#Drake Kendrick Lamar J Cole Big 3 Beef

[nashvillethotchicken]

If I had a nickel for every time a member of young money started wylin out for no goddamn reason this year I'd have 3 nickels, which isn't a lot but goddamn control your people

[vinniedangerous]

Battling is Essential to Hip Hop Culture

Full video is OUT NOW on YouTube

[blackgirlslivingwell]

Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, City Girls Yung Miami & JT, Meek Mill & Wale, Missy Elliot Tour

Drake, Kendrick Lamar & J Cole "Big 3" Beef.

Yung Miami & JT Beef - The End of City Girls ?

Meek Mill & Wale Beef.

Missy Elliot Announces Tour With Ciara & Busta Rhymes.

[jawny-bravo]

J. Cole - Might Delete Later Mixtape (2023)

[renard-dartigue]

Hi now i'm curious what is the beef with the rappers

Man this is going to be long so I'll try to keep this simple and entertaining. I hope this comes across as clear cause I'm shook right now.

Here is a glossarie to break thing up:

Prologue (The Spark 🔥)

Round 1.1 (Physical Education 💪����)

Interlude part 1 (Roots 🏠)

Round 1.2 (2 Warning Shots 🔫)

Interlude part 2 (Pusha the Seer 👁)

Round 2.1 (Knifes Out 🔪 )

Round 2.2 (The Nuke 💥)

Epilogue (All eyes on him 👀)

My Theory 🤷🏾‍♂️

Highly recommend checking out the tracks yourself while you read along.

Prologue (The Spark)

Let it be known that I am a neutral party and that I don't take sides when it comes to rap beef. I was here for the music and creativity. I am just trying to recount events to the best of my knowledge. Sorry if some details are inaccurate.

Okay so basically, Drake, J Cole, and Kendrick Lamar are the Big 3 of the rap world right now.

A month ago, Future and Metro Boomin (two rapper who supposedly don't fuck with Drake anymore) released a song with Kendrick Lamar called "Like That". In the song Kendrick took a shot at Drake and J Cole, saying there isn't a big 3, its only him on top.

4 weeks ago J Cole dropped a track called "7 Minute Drill" that is dissing Kendrick. However, in a move that is very uncharacteristic of J, he took down the official track and formally apologized to Kendrick. Thus signaling his exit from the rap battle.

ROUND 1.1 (Physical Ed)

Drake on the other hand dropped "Push Ups" 2 weeks ago, a diss track that went after other rappers he doesn't like but mainly Kendrick. In it, he made fun of Kendrick's height and his contracts. He then ends the song with "I was really try'n keep it PG" meaning he has a nuke on Kendrick that people don't know.

Not long later, Drake dropped ANOTHER diss track "Taylor Made Freestyle" with Ai voices of Snoop Dog and fucking 2PAC! Kendrick has stated before that 2pac is one of his idols so this must have been a deep cut. In the song Drake claims Kendrick doesn't write his own music and uses the writers of Taylor Swift. Relating a rapper to pop music is seen as disrespectful.

INTERLUDE PART 1 (Roots)

Before I continue, I want to give a brief run down on how the public perceives these two rappers.

Drake portrays himself as a superstar, he's always on social media flaunting his success and partying with other celebrities, seeing alot of women and living a lavish lifestyle. His music is catchy, something you put on in the club. Most of his fan base praise him for his sick beats and witty lyrics. He's been in the music industry for a while and is no push over.

Kendrick Lamar is a very private person, doesn't expose anything about his personal life unless its on a track. He almost never gets into fights with anyone. He is a family man, stressing the importance of being there for his wife and son and encourages other fathers to do the same. His fan base praise him for his creative lyrics and highlighting the black American condition.

ROUND 1.2 (2 Warning Shots)

2 Day ago, Kendrick Lamar came back with his first official diss track on Drake called "Euphoria". In this song, Kendrick goes in on Drakes fake personality. Drake has always been known around the community as a bit of a poser, he grew up in Canada and was raised by his white mother, a relatively comfortable childhood. He was a star on the popular show Degassi when he was young. garnering him a fan base early in his career. Kendrick doesn't approve of Drake appropriating black American culture and acting like he some tough guy. When in reality he is a Canadian nerd thats disrespectful to 2pac. All throughout the song, Kendrick hits at things that many people have know about Drake, such as his behavior around underage girls. He also called Drake a deadbeat father who isn't in his son's life, even referencing his lost battle to Pusha T. Then Kendrick finally warns him that he has more dirt that he is willing to share if Drake takes things further.

Similar to Drake, Kendrick dropped another track called "6:16 in LA" later that day. This song focuses on Drake's environment, specifically the people he hangs with. Kendrick implies that Drake paid people to dig into his background and when they didn't find anything, Drake made up stuff instead. Kendrick then says that someone in Drakes group is leaking information to him about something even more serious. Also planting a seed in Drake's mind that his supposed friends don't actually like him, just like the clout from hanging around him.

INTERLUDE PART 2 (Pusha the Seer)

Taking a quick break again, we need to discuss something that occurred long before Drake's battle with Kendrick.

5 years ago, Drake was in a rap battle with rapper Pusha T, someone who was smaller than Drake at the time in terms of popularity. Pusha dropped a song called "The Story of Adidon" where he dropped a bomb that Drake had a kid and wasn't taking care of him. Drake initially denied it but it was later revealed to be true.

Since then Drake has never responded to Pusha T's diss track, making Pusha the current winner. And Kendrick is bringing it back into the light.

