By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar used to be good friends who encouraged each other to thrive in a competitive Hip Hop industry, and there has always been a sense of camaraderie between both artists. But as of late, their friendship seems to have suffered quite a bit ever since Kendrick Lamar’s verse in “Control” went viral. In the verse, Kendrick called out his peers Drake and others to step up their bars lyrically, and he even claimed he was shooting to become another one of the greats in the rap game. Although Kendrick later said in an interview he had no intentions to cause controversy or even make any of his peers upset by the verse, Drake revealed in a recent interview that the verse made him no longer want to collaborate with Kendrick musically. He also suggested that others who were called out might feel the same way. He recently told Power 106:
“I’ve thought of doing that before. I thought ‘man it would be crazy if I just went off on everybody. Then everytime I rap, people are going to expect me to be confrontational– then when I’m not it’s not entertaining. It kind of puts you in a box, a little bit.
“He’ll be alright, even if [his next album] doesn’t feature any of the names he mentioned, which it probably won’t.”
Well Kendrick seemingly responded to Drake’s comments in the cypher he recently appeared in at the upcoming BET Hip Hop Awards (the awards show hasn’t aired yet, but was taped last weekend), and he took some subliminal shots at the rapper and even called him sensitive in his freestyle. He raps:
“Yeah…and nothing’s been the same since they dropped “Control”/ And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his Pajama Clothes/ Ha-ha jokes on you, high-five…..I’m bulletproof/ Your sh*ts a never penetrate, pin the tail on the donkey boy you been a fake….”
Check out a clip of the cypher obtained exclusively by All Hip Hop below:
Lmbo! Well Drake was a little too sensitive about that verse. You would think Kendrick said his momma stank or something the way he took it so personally.
Lol exactly. It was never that deep. But Drake made it that way so be it. Kendrick will demolish him on the mic.
Demolish? Demolish? Seriously? Aren’t you underestimating Drake just a little bit? If Drake were so horrible, why are people so interested in a response? Why was he named in the verse in the first place? Demolish? Wow!
I knew Kendrick was going to go off after Drake said he wouldn’t work with him anymore. I like Drake but he took things way more seriously than he needed to. This is hip hop.
Drake don’t want it with K. Dot. That’s a battle he will not win. He can’t touch Kendrick lyrically.
WHAT? Are you seriously saying that Drake ‘cannot touch’ Kendrick lyrically. “Cannot touch”? That’s just disrespectful. Cannot touch? lol! WOW! I know that K. Dot is nice. VERY nice. I know he’s winning in the game right now. His big homie is Kurupt. His team is winning… he’s a spitter… but Drake is definitely not a slouch. I’m QUITE certain that Drake can at least ‘touch’ K. Dot. I cannot believe that I’m having to defend Drake. lol!
Drake better sit down because Kendrick will embarrass him!
Embarrass? OMG… Is Drake that bad of a rapper that he would get EMBARRASSED? This is incredible. I understand giving K. Dot his propers but Drake is a beast. I SERIOUSLY doubt that he’ll get embarrassed.
LOL welp. He said no lies. Drake and Meek were the only ones who had a problem. Kendrick didn’t even say anything disrespectful either. These young dudes need to learn how to battle and not take things so seriously.
Drake will not win this one. He’s a decent rapper and I like his music, but lyrically he doesn’t have enough substance to battle Kendrick.
Drake over Kendrick’s overrated a-s any day. He really let these people blow his head up. Drake would kill him in a battle. Yeah I said it.
Overrated? Drake would kill Kendrick in a battle? There’s so many things wrong with this comment.
LMAO.
I agree with the part that Kendrick’s over-hyped! His lyrics do contain substance (I give him that) but his arrogance is annoying, especially considering he really doesn’t have any real competition in the rap game which basically puts him there by default.
Waaaaait a minute… there is no way that Kendrick is overrated. That cat is nice. He’s definitely not overrated.
Drake brought on himself saying he didn’t want to work with Kendrick anymore. That was a cowardly thing to say.
Drake doesn’t want it with Kendrick. I know he has sold more records and he’s more famous but lyrically, Kendrick has the upper hand.
Kendrick > Drake period.
Dang I hate that they are letting this verse mess up their friendship. I really think Drake is taking things way too far. He shouldn’t have ever said he didn’t want to work with Kendrick anymore. He’s acting like a spoiled brat.
Drake doesn’t want to do another song with Kendrick because he knows Kendrick will outshine him. That’s really all it is.
Riding with Kendrick on this. He’s just the better emcee in my opinion.
Kendrick has the bum a-s rappers pressed! Yes!
Look at Hip Hop coming back! We got battles and rappers actually trying to be competitive again? Yes! Thank you Kendrick!
Kendrick got this.
Kendrick’s one of my fav artists in the game right now.. But there’s no way, and I mean NO WAY he beats Drake in a battle. Drake has consistently proven himself to be in another class than his counterparts. Y’all better check his resume…
Eh, Kendrick a beast but Drake more versatile. This would be a much more even battle than people think. I’m goin with Drizzy in the end. Don’t forget what Drake did to Common
Way to go Drake his new CD should reach platinum next week
Gotta ride with Drake on this one. K. Dot is being an antagonistic bully at this point. The Control verse was hot. True. But people are going to have different reactions to it. You can’t get mad that someone doesn’t react the way that you believe they should. Now you’re calling names? Bad look.
A Drake response would do nothing for Drake’s career BUT everything it would certainly be a boon for Kendrick. Drake would be foolish to respond hastily if at all.
While I’m in my early morning mood… a bit of analysis if you please…
I enjoyed the K. Dot verse. It wasn’t groundbreaking but it was definitely hot AND it was a bit controversial. It turned the hip-hop world on it’s ear. However Drake is the ONLY rapper on that list who is CLEARLY winning more than K. Dot… Drake is the ONLY true target on that list. Notice that Kendrick didn’t respond to Cassidy, Joel Ortiz, Joe Budden, Uncle Murda, Lupe, B.O.B., Fred Da Godson, Lupe, Meek Mill or King Los. Jay Elec is super nice, no doubt. Big KRIT is a beast but no one knows who he is outside of true hip-hop heads. Drake is the only target.
That said… Drake is handling this situation absolutely correctly. Why respond right now? What’s the hurry? These are akin to the opening salvos. K. Dot did his thing… Drake acted unimpressed. That was the best thing for him to do. Behave unimpressed “WHILE” putting out ‘The Language’ to look for chinks in the armor of your opponent. This is chess, not checkers.
Now you have Kendrick putting out on the B.E.T. cypher. Essentially Drake has caused a reaction in Kendrick by not responding directly. Again, this is a wise strategy. Let the fervor die down, let Kendrick make a few mistakes then attack with force after you’ve had time to marshal your forces.
Stripping away the accolades, the imagery, the marketing, the fun back stories, even the beats, looking at JUST rhymes…. It’s a tie, at best. Both K. Dot and Drake are excellent lyricists with sublime wordplay.
If you then add the rest of that stuff back in, you’ve got a whole subset of “fans” that think having great marketing makes you fake (even though they were marketed that concept in the first place… but I’m sleep) and the other half that doesn’t care as long as you make good songs.
In all, this should be interesting.