kendrick lamar
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Source: Richie Branson / Not Like Us
Are you sick of hearing “Not Like Us?” Well, that’s too damn bad because it just got more legs, thanks to a video game.
Thanks to a black video game designer, Kendrick Lamar’s infectious Drake diss will continue to be the topic of conversations, much to the ire of Champagne Papi.
On Monday, Richie Branson, who describes himself as “just a random brotha who designed games for Bleacher Report and worked for Epic Games as a game designer on a little game called Fortnite,” dropped a free game that turns the moment K.Dot wacks an owl pinata from the song’s visual into a fun video game.
In the web game, players take control of a pixel sprite version of the West Coast rapper and wop wop wop as many owls as they can with a bat.
Branson calls the game a “free love letter to video games and hip-hop,” adding, “I intentionally made the game spike in difficulty above 17, so any score 18 and above should be celebrated.”
This Diss Record Won’t Go Away
To rub more salt in Drake’s still open wound, the song featuring DJ Mustrard’s production is back in the Billboard Hot 100 this week after debuting at No. 1 in May.
Lamar is still riding the high from his “Pop Out” concert, which many have already dubbed one of Hip-Hop’s most culturally significant moments.
Meanwhile, Drake continues to post cryptic messages on Instagram, trying to give his fans and us the impression that he’s fine, but clearly, we think the brother is a bit scarred from his battle with Kendrick Lamar.
Drake, it’s okay to admit you are in the dumps now. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness.
If you want to try the game, you can head here.
2. Another one
3. Well deserved
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Dave Free, alongside Kendrick Lamar, established the pgLang creative imprint thus amicably ending a years-long connection with Top Dawg Entertainment. In a new interview, Dave Free discusses the finer parts of the pgLang business, working with Kendrick Lamar, and more.
Dave Free granted an interview to Elephant magazine, which opened by explaining his links with TDE that date back to the early 2000s. Free, now 37, was a childhood friend of Kendrick Lamar and hustled his way into the music business while assisting K-Dot in his early days.
From Elephant:
Gabe Allanoff: I know you rarely give interviews. Why did you agree to do one now?
Dave Free: I’m shedding a skin. You know what I’m saying? I’m not gonna do too much of this though, I’ll tell you that for sure. That’s not in the plans at all. And, to be honest, it’s a bit of a test for myself. Hiding out serves me well, but it’s bigger than me. I’m just trying to be a contributing player to the new age of how information is shared. I’m just trying to bring an offering.
GA: Why have you been hiding out?
DF: It fits my personality, and I’m always trying to run from hypebeast shit. I want people to know that when they hear from me, they can actually get something from it. I’m not just trying to be a yapper. I’m not trying to show up and just do a lot of yapping. It’s words with action, you know?
GA: That was my main takeaway from the newest iteration of the pgLang website: you only use action words—no descriptors, no adverbs, no adjectives.
DF: Yup, just a timeline. That’s the “no-yapping” rule we have around here. We don’t do the yapping. Ain’t got time for all that yapping.
The entire chat is especially candid and Dave Free doesn’t pull any punches but maintains the mystery that seemingly served him well in his career. Check it out as it’s a great read.
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Photo: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty
With a simple, yet wildly effective couplet — “Just love me/ I wanna be with you, ayy” – Zacari and Kendrick Lamar crafted a generational love anthem. Aptly titled “Love,” the heart-melting duet served as the third and final single from Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN. LP, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and launching Zacari into the mainstream spotlight.
A guest appearance on a hit single from one of the most important albums of the 2010s would normally kickstart a grueling campaign to solidify solo stardom – but Zacari didn’t rush out his first LP. In fact, the 30-year-old, Bakersfield-bred multi-instrumentalist took over seven years to craft Bliss, his official debut solo studio album. “When I look back on my career now over the seven years, all I knew was that I wanted to find this sound for my album and it took [a lot of] time,” he remarks.
In the time between “Love” and Bliss, Zacari has remained musically active, dropping a pair of EPs – 2019’s Run Wild Run Free and 2021’s Sol – and a slew of collaborations, including link-ups with James Fauntleroy, Blxst and Denzel Curry. And although he had already appeared on records from several TDE artists – including close friend Ab-Soul – the indie label officially announced Zacari’s signing in early 2019. Now on the same roster as cultural phenoms like SZA and (previously) Lamar, Zacari spent the past few years soaking up as much knowledge as he could.