Round 2.1 (Knifes Out)

Around 2 am EST time of May 4th, Drake drops his diss track, "Family Matters" one of his strongest songs, switching his flow 3 times in the span of 7 minutes. In true Drake fashion, its a club song with a catchy beat. Like his previous diss, its aimed at multiple people but the main focus is on Kendrick, even bring up "I was really try'n keep this PG".

Drake doubles down on his black identity and mocks the fact that Kendrick and other rappers are saying he isn't black, (incorrectly assuming that they are coming at him for being mixed when the real issue is that he is appropriating black American rap culture as a Canadian mixed man who grew up in a safe environment) Drake not only calls Kendrick a fraud who only raps about black issues for attention, Or that his activism is performative. He makes a shocking claims that Kendrick is a wife beater. Then Drake says that Kendrick's son doesn't belong to him and implies Kendrick's producer was the real father.

The track caused an uproar. But only for the span of 15 minutes. Because Kendrick did the unthinkable.

ROUND 2.2 (THE NUKE)

Almost as if expecting Drake's move, Kendrick Lamar did what no one saw coming. He dropped his diss track "Meet The Grahams" about 15 minutes after Drake released "Family Matters".

This time around, in a fashion almost unheard of from him, Kendrick strips all the usual metaphors from his lyricism and structures his track like he is speaking to Drake and his family, 4 parts per individual.

Kendrick begins by speaking to Drakes Son, Adonis, the same son Pusha T exposed Drake for neglecting 5 years ago. He's apologizing to him for his father's behavior. Kendrick speaks to him softly but sternly like a mentor, telling him not to be like his father. Kendrick tells Adonis all the things Drake did and warns him not to do them too: involved with escorts, plastic surgery to appear more black, surgery to look more muscular, hiding a kid. (Kendrick stresses that Adonis is black regardless of being mixed, further highlighting that he isn't discrediting Drake's blackness because he's mixed but because he isn't being himself.) Finishing of by telling the kid to be proud of who he is.

The second half is Kendrick addressing Drake's mother and father, Sandra and Denise. Kendrick speaks to her like he's revealing tragic news, explaining to her that her son is involved in disgusting things. He goes down a list of things, his tone growing more intense and angry. Kendrick then claimed that Drake is employing and enabling pedos in his group, and hopes they die. Even implying that his group is going to be raided by the feds some day.

The third half is the MOST shocking of all. Kendrick begins talking to an unnamed individual, simply calls her babygirl. Similar to Adonis, Kendrick takes on a somber tone and apologizes to her for Drakes behavior. He says its not her fault Drake abandoned her, says that she is deserving of love. He warns her not to become a target for people like Drake to pray on and says she has so much to offer the world.

Kendrick revealed Drake has ANOTHER kid and isn't in their life! (Allegedly)

To close of, the fourth half is Kendrick speaking directly to Drake, his tone tired. He tries to reiterate that he doesn't have hate for him. However, Kendrick says Drake was the first one to go after his family and he couldn't let it slide. He once again calls for Drake to take the mask off. Then says this isn't a rap battle anymore, tells Drake he is fighting himself.

Epilogue (All eyes on him)

And so here we are, waiting for what will happen next.

Drake posted an Instagram story denying the claim he has another kid. But given what happened with Pusha T, we can't quite take his word for it yet. We should wait a bit to see if anything comes out.

Kendrick hasn't put out a statement on Drake's claims about him but given the recurring theme of Drake being a manipulative lier, Kendrick clearly denies it. Given how private he is, its difficult to prove or disprove it. Much like Drake's claims, we will have to wait and see if any evidence comes out about it.

Drake and Kendrick stans are at eachothers throats right now, arguing over who one and whats real or fake.

Right now everyone is looking to see if Drake is going to continue the battle or stay silent like he did with Pusha.

My Theory

Personally as an outside observer who only followed the beef for good music. I think this goes beyond a simple rap battle.

Here is my theory: Someone from Drake's clique told Kendrick that Drake and his producers were writing something about him. Real or fake, Kendrick was pissed. And so he drafted 3 tracks, dumping everything he hates about Drake into them. And then, with the leaker's help, Kendrick baited Drake into a battle, goading Drake to drop the "Family Matters" track so he can shut the battle down with "Meet the Grahams". Or maybe his first 2 tracks were a warning to Drake that if he released a track with lies on him he would reveal he has another kid.

I do think Kendrick initially had good intentions in trying to help Drake be a better person. But maybe the more he learned about Drake the less sympathetic he felt.

But I don't know thats just how I see it.

Thanks for reading my essay. I hope it made sense heh. I encourage healthy discussions in the comments and reblogs please. But everyone agrees that Drake is inappropriate with young girls. We won't argue over that.

[sexygaywizard]

ok you have no obligation to explain this but if you’re willing to wtf is happening with drake and Kendrick Lamar??????? I’m so confused help

Kind of a lot to cover it's been one of the nastiest weeks in hip hop. Essentially Drake and Kendrick have been lowkey beefing for years, and when Drake & J. Cole dropped the track "First Person Shooter" where J Cole referred to the two of them + Kendrick as the big 3, Kendrick hopped on a track with Future & Metro Boomin called "Like That" and said "fuck the big 3, it's just big me" essentially that they're not on his level (which is true imo).

From there Drake released the diss "Push Ups" and an AI track using the voices of Tupac and Snoop called "Tailor Made Freestyle," Kendrick responded with "euphoria" a week later and "6:16 in LA," 4 days later (yesterday). Drake responded with "Family Matters" later that day and Kendrick dropped "meet the grahams" less than an hour later in response. Then Kendrick released another diss track this morning "Not Like Us."

