Who really won the war between Kendrick Lamar and Drake?
5. Kendrick Lamar – Meet The Grahams
“Meet The Grahams” is creepy as f**k, especially when EbonyPrince2k24 attaches the song to his bizarre videos.
“Meet the Grahams” has this mad scientist-like beat (Courtesy of The Alchemist), with Kendrick Lamar sounding like the child of Frankenstein and Stan over it. As for lyrically, Kendrick talks directly to Drake’s family members, including his mother Sandra and his son Adonis, telling them why their father/son is a deadbeat, sissy, pedophile that needs to die (even my paraphrasing sounds harsh). Kendrick also talks directly to Drake, calling him a habitual liar who hates black women, abuses drugs, and is under the watch of the feds.
Two reasons this song made this list:
- I love how quickly Kendrick Lamar dropped it after Drake released the very effective “Family Matters.”
- This track is when Kendrick really started emptying the clip, introducing the whole pedophile claims, which I think did serious damage to Drake’s reputation.
“Meet The Grahams” definitely struck a chord with me (And it wasn’t a minor). However, it doesn’t have much replayability.
Most Scathing Line: “Your son is a sick man with sick thoughts, I think n***as like him should die.”
4. Drake – Push Ups
“What the f**k is this? 20 v 1?”
After listening to “Push Ups” at least 100 times, I’ve picked up on all its nuances. In summary, Drake shoots shots at Future, Kendrick Lamar, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross, and The Weeknd. While some shots are relatively light (like those aimed at The Weeknd or Future), others are swift (such as the “shut yo hoe ass up and make some drums” dig at Metro Boomin). However, Kendrick Lamar bears the brunt of Drake’s attacks. Throughout the song, he ridicules Kendrick’s height, shaky record deal with Top Dawg, and even his partner.
Drake undeniably dropped the coolest diss records in this feud. In “Push Ups,” he dismantled his rivals quickly and effortlessly while making us all laugh. All in all, this is a very satisfying diss record.
Most Scathing Line: “I be with some bodyguards like Whitney.”
3. Kendrick Lamar – Euphoria
“Euphoria” is the most underrated diss record on this list. It’s a f**king great track.
Once “this song “Euphoria” started playing, I literally thought it was an unreleased To Pimp A Butterfly track. It begins with a very drowsy version of Kendrick Lamar. Eventually, the song’s production, as does the Compton rapper, gets increasingly violent. He starts to toy with a fast-paced, frantic flow and shows off his signature squeaky and competitive rap voices. But y’all only care about the disses, right? Ok, let me help you out. After a few minutes of vague shots, Kendrick goes off on the 6God. He explains why he sees him and Cole as brothers but is ready to go YNW Melly on them if he has to (Reminder: YNW Melly allegedly killed his friends), why he decided to diss Drake, and how he enjoys being a bigger hater than Joel Embiid. Kendrick also mentions that he hates it when Drake acts tough, that he thinks his abs are questionable, that he doesn’t have a classic album, that he doesn’t like it when he says the N-word, that he thinks he wants to be a female rapper, that he hates women, that he thinks it’s weak that he tried to send a cease and desist to Metro Boomin for “LIKE THAT,” that he is a bad father, and that he is ready to smack his ghostwriters. Yeah, he emptied the clip.
I think this track doesn’t get the love it deserves because it feels like a PG-13 diss. If you ask me, I wish Drake and Kendrick’s beef stayed in this somewhat light tone. Instead, the s**t got uglier than the Washington Wizards season.
Most Scathing line: “I even hate when you say the word n***a.”
2. Drake – Family Matters
I actually think “Family Matters” is one of Drake’s best tracks ever.
While most rappers stick to two beat switches, Drake takes it up a notch in “FAMILY MATTERS” with three! He kicks things off over the beat from the end of “Push-Ups,” then transitions to a dark drill beat followed by a slightly soulful one. Throughout, Drake maintains a crisp delivery, experimenting with playful flows and highlighting his singing prowess. But let’s be real, what really grabs your attention isn’t how Drake raps on the track; it’s the juicy gossip he dishes out. In the song, Drake directs 75% of his disses at Kendrick, 3.50% at The Weeknd, another 3.50% at Future, 2.50% at Metro Boomin, and the remaining shots at Rick Ross and A$AP Rocky. Kendrick bears the brunt of Drake’s scathing bars, with accusations ranging from likening Kendrick Lamar to a wife-beater who raps as if he’s trying to liberate slaves to questioning the paternity of his child and hinting at marital issues, even suggesting he’s currently in New York due to relationship troubles.
This is the best track out of the feud, and I don’t think it’s close. Drake absolutely murdered three beats using three different flows. I also love how concise his words are. At the end of the day, I just don’t think it’s the best diss track on this list.
Most Scathing Line: “I think one of them lil kids might be Dave Freeeeeeeeeeee’s”
1. Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
“Not Like Us” might be the song of the year (Jesus Christ).
Have you ever danced to a song about pedophiles getting exposed? I haven’t… until now. In “Not Like Us,” over Hyphy production by DJ Mustard (whose association with the track is noteworthy), Kendrick Lamar continues to assert that Drake is involved with underage girls. Dot also takes aim at Drake’s associates, accuses him of betraying Lil Wayne by f**king on his girl while he was incarcerated, makes petty owl jokes, and calls him a culture vulture. Despite the serious allegations, the song’s upbeat vibe, catchy hook, and playful tone make it oddly lighthearted. I do think Kendrick sounds a little unhinged, though (Especially when he does the whole LA accent).
Do I believe Drake is a pedophile? No. However, there are no out-of-bounds calls in a battle, so Kendrick taking this route in “Not Like Us” is deemed effective. But the most effective thing about the track is that it morphed into a West Coast f**king anthem. How crazy is that?
Most Cringe Line: “Tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably a MINORRRRRRRRR.”
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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Kdot did
http://backinsoul.com/2024/05/17/drake-seems-to-be-winning-despite-losing-to-kendrick-lamar/