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“These artists like Kendrick and SZA are real prophets,” Zacari muses from Encino, CA, via Zoom. “If I can even reach a fraction of the people they reach, I’m happy.”
In opting for a longer road to his debut album, Zacari arrives at Bliss with not only an interconnected catalog of other projects, but also with a fully realized iteration of his sound. The reflective R&B energy of “Love” anchors the LP, but Zacari juxtaposes those murky synths against raucous rock-leaning guitars, unexpected forays into rap and successful stabs at club records. With his versatility on full display, Zacari has delivered a record that makes the seven-year wait feel worth it.
“When [we] go in these meetings for playlists, we don’t know what to play,” he notes. “I try my best to not even think about that, and just make what I want to make and what feels right to me.”
In an expansive conversation with Billboard, Zacari opens up about the making of Bliss, what he’s learned from his TDE labelmates, how A24 movies inspired his visuals and the hilarious story of his first interaction with Skrillex.
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It’s been over seven years since your voice captivated millions of people on “Love” from Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. Album. Where’s your head out right now a couple years removed from the peak of that song’s popularity?
Man, I was so thankful for that song to this day, because it put me in the position where I could be able to take my time with music. Even being around Kendrick, aside from making that specific song, he allowed me to be around the studio for years to watch him create albums. ScHoolboy Q too. Being around [them in] the studio was like, Okay I see how much time and effort and work they put in. I [was] so new to this [that] I just soaked up everything.
Does it really feel like seven years since “Love?”
It comes in waves where you’re patient and you’re impatient and [then] you’re frustrated and then you’re like, Damn, this is why it took so long. When I listen to the music, I’m thankful for how long I took on it and I’m also thankful for the features that have carried me over the years and the smaller projects that I’ve dropped. That’s what’s taking the pressure off me trying to rush out a first album. Even nowadays [with] how people are consuming [music,] people aren’t too pressed about receiving albums.
I spoke to SiR about his new album earlier this year, and he was talking about the TDE mindset of “we come when we’re ready.” Did you have to adjust to that way of thinking at all, or was that your vibe?
I think I had to adjust to that mindset a little bit, because when [TDE co-president Anthony “Moosa” Tiffith, Jr.] first found me, I was just dropping music on SoundCloud and it’s such a different feeling. When you’re in the room with these people like Kendrick and ScHoolboy, and they have their track record of albums and you’re watching them do it, [you see] what it really takes. It’s super important for the quality to not only be in the sound, but [also] in the writing and introspectiveness. Your pen is going to grow, you’re going to experience more things, and then you have to learn how to put them out in in the right way. I think that’s what takes time.
I think there’s moments when you just go in and make whatever you feel, but I think there’s still an important art element to an album where there’s a concept it’s put together as a whole. I think it’s a different category than a mixtape or a single. It’s like a movie. You’re writing a whole movie rather than putting a bunch of good songs together.
Over the past six years, did the album’s concept change in any significant way?
It really changed with me. I have high highs; I have low lows. I went through relationships, so there’s love songs in there. And then I fell out of a relationship over these years. Things with my faith and lifestyle changed too. Each song that I’ve collected over the years for [this] album comes from a place in my life over the past seven years. I feel like every song on my album has to have come from a real place or it doesn’t even connect with me.
I think “Ave Maria” is one of those is where it was about my faith journey. “Trust Is” is a big one [about] the relationship. I knew one day we were gonna break up, but it’s not going to be today. This was years before it happened, but I wrote that song when I kind of knew. There’s moments all over the album like that.
Who from TDE have you learned the most from since signing?
I learned so much from everybody, but I would definitely have to say [Ab-] Soul. Before I even signed to TDE, I was living with him in the same crib for a year, thanks to Moosa. When I was first around him, I was pretty new to LA and his way of thinking blew my mind so much. It was hard for me to even understand… even his spiritual awareness is on a different level. His knowledge of everything is on a different level.
I remember Lupe Fiasco visited one time and they had a conversation together, and I couldn’t even understand what they were talking about. It felt like they were rapping to each other in conversation, it was insane. Soul has always been there for me as far as reminding me to be myself and stick with my own tone and not [get too concerned with] what other people are doing. Having him on my outro too, I’ve listened to that verse for years on my own to help me get through things. The way he’s talking about the cycle of life and how to keep hope, I think he really helped me bring this album back to the light.