Lot of music but the best way to catch up is listen to the tracks and follow along with the lyrics on Genius. Kendrick is burying Drake alive.

[baabaapinksheep]

Kendrick-Drake Beef Playlist

(Disclaimer: All accusations between the two artists are alleged. As of 5/9/24, there has been no formal investigation regarding allegations of sexual trafficking, abuse to minors, illegitimate children, or domestic violence. Viewer discretion is advised.) Out of the loop? Here's the track list of disses in order:

1) Control (Big Sean ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica)

Infamous enough that former President Barack Obama was asked who would win a rap battle between Kendrick and Drake. He chose Kendrick Lamar.

Bout who's the best MC? Kendrick, Jigga and Nas I'm usually homeboys with the same n---a I'm rhymin' wit But this is hip hop and them n---as should know what time it is And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake

2) First Person Shooter (Drake ft. J Cole)

First response from Drake after Control dropped, this time featuring J Cole who completed the ultimate trifecta of today's popular rap artists.

Love when they argue the hardest MC Is it K Dot, is it Aubrey or me? We the big three like we started the league But right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali

3) Like That (Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar)

Second response after FPS. Kendrick refuses to share the crown with Drake and J Cole and challenges them for the top spot.

Think I won't drop the location? I still got PTSD Motherfuck the big three, n---a, it's just big me N---a, bum, what? I'm really like that And your best work is a light pack N---a, Prince outlive Mike Jack N---a, bum, 'fore all your dogs gettin' buried That's a K with all these nines, he gon' see Pet Sematary

4) 7 Minute Drill (J Cole)

J Cole decides to beef with Kendrick after being called out in Like That. He quickly disowned 7 Minute Drill and days later apologized to Kendrick Lamar during a live show. Allegedly, after hearing that the beef between Kendrick and Drake was serious, J Cole bowed out of the beef because he thought it was a friendly competition.

He still doin' shows But fell off like the Simpsons Your first shit was classic Your last shit was tragic If he wasn't dissin' Then we wouldn't be discussin' him

5) Push Ups (Drake)

While J Cole ducks for cover, Drake moves forward with the beef, though it's also a collective diss to Rick Ross, and Metro Boomin. This is also where he drops Kendrick's fiancee's name, Whitney and makes fun of his height. You won't ever take no chain off of us How the fuck you big steppin' with a size-seven men's on? This the bark with the bite, n---a, what's up? I know my picture on the wall when y'all cook up Extortion baby, whole career, you been shook up 'Cause Top told you, "Drop and give me fifty," like some push-ups, huh

6) Taylor Made Freestyle (Drake ft. Tupac AI and Snoop Dogg AI)

Second shot at Kendrick, this was released on IG. Drake uses AI for this track, using Snoop Dogg and 2Pac to taunt Kendrick. 2Pac's estate demanded that the track be taken down as it was an unauthorized use of 2Pac's voice. Drake eventually took the track down, but the damage was already done.

Dot, I know you're in that NY apartment, you strugglin' right now, I know it In the notepad doing lyrical gymnastics, my boy You better have a motherfuckin' quintuple entendre on that shit Some shit I don't even understand, like That shit better be crazy, we waitin' on you

7) Euphoria (Kendrick Lamar)

Kendrick officially warns Drake that he has dirt on him. Euphoria is also a hit show about troubled girls, which Drake is a producer of. This is also the infamous track where KDot demands Drake lose his N-word privileges.

I make music that electrify 'em, you make music that pacify 'em I can double down on that line, but spare you this time, that's random acts of kindness Know you a master manipulator and habitual liar too But don't tell no lie about me and I won't tell truths 'bout you

8) 6:16 in LA (Kendrick Lamar)

While waiting for Drake's response, Kendrick shocks the hip hop world with a second shot a couple days after Euphoria, exactly on 6:16am (PST). This track is meant to spook Drake. Kendrick gloats of how he got his hands on a mole in Drake's entourage and they're feeding him scandalous information about Drake.

But let me tell you some game 'cause I can see you, my lil' homie You playin' dirty with propaganda, it blow up on ya You're playin' nerdy with Zack Bia and Twitter bots But your reality can't hide behind wifi Your lil' memes is losin' steam, they figured you out The forced opinions is not convincin', y'all need a new route It's time that you look around on who's around you Before you figure that you're not alone, ask what Mike would do

9) Family Matters (Drake)

A few hours after 6:16, Drake finally responds to the beef. He ups the ante by taking shots at Kendrick's family and drops that Kendrick beats his wife. Drake also threatens other artists who may be siding against him. This is also the most he's said the N-word in his song, taunting Kendrick for revoking his N-word privileges in Euphoria.

When you put your hands on your girl, is it self-defense 'cause she bigger than you? Your back is up against the curb, you diggin' for dirt, should be diggin' for proof Why did you move to New York? Is it 'cause you livin' that bachelor life? Proposed in 2015, but don't wanna make her your actual wife I'm guessin' this wedding ain't happenin', right?

EDIT: This post on reddit believes that Family Matters was the whole reason for the Euphoria drop. This is pure speculation, however, so decide for yourself the validity of these receipts!

10) Meet the Grahams (Kendrick Lamar)

Not even 45 MINUTES after Drake drops Family Matters, Kendrick responds, robbing Drake of his temporary triumph. He straight up lays waste to Drake's entire family, offering to be Adonis' mentor because Drake's a deadbeat dad, calling out Drake's parents for raising him terribly, and revealing that Drake has another illegitimate child, this time a daughter he's been hiding for eleven years. He also warns the female listeners that if they like Drake, they're exposing themselves to a predator.

