Kendrick Lamar has returned fire at Drake in the newest chapter of the ongoing clash of the hip-hop giants. The Californian rapper released the latest scorcher, a six-minute “Euphoria” diss record, in response to “Push Ups” and the polarizing “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which used Tupac Shakur’s AI-generated vocals.
Kendrick Lamar, on the diss song ‘Euphoria,’ takes shots at Drake for buying 2Pac’s ring, which Drake purchased at a Sotheby’s auction for $1 million.
“Somebody had told me that you got a ring, On God, I’m ready to double the wage. I’d rather do that than let a Canadian n*gga,… PIC.TWITTER.COM/EMFTJTGNJD
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) APRIL 30, 2024
”Euphoria” references the backlash from Lamar’s “Like That” verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s album, which sparked a wave of diss reactions from Drake, J. Cole, and Rick Ross. The track primarily targets Drake, with Lamar delivering a verse over a languid beat, accusing Drake of being a “scam artist” and a “master manipulator.”
“Somebody had told that you got a ring, on God, I’m ready to double the wage / I rather do that than let a Canadian n—a make Pac turn in his grave.” he raps.
The track’s middle sees him further elaborate on his position. He comments,
“This ain’t been ’bout critics, not about gimmicks, not about who the greatest / It’s always been about love and hate, now let me say I’m the biggest hater / I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk…”.
This monologue is a regular trope of ironic and playfully arrogant anticipation.
Lamar’s reaction comes over a month after “Like That,” a song that caused tremors in hip-hop after he hit “First Person Shooter” towards Drake and J. Cole for their collaboration. Within this period, J. Cole has already hit back with “7 Minute Drill,” Freestyle, which he took down from streaming services as he was not proud of and disrespected the art. Drake also has hit back with “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which he took down from social media after the Shakur family threatened to sue.
He again aims at Drake on “Euphoria,” taking a shot at him for using AI versions of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg on a since-deleted song. In the song, he asks, “Am I battlin’ ghost or AI?” He also takes other jabs at Drake, playfully using his name in different phrases, and mentions the Draco pistol.
Drake had to remove the “Taylor Made Freestyle” after Shakur’s estate sent him a cease-and-desist letter. The letter noted its “great shock and dismay” at Drake’s exploitation of Tupac’s voice and image without authorization, emphasizing that it is a grievous infringement of Tupac’s representation and the estate’s control rights. It is also said to trivialize the memory of one of the genre’s legends.
In hip-hop, where words are weapons, and one’s reputation is at stake, this sneaky art is a perfect example of the importance of authenticity. Once the smoke has cleared, onlookers will sit on their hands, eagerly anticipating their bets for the next round of lyrical chess.