There was a time I sent him a song – it might have been “Nocturnal” or one of the darker songs – and he was like, How are you gonna bring this to the light, though? He never let me leave anything too dark.
You grow up singing in church. Are there any moments on this album where you feel like your cultural background in general really shines through?
The core intention of everything I make comes from growing up in the church, making music there. I [found] out that I actually loved music when I was playing for my church. I think growing up and seeing the power in performing and what it can do for others and healing myself… that put a life mission in me. From [childhood,] I was connecting with [and] healing people through music. I think that’s what happened with this album. You can get distracted from that sometimes, but that’s why it’s [the] whole journey through this album is losing yourself and finding yourself and asking questions and bringing it back to yourself.
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I love the mix of rock and R&B on “Truth Is.” Talk to me about how that track came together.
That song has traveled. That’s one of the older ones too, probably had that for like four or five years. I remember I started this with [Teddy Walton and Aaron Bow] at an Airbnb one night. I had that version for probably two ears, and then we found out the keys got used on a different beat or something. Years later, I was in this session with Skrillex and he replaced all the keys for me on my laptop. He replayed them all.
So, we got Skrillex and Teddy on that beat, and then the switch up was something Aaron was making and I was like, Bro, that just fits, so I just threw it at the end of it. If I would have just made that two years ago and dropped it, it wouldn’t have been nearly as incredible as it is today. That’s a good example of a three-year wait being worth it for one song.
What was it like working with Skrillex?
Man, that’s one of the more beautiful, brighter times of the pandemic was. Rex Kudo has been such a good person and an incredible producer. He’s mentored by Rick Rubin, so over pandemic, when the studios were closed, he kind of let us stay. We were working at Shangri-La over at Rick Rubin’s spot, and Rex would bring Skrillex through.
I pulled to the studio and there’s ten people in the room. They’re all asleep on the couches and the floors of the studio, and I got there at like 2:00 a.m. after another session. So, I just start recording stuff and this fool Skrillex wakes up from his sleep, and he’s like, “I believe in you,” and went back to sleep.
It’s hilarious, but we connected from that day on. When he woke up in the morning, we were making beats on my laptop. Super cool guy, I’m thankful to meet those types of people in the industry who are so embracing and welcoming and inspiring.
He’s a beast on Ableton too, so I learned a lot from him. The stuff he did on “Truth Is,” he literally didn’t even get on his laptop. He just came to my laptop and created the sounds from scratch. His sound design is on a different level. He can make a bass out of just the synth note.
How did the Doechii record, “No Judgement,” come together?
I had that hook for probably two years. I really wanted a more club record. This was around the time though she was first coming around TDE, and she blew me away. Honestly, when I first met her and heard her music, I was like, Holy s—t, she’s crazy. She came through on the verse on that one, just set the whole tone. That switch-up at the end wasn’t on the beat until she did her verse. I kind of produced the whole switch-up around her acapella. She changed the whole direction of the song.
You’ve previously mentioned SZA as a dream collaborator. Who else is on that list?
That would be amazing, but she is so busy. And she’s such an artist where it has to happen organically. We’ve done sessions and hung out. But that’s my real friend, I don’t ever want to like [get in the way of that.]
One of the biggest artists I want to work with is Yung Lean. [I’ve] always wanted to do a song with A$AP Rocky. I’ve always loved the psychedelic-ness of his music in the hip hop space.
As your fanbase has grown over time, do you feel like there’s a struggle between keeping them pleased and making what feels right to you?
Yeah, I think there was a time when I [didn’t] care what anybody thinks, but when I look at my fans and everything they’ve done for me, I want to make sure I’m still hearing what they want to hear and at least understanding and being aware of it. I still want to give them things they want. I feel like it’s about finding that balance. That’s what artists like Kendrick mastered with the DAMN. album, his balance of all these concepts and deep ideas with a space where everybody can love them.
The intention has always been to connect with people, so I don’t think you can be deaf to what people want from you.
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You’re opening for SiR on tour this year. What are you most excited for?
