Drake is arguably one of the most famous rappers and singers of the last decade, with many number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and albums on the Billboard 200. He’s also had billions of streams on Spotify and YouTube.
In many ways, Drake changed the music game – some will say it was for the better – and he’s the staple of success at the highest level possible. On the rap battleground, the Canadian native was also undefeated, taking down names like Meek Mill, having a draw with Pusha T and producer Ye – formerly known as Kanye West -.
However, that winning record came to an end when Drake started beefing with Compton native Kendrick Lamar, known for his lyrical storytelling, which is why he’s considered as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Drake found out the hard way about it.
Kendrick Lamar absolutely drestroyed Drake’s image with his monster hit “Not Like Us“, which broke multiple records on Spotify, made it to the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and won five Grammys, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Music Video.
Kendrick is not as big of an artist as Drake
Despite the colossal loss, which included Kendrick Lamar performing “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show and calling Drake out, there are some people that believe that the Canadian rapper will be back because he only lost a rap battle.
That’s the case of Philadelphia rapper Gillie Da Kid, who talked to NFL Hall of Famer and internet personality Shannon Sharpe on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast. Gillie talked about other beefs that did not ended with Hip Hop icons, such as the lyrical war that Jay-Z and Nas had, which a lot of people felt that H.O.V.A. lost.
“It’s only a rap battle, that’s all it is (…) Do you think Kendrick Lamar is a biggest artist than Drake?” Gillie asked Sharpe, to which the former tight end replied with a loud “No!”. “Why does it matter? He lost a rap battle, That’s like LeBron James losing the NBA Finals, he’d be cool next year, he’ll be back.” the rapper said.
He went on to say that if people look at the current streams on music platforms, Kendrick Lamar’s hits can’t get to Drake’s numbers, even if the Compton rapper destroyed him lyrically and won five Grammys off of it.
“At the end of the day, Kendrick is great, Drake is great, is a rap batlle, man.” Gillie replied. Then he talked about the fact that ego does not matter and rappers have to set that aside if they want to make a comeback and continue to shine in the music business.
Drake dropped a new album
Drake recently dropped a collaborative album with PartyNextDoor, the Toronto artist who’s signed to his label OVO Sound, called “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” in celebration of Valentine’s Day. The Toronto rapper sneaked in some thoughts about his lyrical and legal battle over Kendrick Lamar.
Halfway through the 21-song album, Drake drops “Gimme a Hug,” a track that talks himself up while diminishing his haters. He starts off the song by calling out the “Drake elimination, fake intimidation” and assuring himself that other rappers are “Using you for promotion,’ truer words have never been spoken.”
According to a Rolling Stone review, this album is evidence that Drake is “as good as ever or more proof that his career can’t withstand the death blow of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” Reality is probably somewhere closer to the middle, as the album offers fans of Drake and PND’s breezy R&B sound plenty to grasp onto, with 21 tracks of well-executed, signature OVO-style hits.”
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