Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake: How Their Beef Impacts Music

Learn how Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s rivalry ignited a fiery exchange of diss tracks and trends, shaping today’s hip-hop scene.

Few rivalries in hip-hop command attention like the ongoing feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Both artists are iconic for their lyrical skill, chart-topping hits, and compelling personas, each embodying a different facet of the genre. Since their beef began in 2011, it has evolved through various stages of direct and indirect jabs, fueling intense speculation among fans and critics alike. In this article, we’ll explore the history of their rivalry and examine how it’s influencing the music industry today.

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Overview of the Beef

The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake began in 2011 when Drake invited Lamar to feature on his album Take Care. However, their relationship soured following Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s 2013 track “Control,” where he called out various rappers, including Drake. This sparked a series of indirect disses that defined their tense relationship over the next decade.

One key moment in the feud was Lamar’s fiery freestyle at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, which many interpreted as a direct challenge to Drake. In response, Drake released “The Language” on his album Nothing Was the Same, which seemed to contain subliminal digs at Lamar.

Lamar later appeared to criticize Drake’s ghostwriting controversy in “King Kunta,” while Drake’s verses on “100” and Future’s “Sh!t” appeared to target Lamar. Their rivalry then simmered for several years until Lamar recently reignited the feud with two diss tracks aimed at Drake and J. Cole’s collaboration “First Person Shooter.”

In these tracks, Lamar asserted his dominance while referencing different aspects of Drake’s career, from his involvement in HBO’s Euphoria to his time on the teen drama Degrassi. For more information about the beef’s history, check out Time’s detailed timeline and CBS News’ comprehensive analysis.

Impact on Tracks

At Viberate, we took a close look at YouTube view data to measure how this high-profile beef affected listener engagement across tracks from both Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

Individual Track Analysis

Drake — “First Person Shooter” (feat. J. Cole)

• This track is showing moderate popularity across the top 10 countries, with one-week-to-one-month view ratios ranging from 25.8% to 31.6%. The highest one-week viewership ratios are in the United Kingdom (31.6%) and Canada (30.6%).

Drake — “Push Ups”

• “Push Ups” is less trendy, with most regions observing ratios around 20%. The Philippines stands out with a ratio of 25.6%, while the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom hover around the 20% mark.

Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us”

• This track is highly trending, as all countries show identical one-week and one-month view counts, indicating its recent release and swift traction.

Drake — “Family Matters”

• “Family Matters” is extremely trending globally, with view counts over one week and one month being identical, showing that all views occurred recently.

Overall, “Not Like Us” and “Family Matters” are trending due to their recent releases, while “First Person Shooter” is moderately trending across various regions. “Push Ups” remains less popular overall.

Country-Level Analysis

United States

• “First Person Shooter” (29.7%) and “Push Ups” (20.7%) are notable. New tracks “Not Like Us” and “Family Matters” are trending.

Canada

• “First Person Shooter” (30.6%) is trending well, while “Push Ups” has a lower ratio at 20.8%. Newly released tracks are performing well.

United Kingdom

• “First Person Shooter” (31.6%) and “Push Ups” (20.2%) are performing strongly. New tracks are dominating.

South Africa

• “First Person Shooter” (25.8%) and “Push Ups” (21.4%) are trending well, while new releases dominate.

India

• “First Person Shooter” (27.8%) and “Push Ups” (21.1%) are trending, while new tracks are gaining traction.

Australia

• “First Person Shooter” (31%) and “Push Ups” (21.6%) are trending well, while new releases are popular.

Germany

• “First Person Shooter” (30.8%) is trending well, with “Push Ups” less so at 19.1%. New tracks are gaining traction.

Philippines

• “First Person Shooter” (29.4%) and “Push Ups” (25.6%) are well received, while new tracks remain dominant.

Brazil

• “First Person Shooter” (26.5%) has a consistent ratio, and new tracks are trending.

France

• New tracks are consistent in their popularity, with dominant trends emerging.

Overall, the most consistent trends across multiple tracks appear in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, and Australia.

Conclusion

The rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing stories in modern hip-hop. Despite their personal differences and lyrical jabs, their competitive dynamic continues to captivate fans globally. The recent release of diss tracks has intensified this competitive spirit, influencing listener engagement across songs like “Not Like Us,” “Family Matters,” and “First Person Shooter.”

By pushing each other to innovate and assert dominance, both artists shape the genre and captivate audiences in the process. With each diss track and subtle jab, the hip-hop community eagerly awaits their next moves, fully aware that their rivalry isn’t just shaping their music but the entire industry as well.