Name-dropping in hip-hop, being a world of evolution, oftentimes goes beyond just being a nod; it becomes a statement. So, culturedly, when Kendrick Lamar did a witty name-drop on André 3000 in his song “Like That,” he wasn’t adding another line; he was making the shout-out so profoundly crafted that surely it could recall the chord within the hip-hop world. Of course, it was one line—”If he walks around with that stick, it ain’t André 3K“—that hit ears hard. But no reaction to these lines was more surprising than the one of André 3000 himself.
Now 49, André 3000 has always been an artist beyond the conventional boundaries of the rap game—his work as one-half of Outkast notwithstanding. So, when he responded to Kendrick’s verse, it was with a spackling of humor and the humility of a seasoned veteran.
“As a rapper, I’ve caught myself walking around with this stick,”
André shared, alluding to the walking stick he’s been spotted with recently.
“So it was a line that was supposed to be mine, and I was looking for a way to use it. But Kendrick used it, so I had to tell him, ‘Yeah, he got it.’
This lighthearted acknowledgment of Kendrick’s wordplay was so André—an artist who is known more for his introspective, oftentimes philosophical disposition on life and music. Exterior to being a wrists-up, though, it was an insinuating reminder of the respect he commanded within the hip-hop community—the fact that Kendrick Lamar himself, one of this generation’s most influential rappers, would reference him like that speaks a lot in regard to André’s long-lasting effect.
André 3000 reacts to being name dropped in Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Like That’ verse
“As a 49-year-old rapper, you’re just happy to get a shoutout [hahahal…”
“But as a rapper, l’ve noticed myself walking around with this stick. So it was a line for me, too, and I was trying to find… pic.twitter.com/yZg2Qm8HKV
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) August 9, 2024
However, André 3000 didn’t stop there. He went on to give a broader perspective on the highly publicized Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake feud, a rivalry that’s seen many fans very entertained and has supplied millions of arguments among hip-hop lovers. Many consider these lyrical sparring matches part of the sport, but for André, it’s much more reserved and indicative of how much things have changed.
“Beef in hip-hop can be good for the sport, especially when it stays on wax and nobody gets hurt,”
André noted, with candor, that these disputes are often entertainment to a lot of fans. Though he didn’t lose a moment in cautioning where such move could lead, most especially in this music industry streak.
“I got a little sad, at a certain point”
André admitted.
“In the old days of rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. Now it’s people rapping.”
What André’s concerned about, though, is the real situation: that modern rap beefs aren’t just about upstairs/downstairs anymore; they’re about livelihoods and empires and companies that can be put at risk with these public altercations.
“You’ve got people with 100 employees employed.”. “You got livelihoods, empires, companies, deals—all of it can be at risk,”
he said.
“If you have nothing to lose then yeah, balls out. But if I’ve already accomplished that, it’s not even worth it anymore.”
It’s a nuanced perspective from an André 3000, one that performs a very invaluable function—bringing complexity to the previous discourse on arguments in rap. The exchange of blows between Kendrick and Drake has been rather amusing thus far; it turned out some chart-toppers. However, it may end up bringing overboard consequences upon these young men. This is a business where half of being cool is reputation, where one misstep can have very long tentacles into other areas of life. Yet his words are timely, for a reminder that not all battles need fighting.