I’m so excited. I [have] performed some of this music, but I really haven’t put together a live set for this thing yet. I’m hoping to get it at least a two-piece band where I have a key and bass player DJing for me and I have a drummer. We’re supposed to start rehearsals pretty soon. It’s gonna be fun to put together, because I do production and sound design and things like that too. I’m just excited to get up and sing. Performing is probably my favorite part of all of this.
What are some of your favorite performances?
My favorite performance I’ve done to date was Day N Vegas. That was right before the pandemic, we were starting to do all the festivals, but that was one of my favorite.
[Also] just growing up in the and playing for church. I go back home, and my mom is in a bunch of bands too, so I’ll perform with her just in random places in Bakersfield sometimes. Live music has been a big part of my life.
Who are some of your biggest influences when it comes to live performance?
My mom, bro. My mom is in more bands [and] doing more gigs than me right in Bakersfield. She’s going crazy right now. She’s practicing every day, and I need to be where she is! She’s actually locked in.
Speaking of the pandemic, how did that impact your relationship with music and your career?
That was a rough time. I was in a relationship that ended during pandemic, So that inspired a lot of the of the stuff I would be writing about. [Everything] slowed everything down career-wise too. I was just starting new festivals and we [were] going to start dropping music. I really had to go back into myself and figure out what I want this to do, but I also didn’t feel as rushed anymore because the whole world slowed down. It wasn’t just me.
The pandemic changed the whole trajectory of my life, honestly. I haven’t felt the same since then.
Do you want to go back to who you were before? Are there parts of that person that you want to go back to?
I want to grow past that anxiety that I built. I feel like I never [overthought] things as much as I did until you’re just trapped in a house for years. It was hard to get out of that. But this year has been great for me, I got my brother with me too. He moved in with me. I’m excited for the future.
What are your biggest hopes for Bliss?
I’m most excited to really connect with more people with this music that I’ve had for so long on my own. No matter how far it goes or where it goes, I just want to be able to connect with more people. I got this message from a kid around the time that I dropped my EP, and he was talking about how my music kept him from committing suicide. I felt like, Damn, whatever I make after this could go anywhere. One person’s life has been saved [by my music.] My hope is for this album to help people through things [and] remind them they’re not alone.
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How do you view Bliss in relation to your Run Wild Run Free (2019) and Sol (2021) EPs?
Run Wild Run Free was [the] brighter side of loneliness. This [album] is where I go through some revelations and darker times and even darker thoughts. Run Wild Run Free is the daytime, and this is the journey through the night.
The whole theme for it is an eclipse too. In the visuals, if you look at Sol as the sun, that four-song EP, it’s like what is blocking the sun? It’s about making it through that. It was all premeditated.
Talk to me some more about the visual world you want to create for this record. Where are you drawing your influences from?
We were just shooting yesterday, like a 14-hour shoot. The eclipse is one of the biggest themes of the album. We still have the wolf. The wolf has always been a big theme.
We’re working on this short film, it’s probably seven or eight minutes. It’s a trailer with the music sprinkled throughout. We have music videos ready too. We’re just making sure we get all the visuals ready before we drop.
I really love psycho thrillers. I love A24. Old Korean films are really good too, that has helped me a lot visually. Rocky’s visuals too; I feel like he’s one of the goats when it comes to visual concepts too. I really like Travis [Scott’s] Utopia short film. I was surprised by that, it was really sick the way they did that.
What’s your favorite A24 movie?
Hereditary — that was the one that put me on.
Did you watch Midsommar?
Oh, I forgot about that one! I remember I rented an Airbnb and the people had all the Midsommar stuff. They had the pole, and we worked on the album there. We watched [the movie] too. I liked how dark of a movie it was, but it’s just in the sunlight, bro. Hella in your face. We ran the cables through a window so we could record acoustic guitar over the river. that was like probably a year or two ago.
Are you a big outdoors guy?
I love hiking. I used to work In Alaska as a fly-fishing guide. I love riding bikes, I’ve been active since I was a kid. I love martial arts as well. I was all over the place as a kid. I’d go to school, then [I had] tap dance, gymnastics, singing, playing for the church, jazz band, etc.
What else do you have planned for fans this year?
The biggest goals of the year [is] to go on tour, so that is what I’m most excited for. I’m so excited to get on the road and get some time out of LA for a little bit and get out of the crib. And dropping more music, man. Once this album’s out, I’m getting really excited to be able to start [the] next one with the slate.
