If you’re an avid lover and listener of hip-hop music, then you’re most likely aware of the rap feud that occurred throughout the second half of 2024. Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake threw several lyrical punches at one another last year, with the Compton-born artist taking the fan-verified victory before the commencement of 2025.
During his beef with Drake, Lamar made known his disdain and resentment for the Canadian rap star, sparking a movement of transparency and honesty as listeners approach the new year.
Kendrick Lamar’s Pop-Out Performance
Nationwide conditions seem to worsen as America celebrates 2025. Several tragedies and unexpected turns have already occurred within the first week, which is not yet over.
As fans gear up for the rapper’s Super Bowl halftime show performance, many take notes from his work throughout 2024. Lamar hosted a “Pop-Out” concert on Juneteenth in 2024, where he arranged a group photo with various artists, entertainers, and gang affiliates who assembled onstage as he performed his hit Drake diss “Not Like Us” five times in a row.
The 37-year-old rap master advocated for peace as he and the audience shouted the accusatory lyrics “Certified lover boy? Certified pedophile,” about Drake and his bizarre track record with younger women in the entertainment industry.
However, the Pop Out concert wasn’t necessarily about enhancing peace efforts. It was a chance for Kendrick to take a victory lap after his Drake diss topped the Billboard Music charts for weeks. Los Angeles (LA) citizens attending his performance in unity was simply a byproduct of Kendrick’s entertaining hatred for the Canadian pop icon.
Lamar’s Legendary Rap Catalog
Kendrick boasts quite the competitive hip-hop and rap catalog in the 2010s and 2020s. He’s spent much time reflecting on the ups and downs before and after achieving a level of fame he never asked for. Throughout the decades, the California lyricist struggles with morality and existentialism, allowing him to put his humanity on full auditory display for conscious rap fanatics.
From “good kid m.A.A.d city” and “To Pimp A Butterfly” to “DAMN” and “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” Kendrick has expressed his qualms with fame and fortune as his dedicated listeners begin admiring him in the same way they would idolize a powerful, untouchable figure. In each of his works, Kendrick expresses a disdain for being worshipped by fans, adamantly reminding them that he is only human.
Before the year could close, the LA rapper did a surprise release of a full-length project titled GNX. While the audience almost instantly received this work well, many questioned Kendrick’s intentions behind the piece. Most fans even struggle to agree on whether or not the project is an album or merely a mixtape to signal for an album release sometime in the first half of 2025.
As Kendrick prepares for his halftime performance at the Super Bowl, he takes some time on GNX to aggressively address other rap icons like Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. The introductory track, “wacced out murals,” seemed to serve as an opportunity for Kendrick to take shots at rappers who initially aligned with Drake during the feud. Ultimately, the Compton-made hip-hop icon is putting his hate on his sleeve as 2025 transpires.
Kendrick vs. Drake
Throughout the latter half of 2024, fans watched Drake and Kendrick go back and forth after the LA rapper passionately claimed the rap throne on Metro Boomin’s hit track “Like That.” This attack swung at Drake and J. Cole, who had lightly praised Kendrick for their collaboration, “First Person Shooter.” J. Cole responded to Kendrick in a deleted diss track, while Drake took some time to whack Kendrick and several others on his diss record “Push Ups.”
Frustrated with Kendrick’s decision to delay a reply, Drake dropped a second diss just for the LA rap star, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic the voice of Tupac (one of Kendrick’s hip-hop idols). After about a month, Kendrick finally replied to Drake’s plea for a response with “Euphoria.” He followed up immediately with “6:16 in LA,” where he exhibited an internal battle of not wanting the feud to persist but understanding why it must occur.
Although Drake dropped “Family Matters,” a well-received diss track in response to “Euphoria,” Kendrick released “Meet the Grahams” less than one hour after Drake’s response, dimming any light the Canadian rapper’s track could have earned. Shortly after, Kendrick dropped “Not Like Us,” amplifying some serious accusations he made on “Meet the Grahams.”
A Lesson From Kendrick Lamar on Embracing the Hate
Upon winning the beef with this final track and a sad attempt from Drake to take back the spotlight with “The Heart Part 6,” Kendrick would go back into the cut until November 2024. His unabridged hatred and resentment for Drake may not have been the centerpiece of “GNX.” Still, many listeners recognize his victory before its release, taking his open disdain as a sign to enter this unpredictable new year unapologetically and without vulnerability.