Dear Aubrey I know you probably thinkin' I wanted to crash your party But truthfully, I don't have a hatin' bone in my body This supposed to be a good exhibition within the game But you fucked up the moment you called out my family's name Why you had to stoop so low to discredit some decent people? Guess integrity is lost when the metaphors doesn't reach you

11) Not Like Us (Kendrick)

24 hours after Meet the Grahams, Kendrick drops a new diss track, this time actively calling for Drake's life, saying he has fake street cred, called the people in his entourage pedophiles, and releasing the track just before everybody hits the club on a Saturday night just to rub salt in the wound. He calls out Drake on behalf of 2Pac and promises he has at least five more diss tracks waiting, knowing that Drake hasn't had the chance to respond yet. He also mentions Family Matters, which meant he wrote his responding diss in less than 24 hours.

Let me break it down for you, this the real n---a challenge You called Future when you didn't see the club Lil Baby helped you get your lingo up 21 gave you false street cred Thug made you feel like you a slime in your head Quavo said you can be from Northside 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 fuckin' colonizer

12) The Heart Part 6 (Drake)

Also 24 hours after Kendrick's last diss track, Drake finally drops a response. He addresses some of the allegations, including purposefully feeding info from the mole to Kendrick about a daughter that doesn't exist. He takes a few more shots at Kendrick's relationships, implying that his partner Whitney hasn't denied the accusations of domestic violence. He also clowns on Kendrick's sexual abuse as a child and blames that on his witch hunt to prove Drake was a pedophile. He ends the diss saying that he was tired of the whole beef and he didn't want to fight with an alleged woman beater. As of 5/9/24, THP6 has more dislikes than likes on Youtube.

My mom came over today, and I was like, "Mother, I— Mother, I—, mother—," ahh, wait a second Wait a second, that's that one record where you say you got molested Aw, fuck me, I just made the whole connection This about to get so depressing This is trauma for your own confessions

_____

This is the BARE BONES summary of the long, bitter history between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. This doesn't even cover it all. This is just about the disses. I recommend looking up the history between them for more context in other places.

It's 5/9/24 and 3:00pm (PST) as of this post. Updates will be posted accordingly.

[jacob-blogs]

Okay I can give you a Kendrick and Drake beef rundown. Apologies if I’m explaining shit you already know but IDK your background on this so I’ll be thorough just to make sure.

Major Characters:

Drake. Aubrey Graham, AKA Drake, is extremely financially successful, but not very well respected in actual hip hop scenes. He’s generally seen as a culture vulture because of his privileged child actor background and white suburban upbringing putting him at odds with other people in hip hop culture. Also, in 2018, he very publicly lost his beef with another rapper named Pusha T, who revealed he had a secret newborn son named Adonis. Lastly, he has a long history of being kind of a misogynistic creep, the worst parts being a history of being sketchy around underaged girls.

Kendrick. Kendrick Lamar is an extremely respected rapper, though his songs aren’t always the most radio friendly and he doesn’t release them super frequently. He’s extremely artistically minded, though, and is one of those artists who’s just so good they can feel borderline untouchable. If I had to pick a rapper who was the consensus greatest at the moment among big hip hop heads, it would be Kendrick.

Backstory: Drake and Kendrick are arguably the two biggest rappers right now. A third rapper, J. Cole, had a lyric about the “big 3” in October naming himself, Kendrick, and Drake. The second part is that in March, Kendrick had a bar where he said “fuck the big 3, it’s just big me.” Cole tried beefing back, dipped out pretty quick.

Drake released two diss tracks against Kendrick on April 19, Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle. The latter was especially controversial because he used AI to replicate the voice of Tupac, which is… a huge no-no.

Last Tuesday, Kendrick finally responded with his first track, Euphoria. It was what people were expecting, for the most part: he went in on Drake in the ways a diss track normally would, just with extra finesse since he’s Kendrick. Still an excellent record on its own.

On Friday morning, he released 6:16 in LA on Instagram, which mostly got attention for implying that Kendrick had a mole from among Drake’s own crew. Also, the cover image was an image of a black glove.

On Friday evening, Drake released his response to Euphoria, Family Matters. Among other things, Drake accused Kendrick of beating his wife, though since Drake has a history of lying people are unsure how seriously to take that. Notably, though, some of Drake’s bars seem to have been preempted by Euphoria, which lends some credence to the idea that he may have a leaker.

Only thirty minutes after Family Matters dropped, Kendrick released Meet the Grahams, which directly responded to several things Drake said, which confirms he has a leaker. Not to mention, the cover image was a zoomed out version of the 6:16 image, which now includes items like literal receipts and prescription bottles of Ozempic and Ambien with Drake’s legal name on them. So this photo was taken inside Drake’s mansion. The song itself is the equivalent of bringing a switchblade to a cage fight, and among other things drops that Drake also has a secret 11 year old daughter, as well as it accuses him of being a pedophile and a sex trafficker. This song is why everybody’s talking right now. Nothing like this has happened before.

Anyways, Kendrick dropped another track tonight, but the dust hasn’t quite settled on that yet so I won’t say too much.

Thank you sooo much for the context.

Rap as a genre is always interesting to me because it's characterized so much by not only the songwriting and lyrics, but also the messiness and drama that goes on behind the scenes. I don't necessarily listen to it on the daily, but it would be insane not to recognize the cultural influence it has on American pop culture. And hell, up until recently tumblr was a huge supporter of Drake through his weird career decisions.

