The rap world has always been a circus of high-profile beefs, but the ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has escalated to new heights of pettiness, making it the reality TV of hip-hop. While Kendrick celebrated his “victory” with a lavish West Coast party and a music video shoot, Drake has been busy perfecting the art of throwing shade. Think Instagram stories laced with more venom than a viper and cryptic comments on live streams that make you go, “Wait, what?”
Recently, during a Trainwrecktv Kick stream, Drake just couldn’t keep his shade under wraps. He allegedly typed in the chat, “hey pragmatic can we take it back to 2022… can you backdoor Eddie like Spotify backdoored the streams for that one song from that one guy.” Translation: “Hey Kendrick, remember that track ‘Not Like Us’? Yeah, I’m still salty.” Drake’s fans have been waving the bot-flag, claiming Kendrick’s track only climbed the charts thanks to an army of fake streams.
Despite the accusations, “Not Like Us” keeps dominating the Apple Music charts, where supposedly bots are as mythical as unicorns. This controversy begs the question: Do these fake stream accusations hold any water, or are they just a smokescreen for the actual talent? Most industry experts agree that while botting is annoying, it hasn’t magically turned flop songs into chart-toppers. Both Kendrick and Drake’s tracks would’ve likely made it big with or without the alleged digital tomfoolery. Still, this fake stream drama adds another juicy layer to the never-ending saga of Drake vs. Kendrick.
Interestingly, Drake has been dropping new tracks that even his haters admit are fire, yet he still seems unsatisfied. Maybe the bitter taste of unresolved beef fuels his social media theatrics. Meanwhile, Kendrick stays as mysterious as a hip-hop Yoda, with album rumors swirling and keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
So, what’s next? Will new releases from either artist reignite the botting controversy, or will it eventually fizzle out like last year’s meme? One thing’s for sure: the rap community won’t forget this beef anytime soon, bots or no bots.
As the industry evolves, so too will the battles and the beefs, but the Drake and Kendrick saga is destined to be a legendary chapter in the annals of hip-hop history, right up there with the greats. Stay tuned, because this show’s far from over.