meant to imply that Drake is the hip-hop equivalent of the Wiz: a fraud who has gotten by on mystique and a false persona for years. This, of course, would make Kendrick… Dorothy? Toto? In any event, he sees himself as the chaos agent revealing the truth behind Drake’s facade.
Jermaine Dupri and Kamala Harris spoke with one another about Freaknik? That is what the record producer and hip-hop mogul claims to have happened recently via an Instagram post. According to AllHipHop, the North Carolina-born rap figure met up with the Democrat mostly because she was beginning to launch her nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour. Kamala was heading to Georgia specifically for this campaign. Additionally, the trip down South was also for the $158 million in federal funding the city received for “The Stitch” project. “The Stitch” is a “civic infrastructure investment needed to reconnect Downtown and Midtown Atlanta.” “It will span 14 acres and consist of urban greenspace and transportation enhancements,” according to the project’s website.
“In Collepark with THE Vice President @kamalaharris talbout Freak Nik,” Dupri said in the IG post. Unfortunately, their chat in inaudible, so we kind of just have to take his word for it. But part of the reason that Jermaine was chatting with Harris supposedly about Freaknik was because he had a major hand in producing a recent Hulu documentary about the annual spring break festival that took place at the Atlanta University Center.
The massive event took place in the 90s but has not happened since that decade due to the people’s efforts to avoid the police. Since Kamala was in the ATL for this new public hub’s construction, maybe Jermaine was trying to chat about Freaknik to possibly bring it back? Maybe he was trying to convince her to have it be hosted in this new spot? More could come of this, so be sure to stick around for more.
What are your thoughts on Jermaine Dupri claiming to have spoken with Kamala Harris about Freaknik? Do you believe him, why or why not? How do you think they decided to meet up? 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 Jermaine Dupri and Kamala Harris. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around worlds of music and politics.
With the New York Knicks looking to close out the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, Sixers all-star Joel Embiid has been declared the “Most Hated Man in NY,” as declared by no less an authority than The New York Post’s front page. This hatred was confirmed by New York’s State Twitter page (I will NEVER call it “X”), which not only reposted the cover from a Knickerbockers fan page, but added some spice of its own courtesy of Kendrick Lamar’s new Drake diss, “Euphoria.”
The new song has no shortage of salt for the Compton rapper’s Canadian foe, but at one point, he dispenses with the fancy wordplay and heady metaphors to distill his argument down to its bare bones: “Now let me say I’m the biggest hater / I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk / I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct,” he snarls in the snippet posted by @NYGov. If the Sixers win, Embiid might need the National Guard to provide security (maybe they can take a break from beating up 20-year-olds at Columbia for exercising their First Amendment rights). Which just goes to show how serious it is — do you know how bad it has to be for the GOVERNMENT of the state of New York to quote a Los Angeles-bred rapper’s diss track?
Sports rivalries aside, it looks like Kendrick Lamar has given the world the best new way to tell somebody you dislike them: just send them a “Euphoria” snippet, and they’ll get the message, guaranteed.
Texas singer 4batz has experienced a meteoric rise to fame in 2024. He began the year as a relative unknown. But shortly after he began to rapidly rise in profile. That came when his song “date @ 8” began to take off on TikTok. That eventually translated into radio success as well and the song made its debut on the Hot 100 shortly after. The track didn’t hit its peak on the chart until Drake teamed up with the breakthrough singer for a remix of the track. It peaked at number 7 the next week and has stuck around on the charts landing at number 63 this week.
Like almost any artist who experiences such a substantial rise to fame, 4batz has faced allegations of being an industry plant. During a recent interview with GQ he was asked about the allegations and gave a pretty surprising answer. “I think it’s kind of cool, It’s like I’m the boogeyman. People are going to meet me and be like, Oh, this is a regular hood n*gga,” he replied. It came during an interview where he got candid about the experiences in his life that led him to depression and homelessness before catching his big break. Following his successful collaboration with Drake he signed a contract with OVO. Check out the full interview he gave below.
