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Opinion: One of the most talked about pop culture events of the past week is the very public “rap beef” between two well-known rap artists.
A “beef” in the rap world is a “feud” between rappers carried out in songs (crafted rhymes over a beat and backing music). In the released “diss tracks” (“diss” is short for “disrespect”), rappers typically attack each other’s rap prowess, authenticity, and/or masculinity.
Hip-hop itself is grounded in competitive “turf” culture over territory/space. Emerging in the streets of New York City in the 1970s, hip-hop crews battled through breakdance, graffiti artists competed over artistry and place, and MCs would battle via rapping at events (and eventually on recordings) with rhyme performances of jibes and insults. When rap emerged into the mainstream (1980s), it kept many of these grassroots elements.
Kendrick Lamar was born in 1987 and grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton. This place has already been immortalised in raps for its poverty and violence. His albums Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012) and To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) saw mainstream success, which can be measured by sales, Grammy nominations, music awards and critical acclaim. To Pimp a Butterfly was ranked 19th on Rolling Stone’s 2020 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and, in 2018, Lamar was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
Drake was born in 1986 and grew up in Toronto, Canada. He acted in a Canadian teen drama series (Degrassi: The Next Generation; 2001-2008). He moved on to music with successful albums and had hits like Started from the Bottom (2013), Hotline Bling (2015) and God’s Plan (2018). Drake has famously had other beefs, such as with Meek Mill (2015), Kanye West, and Pusha T (2018). Some of these feuds accused Drake of one of the most serious offences in the rap genre: that he might not actually write all of his own raps (ghostwriting).
Pundits trace the start of this to an October 2023 Drake track where guest J Cole asserted that the three of them were the top three rappers of the moment. In March 2024, Lamar (guesting on a Future and Metro Boomin song) raps that there’s not a “big three” … “it’s just big me”.
Drake responded, then then they both released more songs, one after the other with insults about race, authenticity and looks, as well as allegations of serious criminal activity. While the barbs of this gladiatorial event can evince entertaining winces, some commentators decry the spectacle of two talented black men publicly tearing each other down for entertainment. Others note the collateral damage of women’s and children’s bodies and pain: sex trafficking, domestic abuse, infidelity and paedophilia.
In Meet the Grahams (released May 4), Lamar raps to Drake’s son by name (“I’m sorry that man is your father”) as well as raps to, and names, Drake’s parents. In this song, Lamar alleges that Drake has a secret daughter, echoing Pusha T’s The Story of Adidon (2018), where he exposed that Drake had a secret son.
A chilling spectre that haunts folks of my age group is the East Coast versus West Coast hip-hop conflict of the mid-1990s. That gang-related competition for honour and respect ended sadly in the murders of two rap icons: The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. There have already been reports of gunshots on May 7 at one of Drake’s houses in Toronto.
For some fans this is enjoyable: fresh music with funny quips and hyperbolic banter being exchanged by two millionaires, pro wrestler-type exaggeration and swagger with spicy insinuation and rumour. With social media, fans and observers have front row seats and some ability to interact and impact.
Fandoms these days can be powerful “organisms”, for instance Swifities (Taylor Swift), the Beyhive (Beyoncé) and Army (BTS) can cause havoc for their “haters” when wanted and/or warranted. Lamar and Drake are with the same entertainment conglomerate (UMG universal), so any sales/profits end up in the same pockets. Sales are up at the moment but with these insta-releases of fresh songs, will sales go down if some of the more egregious criminal allegations are found to be true?
I’ve been told “winning” can be measured by things like who had the “deepest punch lines”; whose tracks have the most watches, likes, and reapplications (ie, using the song on other videos, reels and clips); and who has the most community backing (favourable commentaries, samples cleared, guest appearances, reposts).
To many, the winner has already emerged but the winds may shift tomorrow. As long as things do not result in physical violence, this cultural spectacle keeps us amused, a distraction from real-world wars and suffering.
Kirsten Zemke is a Pouako Matua (Senior Lecturer) in Ethnomusicology in Te Puna Mārama (School of Social Sciences) at Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland. She teaches and researches popular music exploring topics such as hip-hop, Beyoncé, and Pasifika music through the lens of race and gender.
