Kendrick Lamar Releases Diss Track, Escalates Feud with Drake
In a bid to escalate their long-standing feud, Kendrick Lamar has released a diss track attacking fellow rap star Drake.
Rhe song titled Euphoria is a response to weeks of taunting by Drake, who has taken pot-shots at Lamar on a series of viral diss tracks.
For more than six minutes, Lamar criticises Drake's parenting skills and calls him a "manipulator and habitual liar".
He also accuses the Canadian star of being a sellout, claiming that Drake only creates music to appease his fans. He leaves no doubt about his strong feelings toward Drake, rapping, "This isn't about critics or gimmicks, it's about love and hate, and let me say I'm the biggest hater. I despise the way you walk, talk, and dress."
The feud between the two rappers dates back to 2013, stemming from Lamar's performance at the BET Awards where he impliedly referenced Drake. Despite a few years of simmering tensions, the feud reignited last year when J Cole and Drake labeled themselves, along with Lamar, as the "big three" of rap. Lamar's response on "Like That" dismissed the notion of a "big three," asserting that it's just him.
Recall that in April, Drake released the first of two diss tracks, titled Push Ups, in which he mocked Lamar's height as well as his collaborations with Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift.
Later that month, Drake dropped another song, Taylor Made Freestyle, in which he taunted Lamar, calling him a coward for failing to respond.
The track controversially used AI technology to imitate the voices of Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur - one of Lamar's heroes.
After a complaint from Shakur's estate, Drake pulled the song off his Instagram.
Lamar's Euphoria similarly criticises the use of AI, saying it would "make [Tu]pac turn in his grave".
He also asks "Am I battlin' ghost or AI?" - a reference to the accusation that Drake has used ghostwriters in the past.
Lamar even addresses the time it took to record a response, with the combative lyric: "Y'all think all of my life is rap? I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that."