“He was telling me, ‘Get used to it, because you here now. People are going to look at you like a walking ATM, but you’re going to see through that. You know what I’m saying? Because you a star.’”
The industry plant allegations aren’t being levelled at 4batz just because of his association with Drake and his new deal with OVO. He’s also been working with Kanye West recently. Video of the pair in the studio together made the rounds earlier this month. It led to fans suspecting that he could make an appearance on VULTURES 2.
The unique singer’s debut EP for OVO is expected to drop soon. What do you think of 4batz leaning into the reputation that comes with facing industry plant allegations? Do you think he has more hits in him beyond just “date @ 8?” Let us know in the comment section below.
Snoop Dogg paid tribute to his late mother on Instagram, Monday, sharing a photo of himself lighting up at her grave site. In the caption, he only added four emojis. They include a flower, a heart, prayer hands, and a dove. His mother, Beverly Tate, passed away back in October 2021 after being hospitalized months prior.
In response to the post, many fans shared their own stories of grieving while being supportive of the rapper. One user wrote: “Lost my oldest daughter this January the pain is unbearable. Just taking day by day. All of us going thru it will get thru it love you all.” Another commented: “My brother just passed away too and I’m devastated I feel your pain. We going to get by this with the grace of God. Love you Snoop.”
AUSTIN, TX – AUGUST 21: Rapper Snoop Dogg performs onstage during ‘The High Road Tour’ at Austin360 Amphitheater on August 21, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/WireImage)
When Tate initially passed, Snoop was scheduled to take the stage at Big Night Live in Boston that same night. He went through with the performance and mourned his mother while doing so. “I wasn’t even gonna come out here and perform tonight ’cause my mother passed away earlier tonight, but in the spirit of the people of Boston, I wanted to come out here and represent for y’all because this is what my mama would have wanted me to do,” he said at the time. He also ended the set with “Stand By Me.” He remarked: “I needed this. I f*cking love y’all for getting my spirit right tonight. Peace, love and soul.”
Folks, welcome to Round Two of hip-hop’s coup d’état against Drake… or was it the true king asserting his dominance all along against the Toronto challenger? In this corner, we have Drizzy, who launched two diss tracks, took down one of them, is still on top of the game commercially, and has been eagerly waiting for Kendrick Lamar to clap back with a “quintuple entendre or something.” And in this corner, we have K. Dot, who kicked this current fight off in the first place and reaped what he sowed today with his “Euphoria” response.
As expected, Kendrick Lamar’s song was explosive on impact, leading to many wild reactions, interpretations, theories, and predictions. Not everyone’s a fan, of course, but one thing is definitely clear: Drake got the smoke he wanted, and the ball is back in his court. Across this new diss track’s six-and-a-half-minute runtime, we believe there are six specific sets of bars that the 6ix God must address.
I Pray They My Real Friends, If Not, I’m YNW Melly
First, let’s start off with Kendrick Lamar addressing “First Person Shooter,” the Drake and J. Cole collab that seems to have provoked the “Like That” diss. There’s a “feature request” line that suggests that K.Dot actually turned down a guest spot with Drake. Kendrick then insinuates that Drizzy didn’t want to work with him after his “Control” verse because his feelings were hurt, and he clarifies that he doesn’t have a problem with Drake and Cole working together… in theory. While he “loves them to death,” the former TDE lyricist suggests that if Aubrey, Cole, or both aimed to belittle Kendrick or take him down with their collab, this changes the dynamic.
This culminates with the line: “There’s no accent you can sell me / Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I’m a selfish n***a / The crown is heavy, huh / I pray they my real friends, if not, I’m YNW Melly.” Not only does he question Drake trying to make music representing a lot of different cultures and communities, which many have called appropriation, but Kendrick Lamar also compares himself to Melly, who will eventually face a retrial for accusations of murdering his two friends. So “First Person Shooter” requires an explanation, because even though J. Cole’s made his stance clear, it’s still up in the air whether The Boy intended to legitimately pay tribute or disrespect him instead.
