The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has finally died down (maybe), but there is still a lot to unpack regarding the disturbing claims made in each of their respective diss tracks.
At the heart of the rivalry was the complex issue of Black culture and what it means to authentically engage in it. Drake asserted that Lamar is rap’s fraudulent savior, while Kendrick insisted that Drake has commodified the meaningful art form in the most degrading way possible.
However, their most disconcerting jabs came at the cost of women. The light-hearted bars heard on “Like That” and “Push Ups” eventually transformed into petulant accusations of criminal wrongdoing. On “Family Matters,” Drake stated that Lamar physically abuses his fiancée Whitney Alford.
“When you put your hands on your girl, is it self-defense ‘cause she bigger than you?,” the Canadian emcee rapped. Kendrick retorted with shocking allegations of his own on “Meet The Grahams.” “[Drake] and (Harvey) Weinstein should” be “in a cell for the rest they life,” the “DAMN” artist said.
Kendrick also exclaimed that Drizzy “got sex offenders” on record label OVO “that he keep on a monthly allowance.” He doubled down on “Not Like Us” where he calls Drake a “certified pedophile.” On “The Heart Part 6,” Drizzy said he expected Kendrick to use “this Epstein angle” and that he’d “never look at no teenager twice.” He also reiterated that Lamar has abused Alford.
It is disappointing that women became collateral damage when the two foes tried to embarrass each other on wax. However, this tactic is one we have seen in Hip-Hop time and time again.
On “Hit ‘Em Up,” Tupac infamously stated that he slept with The Notorious B.I.G.’s then wife Faith Evans. On “Super Ugly [I Got Myself A Gun],” Jay-Z said he slept with the mother of Nas’ child and “left condoms on [his] baby-seat.”
Even Chris Brown and Quavo argued over allegedly shared romantic partners during their recent feud. Drake and Kendrick weren’t airing out each other’s dirty laundry about their alleged mistreatment of women in an attempt to better the lives of their victims.
They were being vindictive and petty, sinking as low as they could to humiliate their adversary. Drake and Kendrick weren’t breaking the mold when it comes to rap beefs — they simply employed disgusting and predictable strategies to label themselves the victor.
The women in their songs weren’t seen as people, but objects, which further illustrates a theme that hip hop needs to reckon with.