I want to [drop] more loosies or just singles. My second album will probably take about two years, [but] I want to drop more consistently in between.
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There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to the “Not Like Us” wave. DeMar DeRozan has explained his cameo in the video.
As reported by Hype Beast the Sacramento Kings shooting guard recently paid a visit to Fox 40. During his conversation with Sean Cunningham he discussed joining the team after being traded from the Toronto Raptors. He made it clear that he is here to win. “I want to be one of those guys that hits the beam,” he said. “I will work my butt off more than ever to make sure the city gets what it deserves. I just want to win at the highest levels.”
While the focus of the interview was his future with the team he did speak to why he briefly appeared in the “Not Like Us” video. “Kendrick been a friend of mine, family — damn near family, for a long time, for a while. We’re from the same city, we grew up damn near in the same neighborhood,” DeRozan said. “So it’s always been there. It hasn’t always been publicized, but, you know, that’s basically family.” Even though he seemingly has a strong bond with K Dot he says Drake’s music will still airplay at the Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center. “We love Drake. We love Drake. We can always play him” he said.
You can watch DeMar Derozan’s interview below.
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Source: @aldreday courtesy of @hiphopwired / A.L. Dre | iOne Digital
The spirit of competition has always fed the beast that is Hip-Hop. Not just anyone could set up a sound system, plug into a streetlight and DJ for the block party.
The streets had to be with you (or else, you’d be risking robbery or bodily harm). Same goes for the rappers who would soon enough come to the forefront. Sure, you might have been friends with the DJ, but the crowd would expeditiouslymake it clear if that alley-oop was either adept curation or “you might want to give up the mic before you get really booed, or jumped” folly. This hierarchy, along with the human propensity for misguided dislike or “hating,” meant that “beef” has long been intrinsic to Hip-Hop’s DNA. Whether for the sake of getting your own time in the spotlight or just letting the listeners know why you’re the better option, the thin line between a friendly feud and cold-blooded animus has always been there.
At its worst, the bitter rivalries led to spilled blood, even homicide (rest in powerful peace Tupac and Biggie). But at its best, which is more common, it spurned innovation and timeless records. Beef has permeated Hip-Hop throughout its 50 years and going life, as covered in By The Numbers: How Rap Beef Affects the Culture and has moved the culture, as noted in It’s What’s For Hip-Hop: 9 Rap Beefs That Shifted Hip-Hop Culture. Also, the tour de force that is Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” makes it clear Hip-Hop will always have an appetite for well-crafted and no holds barred battle.
Back in the early 1990s, before the Internet, artist André LeRoy “A.L. Dre” Davis cooked up a artistic depiction of one of Hip-Hop most infamous if now forgotten beefs—KRS-One vs. PM Dawn. The story goes The Teacha stepped to PM Dawn’s Prince B at a now-shuttered venue in NYC called Sound Factory, and it ended badly for the “Set Adrift” rapper. There were no cell phone cameras in the building 30 or so years ago, so Dre artfully recreated what allegedly went down for The Source magazine, and the rest is history.
So we felt it would be dope to use A.L. Dre’s artwork, with his permission of course, to flip a homage to Hip-Hop for Hip-Hop Wired’s first-ever digital cover. The assignment was understood and executed to perfection.
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As expected, Kendrick Lamar dropped the video for his megaton bomb of a diss track, “Not Like Us.” Directed by K. Dot and his homie Dave Free, the visual will certainly give the certified bop more life, and has inspired all types of slanderous jokes.
Initially, K. Dot kicks things off with some fresh bars.
As for the video, it’s very Compton with all types of Crips and Bloods having a good time, krump dancers getting busy and nourishing, peaceful Los Angelese sunshine. And yes, that is NBA star DeMar DeRozan in the video. Yep, that’s Kendrick’s wife Whitney and their kids all joyfully dancing with each order. And of course, the OVHoe pinata caught a proper fade.
Also, Kendrick was even doing push ups, which is one one example of how the whole visual runs like a troll at Drake’s expense. But then Kendrick took it to another level with a caged owl at the end of the clip. We trust the owl is fine.
Lastly, let’s not forget that Kendrick Lamar had his Pop Out concert on Juneteenth, then dropped this video on July 4th. That man is dastardly and we don’t ever want the smoke.