Another set of bars goes over a few different topics, starting with a reference to the alleged 2014 incident at DJ Khaled’s birthday party at the LIV Miami club in which Diddy reportedly struck Drake in the face. This line also ropes in the “Evil Ways” rapper’s longtime personal bodyguard Chubbs: “You gon’ make a n***a bring back Puff, let me see if Chubbs really crash something.” This continues Kendrick Lamar and Drizzy’s references to security guards and physical confrontation, such as Kendrick’s security guard 2TEEZ and Drake making fun of Kendrick trying to get physical “with a size 7 men’s on.”
However, right after this bar, we get another instance of Kendrick Lamar questioning whether the rap game at large really accepts Drake, as well as a few jabs at his alleged liposuction. “Yeah, my first one like my last one, it’s a classic, you don’t have one / Let your core audience stomach that, then tell them where you get your abs from.” J. Cole’s “7 Minute Drill” diss proved that going at Mr. Morale’s catalog is a huge risk, so maybe Drake will instead offer up his acclaimed projects like Nothing Was The Same, Take Care, or If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. But the picture painted here presents the former Degrassi star as someone who, at many turns and via some non-commercial metrics, has found it difficult to find acceptance or respect, for right or wrong reasons.
Drake definitely found his due flowers from the new generation, something that Kendrick Lamar also questioned in “Euphoria.” There’s a Lil Yachty mention here, but the bombshell relating to this is a commentary on his artistic friendship with Sexyy Red, and how K.Dot seemingly accuses Drizzy of faking this support while putting other women down because he sees them as competition. “When I see you stand by Sexyy Red, I believe you see two bad b***hes / I believe you don’t like women, that’s real competition, you might pop a** with them.” Not only does this continue the lipo allegations and poke at Drake’s femininity and strength (another controversial and frankly, tired move), but it insinuates that he needs the St. Louis MC more than she needs Drake.
Also, the specific line about not liking women is very relevant given Drake’s complicated relationship with women in his personal life, as explored through topics in his music, and with industry peers. On Her Loss‘ “Circo Loco” (2022), he seemed to take shots at Megan Thee Stallion, and on For All The Dogs‘ “Away From Home” (2023), he disses jazz musician Esperanza Spalding. Kendrick Lamar even shouted Megan out on “family ties” in 2021. With all this in mind, Drake will have to respond to folks questioning his authenticity, his ego, and his true intentions when it comes to his relationships with women… and the pgLang creative didn’t even have to “talk about [Drake] liking young girls” as Drizzy predicted on his “Taylor Made Freestyle” A.I. diss from Tupac Shakur’s “perspective” to do that. Yikes.
One of the most incendiary moments on “Euphoria” relates to another scathing Drake diss: Pusha T’s “The Story Of Adidon.” Earlier in Kendrick Lamar’s three-part diss, he calls his rival out for never responding to Pusha T’s cut and for going at Pharrell, but the real call-back appears later on. First, K. Dot accuses the Canadian superstar of trying to look for dirt on him. Interestingly enough, Pusha made similar claims in 2018 when they were at the height of their beef. “Why would I call around tryna get dirt on n***as, y’all think all of my life is rap?” Kendrick raps, which also responds to people pressuring him to respond to Drake quickly, as this track took over two weeks to arrive.
But the plot thickens on the very next bar, which continues to call out Drake for being a troll, constantly goading Kendrick Lamar to respond, and posting and talking about this constantly on social media. “That’s h*e s**t, I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothing about that.” Kendrick calls back to “The Story Of Adidon” by mentioning that Drake never announced his son to the public until Pusha T exposed that he was a father.
Pusha T’s diss was eventually mulled over, and the Scorpion artist now has a public and very wholesome bond with his son. But the “Silent Hill” spitter flips this once more by making fun of Aubrey Graham’s social media obsession and concerning himself with pettiness rather than family. Once more, Drake will have to back up his online persona through bars, not just more IG stories, likes, comments, or DMs.
