Kendrick Lamar: the rap prophet, born of Compton; and the tease of a name in the world of hip-hop that has just released a new track entitled “Euphoria“. This is not your regular tune, as it before all else fluctuates with condemnation, a gigantic mic-drop pointed at the best proprietors in hip-hop. The track became a cultural moment, diminishing reputations, reanimating old feuds, and inciting an industry-wide debate.
In “Euphoria,” Lamar, a master of razor-sharp wordplay and societal observations, pulls no punches. He goes after big names in the industry, like Drake, Pusha T, Gunna, J. Cole, with intricate lyrical jabs that tear apart their careers and past beefs. But his swiped at Drake may be his sharpest, resuming their tension-riddled feud while attacking Drake’s Achilles heel of authenticity.
Pusha T reacts to being name-dropped in Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss ‘euphoria’ 👀
“Incredible. Incredible display of battle raps. ” PIC.TWITTER.COM/OUZUBANPF5
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) JUNE 19, 2024
But I think the most provocative target is Pusha T, the smolder that Lamar never actually name checks, but rather references repeatedly as a sort of breadcrumb trail to his 2018 feud with Drake. Pusha T just dropped a nuclear bomb on hip-hop with The Story of Adidon digging up personal gossip about Drake that reverberated through the industry. Lamar takes a playful jab at this race in “The Blacker the Berry” and winks sarcastically at the conflict that still simmers beneath modern society.
Certainly, the same fervor with which the hip-hop community has reacted to Euphoria. In a nod to the track on which his name appears, Gunna has also fired back with some unkind words about Cole. Meanwhile, Pusha T has kept things especially cryptic. After the song’s release, he tweeted, “Not a pinky nail” with a side-eye emoji. Short but sweet, the message is an immediate indication that Push is not oblivious to the gauntlet thrown and is priming himself for a lyrical coup. Still, it leaves fans wanting a little more of an answer.
But beyond the immediate drama, “Euphoria” explores questions and themes as old as hip-hop culture itself loyalty, rivalry and the never-ending quest for respect. While Lamar’s track does reignite old beefs, it also started a discussion about the nature of these feuds and the purposelessness of diss tracks in moving these artists and the genre forward as a whole. It serves as a stark reminder of the nuanced relationships and the historical oppression that have reverberated throughout the ever-changing ever-iterating microcosm that is rap music.
Euphoria represents the latest chapter in hip-hop’s ongoing war of the worlds. Not only did Lamar’s lyrics reignite a flame, but also a spark of new life into these antiquated topics. Two dissections since and the dust finally clears and one thing is clear: “Euphoria” cannot be denied. This has once again opened up discourses surrounding the importance of authenticity, respect and lyrical warfare. Will any of the artists know they are the ones being targeted? Or is the beef going death row and waited to marinate to see the next diss track explosion? Time will tell, but one thing’s for certain: Kendrick Lamar just poured gasoline on the flames and hip-hop as a whole is anxiously waiting to see what this lyrical beef has for the next chapter.