Peep the jokes in the gallery, and the full video below.
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Kendrick Lamar just threw gasoline on the simmering flames of his feud with Drake, sending fans into a frenzy with a series of explosive teaser photos from the set of his upcoming “Not Like Us” music video.
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The track, a blistering diss aimed at the 6 God, has been a juggernaut since its release, skyrocketing to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating the cultural conversation.
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Anticipation for the video reached a fever pitch following K. Dot’s Juneteenth concert at The Forum on June 19, The Pop Out – Ken & Friends, where he performed “Not Like Us” a staggering five times in a row.
The 18-track set also featured guest appearances from Kendrick’s Black Hippy crewmates and his longtime industry mentor Dr. Dre.
Among the images causing the biggest stir is a shot of Kendrick obliterating an owl piñata, a not-so-subtle jab at Drake’s OVO brand.
The photo, cheekily captioned “DISCLAIMER: NO OVHOES WERE HARMED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS VIDEO,” set social media ablaze with excitement over the music video’s contents and the escalating tensions between these two rap titans.
But it’s not all barbs and bravado.
Another snap shared offers a rare glimpse into Kendrick’s personal life, showing the Compton native posing alongside his longtime partner Whitney Alford and their two children. The tender family moment suggests that the video may offer a more multifaceted look at the rapper, balancing its hard-hitting disses with an intimate portrait of the man behind the mic.
Shot on location in Kendrick’s hometown of Compton, Ca., the “Not Like Us” video looks to continue with the authentic, gritty aesthetic that has become synonymous with the rapper’s celebrated body of work.
While the exact release date remains under wraps, one thing is certain: the cultural impact of this video is bound to be seismic.
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Kendrick Lamar and Killer Mike were among the winners at the 2024 BET Awards while Usher took the stage in a standout moment.
On Sunday night (June 30), the 2024 BET Awards took place in front of a packed house at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The night, hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson, was a star-studded affair that saw some of the biggest Black personalities in entertainment take home awards. R&B superstar Usher being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award was the key highlight of the four-hour show, which also saw him take home the award for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.
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Usher took the stage to receive the award after a medley performance of his greatest hits from artists including Childish Gambino, Summer Walker, Keke Palmer, Victoria Monét, and Teyana Taylor with Latto closing it out with her version of Ludacris’ verse on “Yeah!”. L.A. Reid and Babyface presented the award to Usher, who began his speech by saying: Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it. This life achievement award, I don’t know man. Is it too early for me to receive it? Because I’m still running and gunning and still love this s—t like I was eight years old.”
Kendrick Lamar took home the award for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, beating out Drake as his “Not Like Us” song served as the opening of the show as Henson rapped an interpretation dressed as the Compton artist was on his “Pop Out” concert. Nicki Minaj secured the award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, and Killah Mike got the major award of the night by winning Album of The Year for his recent release, Michael. The Atlanta rapper stirred the crowd with his acceptance speech.
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The rest of the evening also featured energizing performances from Megan Thee Stallion, who appeared at the BET Awards for the first time in three years while Victoria Monét thrilled the crowd with her set featuring her hit “On My Mama” and her new single “Alright”. The new wave of women rappers also took the stage, with GloRilla descending from the roof in a parachute to kick her set off. Sexxy Red also performed a medley of her hits, while Ice Spice gave the audience a preview of her upcoming Y2K album with a quick set.
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There is a thin line between competition and conflict and in the ever-evolving landscape of Rap and Hip-Hop, all it takes is a few words or actions to tilt the scale towards beef.
At their best, the beefs gave us quotables and songs that have become a part of our cultural catalogue from KRS-One’s iconic lines on “The Bridge is Over” or Jay-Z’s jab at Nas’ iconic song “The World is Mine” on “Takeover.” At their worst, the beefs led to violent interactions that served as warnings for the future (rest in powerful peace Tupac Shakur, Christopher Wallace and too many more).
Whether you rooted for the underdog or cheered for the villain, here is a list of nine Hip-Hop beefs that altered the way we listened to the culture’s music to this day.
