The Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef has taken center stage on social media for some time now. The two rap superstars going back and forth, calling each other out and spilling secrets, have music enthusiasts and even casual listeners hooked. While most learned about the beef after Kendrick called out Drake and J Cole on rapper Future’s song ‘Like That,’ many have been invested in this rap feud since it commenced in 2013. Among the ones who’ve been watching the beef simmer for 11 years is Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.
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After calling out several rappers he considered his competition in Big Sean’s hit song ‘Control,’ Kendrick subtly dissed Drake during his cipher at the 2013 BET Awards.
However, he did not name Drake in the verse, prompting many confused fans, including then 15-year-old Jayson Tatum, to question why people claimed his lyrics were aimed at the ‘God’s Plan’ hitmaker. “Lol I’m confused how did Kendrick diss Drake?” Tatum’s 2013 tweet read.
Lol I’m confused how did Kendrick diss Drake?
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) October 16, 2013
The confusion was cleared when observant fans explained that Kendrick’s line, “Nothing’s been the same since they dropped ‘Control,’” was a direct reference to Drake’s 2013 album titled ‘Nothing Was The Same.’ Nevertheless, Tatum’s tweet from 11 years back has started getting traction on social media as the beef between the two veteran rappers once again takes center stage.
That was the best rap battle EVER…but no more songs, it’s a different energy now..
— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) May 4, 2024
The beef had been dormant for 11 years until Kendrick and Future dropped ‘Like That’ last month. Since then, the war of words has been relentless. The whole fiasco has fans on social media, including retired NBA star Jamal Crawford, fully immersed. The fireworks have only begun and everyone’s seated to watch them go off.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake take their gloves off as they go after one another
After Kendrick Lamar dissed Drake in ‘Like That,’ the latter responded with ‘Push Ups,’ where he poked fun at the rapper’s height and even alluded that his wife, Whitney Alford, cheated on him with one or multiple bodyguards. Drake doubled down and released another diss track titled ‘Taylor Made Freestyle’, where he used AI tools and added verses that sounded like rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, two of Kendrick’s idols.
He mockingly expressed disappointment that the rapper hasn’t released a retort to ‘Push Ups’, claiming that he delayed it because of the fear that Taylor Swift’s latest album release would drown the hype about his response. Drake would get his wish fulfilled soon as Kendrick responded with a six-minute long diss track titled ‘euphoria,’ where he referenced the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker’s beef with rapper Pusha T, which had exposed that Drake had a son he was hiding him from the world.
Kendrick followed Drake’s lead and dropped another diss track titled ‘6:16 in LA,’ where he claimed that the 37-year-old had a prescription for Ozempic, a diabetes medicine that Hollywood elites have been using as a miracle weight loss drug.
Things took a dark turn on Friday night as the Canadian rapper responded with ‘Family Matters,’ where he subtly accused the Compton native of physically assaulting his wife. Within hours, Kendrick hit back with ‘Meet the Grahams,’ where he claimed Drake had a daughter he was hiding from the world and compared him to Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer.
Neither rapper is willing to lay down their tools and this war of attrition between them will continue to captivate the masses, including Jayson Tatum, until it ends.