But like.... homie's gotta hang it up flat screen. Drake and his team of ghost writers literally ain't got shit on K. Dot. Like how can you pay folks actual money to take up in your defense over a dance beat while this other dude's dishing out bar after bar of straight fire getting after you, your career, your family, your crew, your lies, your shitty behavior...

Like okay, it's a rap battle but also this has got to be THEE cultural reset of 2024

[popmusicu]

The “diss track”: A short history

Music, as a form of artistic and emotional expression, has always considered the expression of both positive and negative emotions and topics. Regarding the topics it explores, music is usually associated with the exploration of both introspective thoughts from the artist and external situations, with the use of several lyrical and instrumental resources (e.g poetic resources, narration, etc.). But as the art form it is, music doesn’t shy away from being used as a blank canva for the adressment of personal conflicts between people and collectives. This is essential for understanding the logic behind a “diss” or a “diss track” in music. A diss track is a song that is primarily intended to insult or criticize someone, typically another artist or public figure, and they were popularized by hip-hop music in the 1990’s, given the open mic and freestyle culture of the genre. The conflict between the belligerent parties itself is known as “beef” or “having beef”. The last beef that shook the music world was the beef between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake. In a feature on the song “Like That”, released on Future and Metro Boomin’s álbum “We Don´t Trust You” march 22nd, Kendrick Lamar openly criticized and insulted (from here and on “dissed”) fellow rappers Drake and J Cole, who had previously praised him as part of the “big 3” of the 2010’s rap scene on the song “First Person Shooter” off of Drake’s latest álbum, “For All The Dogs”. This resulted as the product of 10 years of sneak disses between Drake and Kendrick. This situation quickly escalated, causing the rappers to involve themselves in hugely public beef, with J Cole getting out just after responding to Kendrick, leaving him and Drake as the only ones involved. After this, several diss tracks from both rappers were released, severely accusing each other of things like pedophilia, grooming, child negligence, sex traffic, cultural appropiation, substance, gambling and physical abuse, among others. These attacks between both rappers summarize the essential dynamics of diss tracks, which is to destroy or damage as much as possible the opponent’s credibility, image and reputation. As a media-covered beef between two of hip-hop´s most succesful musicians, this beef represents the latest entry to a long list of beefs and disses throughout music history, dating before hip-hop made them popular.

The earliest known examples regard reggae legend Lee "Scratch" Perry. Two examples of this are the songs "Run for Cover" (1967), "People Funny Boy" (1968) and "Cow Thief Skank" (1973), respectively directed towards three producers he worked with, Coxsone Dodd, Joe Gibbs and Niney the Observer.

A few years later, following The Beatles´s harsh breakup, an interchange of disses between John Lennon and Paul McCartney took place in 1971, following the release of McCartney’s 1971 album “RAM”, that opened up with the song “Too Many People”, which he later admitted was about Lennon. Lennon responded with a more direct and and aggresive diss on his 1971 album “Imagine”, with the song “How Do You Sleep?”. For this song, he also recruited George Harrison to play slide guitar, who also had several problems with McCartney.

Other notable example a few years later regards Fleetwood Mac. Their 1977 record “Rumours” was composed in a turbulent time for the band, in which romances and affairs involving band members had started to cause tension between the band. This resulted in the composition of several songs for the album directed towards each other, like “Second Hand News”, “Go Your Own Way” and “You Make Loving Fun”. In an ironic twist, despite all of this, “Rumours” remains their most critically and commercially succesful album to date.

In the 80’s, hip-hop embraced disses and beefs as part its culture. The earliest known example of disses in hip-hop are the “Roxanne Wars”. The Roxanne Wars were a series of musical battles that took place in the mid-1980s, starting with the release of the song "Roxanne, Roxanne" by the group UTFO in 1984. The song tells the story of a girl named Roxanne who rejects the romantic advances of the group's members. The catalyst for the Roxanne Wars was the response track "Roxanne's Revenge," recorded by 14-year-old rapper Roxanne Shanté. Her track was a direct rebuttal to UTFO's song, and it quickly gained popularity. This sparked a wave of response tracks from various artists, each claiming to represent different perspectives of the fictional character Roxanne or offering their take on the situation.

By the end of the decade, one of the most culturally significant beefs for hip-hop took place after Ice Cube’s departure from NWA in 1989. The group´s 1990 EP “100 Miles and Runnin’” included a diss towards Cube for leaving the group. A year later, Cube responded with the track “No Vaseline” included in his 1991 album “Death Certificate”, where he dissed the entirety of NWA and their manager Jerry Heller, exposing the creative and monetary issues that lead to his departure. A few months after this, NWA officially disbanded. Beefs between individual group members followed, like the Dr. Dre – Eazy E beef.

In the mid 90’s, the most well known and influential beef of all time took place, involving rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls). Being well known friends before the start of the dispute, the beef started when 2pac was shot in 1994 after leaving a studio in Manhattan. Although he survived, he accused Biggie and Bad Boy Records founder and producer P. Diddy because of their status as prominent figures in east coast hip-hop scene, of possibly knowing about he plans for his shooting and not telling him about it. 2pac dissed Biggie and Bad Boy Records several times, being the most notable the 1995 legendary diss track “Hit ‘Em Up”, which acquired this status thanks to the highly agressive and ruthless shots 2pac took against Biggie. Presumably fearing the start of a full blown east and west coast war and expecting of being eventually able to repair their broken friendship, Biggie never responded to 2pac directly, only sneak dissing him in a few songs, like “Long Kiss Goodnight” or “Brooklyn’s Finest”. The eventual murders of both rappers cemented this as the biggest, most famous and most important rivalry in hip-hop, and one of the biggest in music overall.