9. Kool Moe Dee and LL Cool J
Considered by many as one of the first instances of rap beef, the two’s feud not only produced some of the biggest rap moments (Kool Moe Dee’s rap Grammy performance and LL’s Jack the Ripper series), but also set a precedent of using rap disses to enlarge both stars’ brand. For LL, he’d become one of rap’s earliest commercial successes, leading the line of success and respect into the 90s and beyond. His rise also foreshadowed a theme with the pioneer’s anger with younger MC’s who felt slighted by the next generation’s hubris.
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8. Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown
Kim’s ascent into rap in 1996 alongside the Notorious B.I.G. and Junior Mafia brought a new aesthetic for female rappers as she embraced a more sexual and aggressive energy. Unfortunately, competition between her and fellow Brooklyn rapper Foxy Brown became inevitable as the two traded words over the years on various songs including Kim’s verse on Lil Cease’s 1999 song, “Play Around,” “The Notorious Kim”, and Mobb Deep’s “Quiet Storm Remix”. Foxy’s venomous verse on “Bang Bang” proved prophetic, and the violence and residual tension that followed over the years make it one of rap’s most memorable beefs.
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7. Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy
For these two southern MC’s who have since gone on to rectify their differences, their dispute over Gucci’s first commercial record, “So Icy,” ushered in a flurry of diss records back and forth that escalated to alleged violence off the records. Unfortunately, their antics and the energy behind it ushered in a new dimension of dissing enemies, encapsulated by Gucci’s gesture of smoking on the remains of an enemy, a move he’s since condemned.
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6. LL Cool J and Canibus
For Canibus, the rising phenom in rap at the time, being featured on a song with someone as accomplished as LL Cool J was an honor. His initial verse on the posse cut, “4,3,2,1,” however innocent, prompted LL’s furious response, and the records that followed only made LL’s battle rap status grow larger. Canibus’ “Second Round KO” and L’s “The Ripper Strikes Back” also introduced whether fans preferred battle records from overtly lyrical rappers or more commercially renowned artists.
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5. 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.
Largely remembered for the shocking claims made by 2Pac against Biggie on the song “Hit Em Up”, the primarily one-sided beef spurred a slew of responses from Biggie and others, both directly and subliminally which fueled the environment that led to their untimely deaths. The behind-the-scenes antics between Bad Boy Records and Death Row only exacerbated the tension and forced former friends to cross all types of lines that rap had yet to see before then.
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4. Jay-Z and Nas
After years of tension and perceived disrespect, Jay-Z and Nas’ early 2000s beef produced two of rap’s biggest diss records, “Takeover” and “Ether,” and simultaneously added to both stars’ classic repertoire of albums and songs. Despite the propensity for violence that existed, both men’s decisions to end their issue and work together represented a rare display of maturity, unlike anything we’d seen at that time for stars of their magnitude.
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3. Ja Rule and 50 Cent
Arguably one of the most influential rap beefs of the early 2000s, 50 Cent’s and Ja’s behind-the-scenes issues spilt onto the national stage when 50 attacked Ja multiple times on his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. 50’s unrelenting vendetta against Ja and Murder Inc. successfully made him a legend in many eyes and all but erased the stellar run of one of rap’s most influential and successful rap labels. Despite both artists moving on to different endeavours, the beef between them remains one of rap’s most noticeable land mines, going off at least once a year on social media without fail.
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2. Ice Cube and N.W.A
In the eyes of many rap fans including Cube himself, his 1991 diss response “No Vaseline” is arguably the most known and well-crafted. Before rap fans became accustomed to the idea of a 20 v 1 type battle, Cube took it upon himself to diss his former group N.W.A singlehandedly, so much so that they decided not to respond. At the top of his game both critically and commercially, his diss carried the same weight as Jay-Z and Nas with a level of sophistication and execution that has yet to be reached by a diss record since.
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1. Kendrick Lamar and Drake
Much like how Jay-Z and Nas’ beef festered over the years before exploding onto the scene, Kendrick and Drake’s feud following his verse on Big Sean’s “Control” grew, culminating in years of subliminal jabs. Kendrick’s feature on the Future and Metro Boomin’ single, “Like That” forced both sides into the competition and from there, we got more rap disses in a week than we’d ever seen from two competitors. The speed of their releases, rollout strategies and cleverness upped the ante for rap feuds that typically played out over time and showed us the lyrical brilliance of both camps regardless of who you felt was the victor.
