Hip-hop’s hottest feud just got a whole lot more interesting. Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s lyrical war has taken an unexpected turn with Drake’s latest freestyle, “Taylor Made Freestyle.” This report dives into the drama, the surprise shoutout to Taylor Swift, and what it all means for the future of the beef.
“Shoutout to Taylor Swift, biggest gangster in the music game right now, You know I move my album when she drops, she really drop a milli (first week) on your head… only person I ever move my album for”
— Drake shouts out Taylor Swift on new freestyle ✍️ PIC.TWITTER.COM/X8UY7P6FTQ
— Hip Hop All Day (@HipHopAllDayy) APRIL 20, 2024
The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which also involves J. Cole, started with Lamar’s verse on “Like That.” The verse was seen as a direct diss to Drake, sparking off a lyrical war with the hip-hop community on edge.
In a surprising move, Drake incorporated A.I.-generated vocals from Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg in his “Taylor Made Freestyle.” The artificial Shakur directly addresses Lamar, urging him to respond to the diss: “Kendrick, we need ya, the West Coast savior / Engraving your name in some hip-hop history,” raps an artificial Shakur. “Call him a bitch for me / Talk about him liking young girls as a gift for me.”
Drake then uses Snoop Dogg’s computer-generated vocals to question Lamar’s silence: “World is watching this chess game, but oh you out of moves Dot / You know that the OG never fucking doubted you / But right now it seems like you posted up without a clue / Or what the fuck you ’bout to do.”
Drake ends the freestyle with his verse, promising a more brutal diss track if Lamar doesn’t respond. Then comes the bombshell – Drake blames Lamar’s delay on the massive hype surrounding Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” He suggests that Lamar is waiting for the hype to die down before responding: “But now we gotta wait a fucking week ’cause Taylor Swift is your new Top,” he states, referencing Lamar’s former record label Top Dawg Entertainment. “And if you ’bout to drop, she gotta approve / This girl really ’bout to make you act like you not in a feud.”
Drake recently praised Taylor Swift in his song “Red Button,” which he calls influential, and he even delayed his album for her. This has led to speculation about whether Drake’s shoutout to Swift in his freestyle is a genuine show of respect or a strategic move in his feud with Lamar.
How will Taylor Swift’s success impact the rap feud? Will she become an unlikely peacemaker? Will Lamar respond to Drake’s taunts, or will the spotlight truly shift to Taylor’s new album? As the hip-hop community eagerly awaits the next move, these questions remain unanswered, leaving us wanting more.