Ain’t 20v1, It’s 1v20 If I Gotta Smack N***as That Write With You
One of the simplest but sharpest lines on “Euphoria” directly responds to this “Push Ups” line: “What the f**k is this, a 20v1?” On that line, Drake calls out many rap industry players (Future, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross, etc.) for teaming up on him at the same time, something that Kendrick Lamar turns right back against him. “Ain’t 20v1, it’s 1v20 if I gotta smack n***as that write with you,” he spits, once again bringing up ghostwriting claims that Drizzy has been dogged by ever since 2015.
While Drake’s said a lot about it since his Meek Mill beef, it does carry a different context now. Alleged reference tracks recently leaked, in which he supposedly took them one-for-one from his peers. While these are just rumors (particularly Cash Cobain’s track), it truly questions whether Drake could confidently place himself as the GOAT. The 6ix God might have to respond to Kendrick Lamar’s accusations by claiming more artistic responsibility for his own work than what the credits (or a lack of credits, rather) would have you believe. More importantly, he needs to explain why he can still be the GOAT in hip-hop today, which isn’t an impossible task: just a difficult one.
Kendrick Lamar cooked Drake using a Toronto accent…now im just saying me personally, I wouldn’t take that disrespect pic.twitter.com/uRg45DEvh4
— Phillip loyal to the Shōgun (@xialingsfling) April 30, 2024
Finally, Kendrick Lamar pettily and mercilessly clowns the 6ix’s accent, slang, and street ties. While closing “Euphoria,” he insinuates that Drake can’t fake the street funk, even if he found success in the U.S. rap scene. Kendrick uses the term “crodie” to taunt him, a Crip flip of “brodie” popularized by Toronto rapper Pressa. He’s allegedly affiliated with the Wass Gang, a Crip set in the city that Drake has rapped about often through direct reference and through using “crodie.” After this mocking use of the Toronto accent to warn Drake to refrain from mentioning family business, Kendrick Lamar says he’s never in trouble in Toronto when he goes, contrary to what his nemesis would have you believe.
“I be at New Ho King eating fried rice with a dip sauce and blamy, crodie / Tell me you’re cheesing, fam/ We can do this right now on the camera, crodie.” New Ho King is a popular late-night Chinese food spot in Toronto, and “cheesing” is Toronto and Jamaican patois slang for being angry. The last line proposes that these two hip-hop titans duke it out for real in the public eye, which was the challenge K.Dot offered on “Like That.”
Rick Ross shared some advice for Drake on social media, on Tuesday, telling the Toronto rapper that he shouldn’t bother responding to Kendrick Lamar. The Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers rapper dissed Drake on his new song, “Euphoria,” accusing him of being a bad father, using ghostwriters, and much more. Ross previously dissed Drake in his own track, “Champagne Moments,” earlier this month.
Ross began the clip by referring to Drake as a “white boy.” From there, he asked: “Do they even have WiFi on that cargo plane?” and added, “He may not have heard this yet but look white boy, I know we not friends but lemme give you this advice because you ain’t got nobody around you– you ain’t got no real n****s around you. Let me put it like that.” As for the advice, Ross remarked: “Don’t respond. You ain’t even peep when the intro came on with that Teddy Pendergrass. That was that Black vibe. Don’t do it. Don’t go write an 8 minute verse.” Ross also forgave Yachty for associating with Drake. “I know you wanna get that money. You ain’t wrong. Keep buying them big houses.”
MIAMI BEACH, FL – DECEMBER 31: (L-R) Rick Ross, French Montana and Drake attend Sean Diddy Combs Ciroc The New Years Eve Party at his home on December 31, 2013 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
On “Euphoria,” Lamar echoed similar accusations Ross made on “Champagne Moments,” such as accusing Drake of getting plastic surgery and bringing up his race. “How many more fairytale stories about your life ’til we’ve had enough?” Lamar raps. “How many more Black features ’til you finally feel that you’re Black enough?” He also accuses him of being a bad father.
Rick Ross Warns Drake To Stay Silent
Rick Ross tells Drake not to respond to Kendrick Lamar’s diss ‘euphoria’
#R9 alert: Rihanna confirmed on Instagram that her new album is dropping in 2019
. #newmusic.” No one knows whatever became of these studio visits, however. pic.twitter.com/IylTUXJLSO
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