Culturally, the response to Kendrick’s song, “Not Like Us” both online and during Kendrick’s Juneteenth concert, continues the communal call-and-response aspect of rap disses that we’ve loved since its inception. In a short amount of time Not Like Us has become a rap anthem and one of the year’s most streamed songs, much like Drake’s Back to Back became a Grammy-nominated song.
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HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Amazon Music / Amazon Music
When Biggie Smalls asked, “What’s Beef?” he posed the question at the height of the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry, which would ultimately result in the death of the Brooklyn MC—as well as Tupac Shakur.
But, does beef always have to end in death? Most Hip-Hop fans would hope not. The very nature of the culture is competitive, and rivalries can be thrilling and entertaining when they stay on wax.
The recent rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has been one of those quarrels that has reenergized the culture and entertained Hip-Hop fans in a way not seen in years.
SlotsUp online casino and Media Lab Insights recently prepared and shared statistics that detail the legacy of rap beef—by breaking the statistics and songs into eras which are marked by a major event.
“These timelines were used to better understand the development of conflicts, success, and the demand for performance in the hip-hop industry,” the report notes. “Their comparison is focused on three main points: the technical aspect (the average tempo of the tracks (which can be calculated by the amount of bars, and the length), the profitability (the amount of platinum albums), and the risks involved (death rate).”
Researchers at SlotsUp commented on the study. “Until our current era, the more beef was around, the more successful the artists were. Our current era is going against this pattern, with the same amount of deaths and diss tracks as the first era, but with more platinum albums. Over the years, Hip-Hop became less technically demanding, especially after 2004. This study shows that conflicts aren’t always profitable, and violence can be avoided.”
The first era was marked by what the researchers called “The Roxanne Wars” in the mid-1980s. Two of the most significant songs were “Roxanne, Roxanne” and “Roxanne’s Revenge.” However, cultural commentators say that there were up to 30 songs related to the beef. The only major death to come out of that era was Scott La Rock—whose murder has not been directly attributed to the beef. The clear winner of this battle was Roxanne Shante, who went on to a lengthy career and is credited as one of the foundational female MC’s.
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The second era was one of the most deadly. Lasting from 1992 to 1997, the beef sparked the true rise of the diss track. The research shows that diss tracks and deaths more than doubled while platinum albums skyrocketed to 35. The era saw 10 deaths, with three being the most prominent—Eazy E, 2Pac, and The Notorious B.I.G. The winner of this era could be seen as the recently disgraced Sean “Diddy” Combs as his Bad Boy imprint saw some of its biggest success following the death of B.I.G. This era also marked Hip-Hop’s biggest foray into the pop genre with an increase in record sales that would last for more than a decade—before the proliferation of streaming.
The third era, lasting from 1998-2004, featured the beef between Jay-Z and Nas. This era was also the most financially successful with more than 50 platinum albums. “Eminem was significant in this era,” as the study shows that the Detroit rapper released nine diss tracks. The winner of this era continues to be debated. However, the culture benefited from the end of the beef with Jay and Nas making several concert appearances together.
Source: Bethany Mollenkof / Getty
The fourth era: 2005-2008, is one largely of peace—kicked off by the end of the beef between Jay-Z and Nas—two New York rap titans. Also worth noting is the average length of rap songs would begin to get shorter with many getting under the 4-minute mark. The fifth era from 2009-2012, was marked by the release of Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. It would be the second era that Eminem would be involved in numerous beefs including with Benzino and Mariah Carey. It was during this era that beef would escalate in southern states with one significant death being that of Slim Dunkin.
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Era number six was from 2013 to 2019. The most significant beef was between Drake and Meek Mill. However, the two would eventually collaborate (again, since they were cool prior to Meek’s Twitter fingers) on “Going Bad.” This era is also marked by continued financial success with more than 40 platinum albums. The murder of Nipsey Hussle would mark the end of this era.
Our current era began with the coronavirus pandemic, which affected the entire world but also highlighted the significance of “beef,” with the good-natured but often tense musical battles as part of the Verzuz series. But without question, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” is thus far the most powerful diss song of the era—but whether or not it’s over is still up for debate, and Drake. Fortunately, K. Dot did his victory lap by bringing gang members together on one stage as a show of unity at the conclusion of his pop out concert on Juneteenth.