By: Katie Priest, March 11, 2025
A recent op-ed by Poly Post staff writer Phoenix Guevara dared to declare a winner in this generation’s pivotal rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, claiming Drake is the winner on the grounds he is “hip-hop’s most influential figure” for his ability to create music that resonates with people and Spotify streaming records.
If that is the bar for good hip-hop, then the genre has died.
Guevara’s claims, while well-researched and concise, overlook the true essence of the problem at hand — Drake is a culture vulture. With his move to release right after Lamar’s halftime performance, he further cemented his status as a grifter.
There are many errors in the assertion Drake is “winning the war,” but I will start with the claim Drake is better at connecting with international audiences than Lamar. Drake may have used many different international influences in his music, and even spoke Spanish in a handful of songs, but this does not make him a better artist than Lamar.
Lamar has connected with international audiences in a six-continent world tour to critical acclaim. If that is not a cultural impact, then I don’t know what is.
Lamar also has connected with Latino audiences but in a genuine way that relates to his community in Compton and South Los Angeles. His feature on Schoolboy Q’s “Collard Greens” is an example of his versatility in language.
But Lamar does not co-opt the culture; he uplifts it. His featuring of mariachi singer Deyra Barrera for three features on his most recent album, “GNX,” will forever change her music and career, but it was also about a genuine appreciation of her craft.
“Fundamentally, really what I think the beef was about that I think a lot of people don’t really acknowledge that it’s less about Drake, even as a person, and more attacking the flaws of the music industry as a whole,” said Giovanni Raimondo, a music industry studies student.
“When the whole point of Kendrick’s argument was that it’s not about numbers; it’s not about popularity. Drake abusing his popularity and abusing his numbers, abusing his influence.”
Another error in this assessment of the feud is commercial success is an indication of artistry. The claims Drake’s title of the “most Billboard Hot 100 hits,” a remarkable achievement, is not a marker of artistry but rather one of marketing and commercialization.
If we are measuring in terms of achievement, Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize win in 2018 ends the discussion. The Pulitzer Prize in music is typically reserved for classical music; Lamar is the only rapper who has won the award outside of classical and jazz musicians.
The award was given to his 2017 album “DAMN.” for “its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life,” according to the jury for the prize.
Additionally, the claim Drake’s consistent slog of commercialized rap songs makes him the better artist over Lamar’s calculated and exquisite album releases is a little short-sighted. This highlights Drake’s consistent struggle to stay relevant. This is also one of Lamar’s gripes with him that has been called out across multiple diss tracks.
In the pivotal diss track for the feud, Lamar laid out one of his issues with Drake: “2 Chainz say you good, but he lied. You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars. No, you not a colleague, you a f—-‘ colonizer.”
Furthermore, Lamar’s releases are cultural milestones for the genre. “Not Like Us” has transcended diss track status and has become a symbol for the culture. The song has filled radio waves, streaming charts and even Dodger Stadium.
Drake’s fight for relevance can be cast in a good light since he has worked with many artists across many genres, but he also hops to the next growing trend for the easiest check to cash in. Drake has been known to lie about his background to generate cultural capital, claiming to have started from the bottom but really it was the middle.
Drake might have a cultural impact. I’m not denying that, but the original claim ignored Lamar’s impact entirely. Since “BBL Drizzy” and “Not Like Us,” Drake has not engaged in the rap beef as an artist and has instead chosen to hide behind lawyers.
Hip-hop and rap are more than genres; it is not just a style to be replicated and emulated for commercial success. Some of the most pivotal artists in the genre are relatively unknown because it has and always will be more than music. It is a culture to be cared for and cultivated.
The choice is obvious when you look at the facts: Kendrick Lamar won.
Feature image by Connor Lālea Hampton