Some other notable beefs that came later are Jay-Z vs. Nas, LL Cool J vs Canibus, Eminem & 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule, 50 Cent vs Jadakiss, Pusha T vs. Drake and finally Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake.

- Ignacio Haro

[kcyars99]

Tom Hanks, Black Folks' Favorite White Dude, Wants All the Info On The Kendrick Lamar-Drake Beef

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Now that we’ve had time to relax and digest the legendary Kendrick Lamar and Drake rap battle, people who weren’t as tuned in as others are doing their best to catch up on the series of events.

Exhibit A is Tom Hanks. Not someone that we would consider a “Hip-Hop head,” but even he’s interested in the battle between these two talented MCs.

Blackness in your inbox daily. Subscribe to The Root.

On Monday, Chet Hanks, Tom’s middle son, shared text messages between him and his father on Instagram. It showed the “Forrest Gump” actor asking his son to explain what all the fuss was about.

Thankfully, Chet was qualified to break it down for him.

The conversation starts with Tom asking, “Big Main, can you explain the Drake/Kendrick Lamar feud to me?” Chet then sent a lengthy message sharing that it all started with “First Person Shooter,” the hit song by Drake and J. Cole, where they claimed they were a part of the “Big 3” along with Kendrick Lamar

He then shares that Kendrick didn’t take those words lightly, and said “F**k the Big 3” on “Like That,” which essentially ignited this battle.

Chet then broke down the shots each artist took at each other. From Drake calling Kendrick short and claiming that he beats his wife, to K-Dot saying that Drizzy is a deadbeat dad and a pedophile.

Read the entire interaction below:

The 33-year-old later explains how “Not Like Us” is a West Coast banger and makes anyone who hears the song want to “Crip walk with a stank face while clutching an Oscar in each hand with Marshawn Lynch.”

He also mentioned that the track, “solidified the win for Kendrick” and the entire West Coast.

Hilariously, Tom was still confused about who was “winning” the beef.

Say what you want about Chet and how “weird” he can be on the internet. But he gave a pretty good breakdown of the beef. Gotta respect it.

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[bonerot19]

here's a little breakdown of the beef, for I-just-want-to-see and anyone else who doesn't know what the fuck is going on (sorry if I forgot anything)

first of all, J. Cole and Kendrick: J. Cole has been, like, vaguely dissing Kendrick for a while, just some lines every now and then (Yujen on tiktok talks about all of this btw and I’m paraphrasing him rn)

Oct 2023 “First Person Shooter” Drake — a song on which J. Cole references a "Big Three" of rap: himself, Drake (lol), and Kendrick Lamar

March 22 2024 “Like that” Kendrick, Future, and Metro Boomin — Kendrick says “motherfuck the big three … it's just big me" aka fuck J. Cole and Drake, they aren't in the same league as Kendrick

April 5 “7 Min Drill” J. Cole — entirely directed at Kendrick, calls him short, says Kendrick’s first album is a classic but now he’s overrated

April 7 J. Cole stops one of his concerts to APOLOGIZE to Kendrick, decides to respectfully dip out. got dragged for it at first but now it is widely regarded as a good move…

April 13 “Push Ups” Drake — takes shots at a lot of people including Future and Rick Ross, but mostly at Kendrick who he calls short (everybody’s so creative)

April 19 “Taylor Made” Drake — Drake uses AI filters to sound like Kendrick’s rap idols (Tupac, Snoop, etc) which has horrified people and he seems to be getting sued/threatened to get sued by Tupac’s estate for this (yay)

April 30 “euphoria” Kendrick — full on diss track, it’s a work of art. he meticulously breaks down Drake’s character (paraphrasing Yujen again), his parenting, and then just starts listing all the things he hates about Drake. it really takes being a hater to the next level. amazing stuff.

May 3 “6:16 in LA” Kendrick — first of all, 6/16 is father’s day in canada, Tupac’s birthday, the day the TV show euphoria debuted, the start of OJ Simpson’s trial and Nicole Simpson’s funeral (the cover art is the black glove ffs), it’s also proverbs 6:16 which is about god being a hater, AND its the date of Kendrick and Drake’s first concert together. Kendrick says there’s a leak in Drake’s team, says everyone hates him behind the scenes, and references Drake being known to talk to underaged girls. amazing, really

May 3 “FAMILY MATTERS” Drake — denies leaks in his team, goes after Kendrick’s wife and says one of his kids might not even be his, aaaaand calls him short. it’s not very scathing, honestly. switches to dissing Rick Ross, and mentions Ozempic… he also accuses Kendrick of hitting his wife (huge if true but I haven't seen anything backing this up?)

May 3 “meet the grahams” Kendrick — this dropped like… within hours of Family Matters. he literally addresses each of Drake’s family members individually. starting with Drake’s son Adonis, apologizing that his dad sucks, like it’s earnest as fuck. oh, also, the album art has Drake’s fucking Ozempic prescription in it. and Kendrick apparently exposes the fact that Drake has an 11 year old daughter?? supposedly the internet found her in like a few hours but take this part with a grain of salt (if I had a nickle for every time Drake had an alleged child exposed during a rap beef...)

