Drake vs. Kendrick: A Deeper Dive Into Who Reigns Supreme?
Drake or Kendrick. Which side of the beef are you on?
I’ve been a Kendrick girl forever! And this beef has just emphasized his dominance in the rap scene. I’ll confess, I’ve only recently delved into Drake’s music. However, no one can deny that BBL Drizzy has an outstanding ability for articulating emotions that often elude words. However, when it comes to raw rap talent, Kendrick stands head and shoulders above the rest.
But, let's dissect the beef. In a fair and unbiased analysis, I believe the winner of any rap battle needs three key elements:
A presentation of relevant information/shock factor
Clever wordplay
Memorability.
Let's start with the shock factor. Kendrick takes the crown here. Drake's attempts were commendable, but he loses points for lack of focus. His disses in "Push Ups” were debatably all over the place, targeting multiple individuals and boasting about himself, rather than directly dissing Kendrick. And he paid the price when he told Metro Boomin to “Go make some drums”, and Metro retaliated with "BBL Drizzy."
Drake's "The Heart Part 6" even had its moments:
“Why isn’t Whitney denying all the allegations?” (The mother of Kendrick’s child).
“Why is she following Dave free and not Mr. Morale?” (Kendrick’s business partner, who Drake claims that Whiteny had an affair with.)
“You haven’t seen the kids in 6 months, the distance is wild” (Talking about Kendrick’s lack of absence in his children’s lives).
But it was still diluted with selfishness and crazy attacks on Kendrick; especially about his molestation. “Mother I, mother I, mother I, wait a second, that’s the one record where you say you got molested,” and “Touch my body by mariah carey play you probably start reflecting.” Now, those are some hard bars; and I don’t believe in “off limits” when it comes to battle rap, but that was low. Bringing up Kendrick's past struggles, like his molestation, felt unnecessary and recycled, especially when Kendrick has already addressed these issues in his music. Kendrick’s song “U” is a whole melancholic “diss” to HIMSELF. A diss track shouldn’t be used to re-expose something that an artist already opened up about. We want new information, in a clever way.
On the other hand, Kendrick's shock factor in tracks like "Meet The Grahams" was direct and unapologetic. He targeted Drake, his family, and even his controversies. Really I could just write, “Dear Adonis” and move on to the next section BUT let’s get into it. The best shock factor bars from “Meet The Grahams” were:
“Your sons a sick man with sick thoughts; I think ****** like he should die.”
“To any woman that be playing his music, know that you’re playing your sister.”
“It’s not your fault that he’s hiding another child.”
Now, let's talk wordplay. Drake’s pen is immaculate when he’s crafting melodies, but his dominance in diss tracks falls short compared to Kendrick. Even in his most direct diss, Drake's focus still seems to linger on himself rather than his target. But, I can’t discredit him all the way! Drake’s best moments for wordplay were in “Family Matters”. He says,
“You just actin like an activist, it’s make-believe; Don’t even go back to your hood and plant no money trees.”
“You a black messiah wifin’ up a mixed queen.”
“When you put your hands on your girl, is it self defended cause she’s bigger than you?”
But, if you listen to Kendrick for-real, you know his wordplay is insane. Even his jargon elevates his verses to another level. Take "Meet The Grahams," for example, where he suggests "ayahuasca" to strip away ego, a subtle nod to Drake's struggles (Ayahuasca is a plant-based psychedelic or brew, usually used to help people heal from their past struggles).
In "Not Like Us", he accuses Drake of being a child molester, writing “tryna strike a chord and it’s probably a minor.” The brilliance lies in the wordplay: a "minor" can refer to both a musical chord and a child. So, Kendrick cleverly suggests that Drake is trying to make a connection, or "strike a chord," with a minor.
Lastly, Kendrick writes, "He claims to like tens, but he likes his girl 'Eleven'—that's a Stranger Thing." Here, he's alluding to the rumors about Drake's relationship with Millie Bobby Brown, who portrays the character 'Eleven' on the hit show "Stranger Things." It's a play on words, implying that while Drake claims to prefer 'tens' (attractive women), he's actually interested in someone much younger, referencing both the character's name and the age difference.
Lastly, let’s talk about memorability and impact. Kendrick's bars linger long after the track ends, while Drake's seem to fade into the background (no shade).
Name one of Drake’s bars from the diss tracks…
Now Kendrick:
“Dear Adonis”
The hilarious, “What is it? The braids?”
Of course, the trending, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress.”
All in all, I genuinely admire the work of both artists; but as Kendrick said, "I like Drake with the melodies, I don't like Drake when he acts tough."