May 4 “Not Like Us” Kendrick — to paraphrase Yujen again, Kendrick made a club hit…out of Drake’s underaged allegations. Kendrick says “trying to strike a chord/and it’s probably a-minor” … like a. minor. a child. BUT ALSO people were pointing out that a-minor is a chord with no black keys when played on a piano, and Drake has been criticized for years for appropriating American blackness, pretending to be a gangster, etc.

May 6 (I think) “BBL Drizzy” Metro Boomin — on Push Ups, Drake told Metro to “shut [his] ho ass up and make some drums” and he did! the beat fucks, its great. AND THEN he invited the internet to make a fucking Drake Diss on the beat. I think the winner gets $10k and a free beat. phenomenal stuff. (Drake has been accused of getting a BBL for a little while, because he has weirdly defined abs and his ass suddenly got bigger)

yesterday I explained the entire kendrick and drake beef to my dad just so I could tell him that I had "bbl drizzy" stuck in my head

[chpkns]

BEST ALBUMS 2018

Ok here we go again for 2018, shall we?

Hon. Mentions:��Negro Swan - Blood Orange; Singularity - Jon Hopkins; Elsewhere - Ryan Hemsworth; Scorpion - Drake; Diplomatic Ties - The Diplomats; Some Rap Songs - Earl Sweatshirt; FM! - Vince Staples; Rally Cry - Arkells; I’m All Ears - Let’s Eat Grandma; Be The Cowboy - Mitski; Kamikaze - Eminem; Ye - Kanye West; KIDS SEE GHOSTS - Kanye West and Kid Cudi; Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino - Arctic Monkeys; Black Panther: The Album - Kendrick Lamar, et al; KOD - J. Cole; Culture II - Migos; Hive Mind - The Internet; God’s Favorite Customer - Father John Misty; Blood - Rhye; Both Ways - Donovan Woods; Songs of the Plains - Colter Wall

10) Swimming - Mac Miller

This one was tough. Malcolm James McCormick’s fifth studio album was barely out three months before he left us. It’s hard to evaluate Swimming in isolation of Miller’s untimely death at age 26. Especially since, in my mind, the album represents something of a turning point for the former frat rapper. Recorded in the wake of Miller’s high profile breakup with Ariana Grande and in the midst of public struggles with addiction, Swimming is full of heartache and soul bearing self-reflection. Sonically, Mac’s airy raps and crooning vocals float over jazzy beats and orchestral accompaniments, with help from Thundercat and Dev Hynes. There’s room for fun as well amid the melancholy - the more upbeat Ladders and What’s the Use? are sure enough to keep a dance floor moving. The worst thing about Swimming is really how good it is, and how it felt like Mac Miller was on the cusp on something great we’ll now never see. 

Highlights: Self Care, What’s The Use?, 2009, Ladders

9) QUARTERTHING - Joey Purp

Chance the Rapper’s Savemoney compatriot Joey Purp is like a breath of fresh air. QUARTERTHING’s 14 tracks, most clocking in at under 3 minutes, come fast and furious like Purp’s (mostly) un-autotuned flow. Joey’s full throated, almost Meek-Mill-esque, delivery gives the album a mixtape-like authenticity - notwithstanding the varied and expert production from the likes of RZA, Knox Fortune and frequent Chance collaborator Nate Fox. The opening 24k Gold/Sanctified, and Hallelujah just two tracks later, feel downright celebratory pairing Purp’s flow behind a blaring big band sound. Others, like Look At My Wrist and Paint Thinner, are Chicago Drill and house inspired, feeling like they’d be right at home in a sweaty club basement. Lyrically, Purp is a classic hip-hop storyteller and street documentarian, drawing from experiences in a former life selling drugs and the violence of his home city. This impressive studio album debut is more than enough to solidify Joey Purp’s place among an exciting new generation of Chicago rappers.

Highlights: 24k Gold/Sanctified (ft. Ravyn Lenae & Jack Red), Godbody (ft. RZA) [Pt. 2], Hallelujah, Look At My Wrist (ft. Cdot Honcho), Karl Malone

8) Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves is clearly in the pantheon of artists that can’t release an album without it making this list (I rated Pageant Material #8 in 2015 and Same Trailer, Different Park #9 in 2013... both criminally underrated in retrospect). Musgraves continued to be a revelation with her third album. There was a great Ezra Koenig quote last year, where he talked about seeing Musgraves’ concert and being inspired by the clarity of her music: “from the first verse, you knew who was singing, who they were singing to, what kind of situation they were in”. On Golden Hour, she maintains that clarity, stretching a little more outside the traditional country sound into pop and disco-inspired melodies. I do miss the dry humour and rebellious spirit of the previous two Musgraves outings, I’ll admit. You won’t find any overt weed references here, but Kacey finds plenty of ways to remind us how few fucks she gives about the Nashville country establishment. Golden Hour also shows off some of Musgraves’ strongest songwriting to date - the sprawling Space Cowboy stands out as one of the best singles of the year in any genre. I’m probably in the minority in thinking Golden Hour is not my favourite Kacey Musgraves album, but it’s still one of my favourite albums of 2018.

Highlights: Slow Burn, Space Cowboy, High Horse, Love is a Wild Thing

7) Lush - Snail Mail

It’s about to become clear that there is a “women in indie rock” movement happening on this year’s list. The debut album from 18 year old singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan is one of the most aptly titled records of 2018. Lush’s indie rock soundscapes are just that. Loud, full and richly textured. Jordan’s crystal clear vocals soar and float above her ringing guitar chords and riffs. The songwriting is perhaps what you’d expect from an 18 year old, full of heartbreak, confusion and teen angst. She does it well though. As the first chorus builds on Heat Wave, Jordan’s voice builds: “And I hope whoever it is Holds their breath around you, 'Cause I know I did”. The album’s standout track for me is Full Control which crescendos to a refrain of: “I'm in full control, I'm not lost, Even when it's love, Even when it's not.” At the same time, Lush exudes a maturity and a nostalgia that hearkens back to Snail Mail’s spiritual predecessors like Cat Power or Fiona Apple. Snail Mail was one of many reasons that 2018 gave me hope that there’s a future for indie rock and “guitar music” generally. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what’s next.

Highlights: Pristine, Full Control, Deep Sea, Heat Wave

6) boygenius EP - boygenius

The only thing that ever held me back from including boygenius on this list was my long held view that “an EP is not an album”. Well, since Kanye decided that 7 songs can be an “album” why not 6? Any album that has 6 songs as good as the 6 on boygenius EP would make this list! boygenius is the indie “supergroup” made up of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and the holder of last year’s #3 album on this list, Julien Baker - all accomplished solo acts in their own right. Predictably, the whole is something greater than the sum of its parts. boygenius EP’s six songs are a tour de force amalgam of indie, country and folk (owing to the band’s cross-genre Nashville and Viriginia roots) full of raw emotion and grit. Dacus, Bridgers and Baker seem made to perform, and sing, together. The harmonies on this record make boygenius sound like an indie rock iteration of Destiny’s Child or an edgier, less twangy version of the Dixie Chicks. The songs do not hold back, with high highs and low lows. On Me & My Dog, the soaring chorus evokes an escapist dream: “I wish I was on a spaceship, Just me and my dog and an impossible view”. The emotional highpoint of the record might be Baker and Bridgers’ chorus on Salt in the Wound apexing with: “I’m gnashing my teeth, Like a child of Cain, If this is a prison I’m willing to buy my own chain”. I can’t stop watching live videos of these three - they seem so at home onstage together. As excited as I’d be to see boygenius become more than a side project, I’m equally excited to see what’s next for Bridgers, Dacus and Baker on their own.

Highlights: Me & My Dog, Stay Down, Salt In the Wound, Ketchum ID

5) DAYTONA - Pusha T

YUGH! Amid Kanye’s unhinged tweets, messy, disorganized projects, and Oval Office visits, DAYTONA, the 7 track album he entirely produced for G.O.O.D. Music veteran Pusha T, was one thing that gave us hope that Kanye hadn’t completely lost his touch (or his mind) in 2018. DAYTONA showcases both producer Kanye and King Push at the absolute peak of their talents. It’s amazing, in this era of Xanax-fuelled mumblerap, to think how long we’ve been listening to Kanye and Push do their thing. Lord Willin’ introduced the world to Pusha T in 2002 (alongside his brother Malice, as he then was, as the iconic rap duo Clipse). The College Dropout came out two years later. I still remember buying the CDs and wearing out my discman with both of them. It’s easy to forget that Kanye and Terrence “King Push” Thornton are both 41 years old! There’s something refreshing about two guys in their forties still being able to make a banging rap record about selling drugs and buying expensive shit. Push said DAYTONA was made “for my family...high taste level, luxury, drug raps fans.”  Those fans are well served by DAYTONA. After the beat comes in on album opener If You Know You Know, Push sounds like he’s speaking directly to his day one fans, raising a styrofoam cup to: “This thing of ours, oh, this thing of ours”. The album exudes the bravado of an MC on top of his game confident in the knowledge that he’s spitting bars on a classic. And we can’t forget the incendiary Infrared, the song that touched off a vicious beef between Pusha T and rap’s biggest star, Drake, ending after Push revealed in a diss track that Drake was hiding his son from the world. Almost 20 years on, Pusha T is still ready to go war, still “clickin’ like Golden State” and still wearing the crown as King Push. Long may he reign.

Highlights: If You Know You Know, The Games We Play, Hard Piano (ft. Rick Ross), Infrared

4) Honey - Robyn

I found myself slightly disappointed in Honey at first, largely because my expectations for Robyn’s first album in eight years were based on the high energy electro-pop brilliance of 2010′s Body Talk. What I should have realized is that, if Robyn were going to make another Body Talk, she wouldn’t have kept us waiting this long. Honey is not Body Talk - you won’t find another Call Your Girlfriend or Dancing on My Own among its nine silky smooth tracks. But it is no less brilliant. If I can forget that Beach2k20 exists for a second, it feels pretty darn close to a perfect album. Honey betrays a lighter touch for Robyn, perhaps more in tune with the sound of the moment. A little more euro house and disco tinged, Honey furthers the Swedish songstress’s long evolution away from the pop idol of her late 90′s past. Honey still embodies Robyn’s signature juxtaposition of electronic dance rhythms alongside themes of sadness, loneliness and heartbreak. And songs like Honey and Missing U can still light up any dancefloor. The highlight for me is the slow-building Send to Robin Immediately, which just swells over its Lil Louis sample as Robyn urges the listener into action: “If you got something to say, say it right away. If you got something to do, do what's right for you. If you got somebody to love, give that love today. Know you got nothing to lose, there's no time to waste”. In between albums, and while writing Honey, Robyn lived through the death of a longtime collaborator and a breakup and reunion with a romantic partner. The emotional toll of these experiences seem to shine through. Robyn told the BBC’s Annie Mac earlier this year: “When I wrote this album I think I was quite tired of myself writing sad love songs, but I did anyway and looking back on that now, I think it's OK for things to be sad. Combining it with something that's bright and strong and powerful is a way of finding your way out of the sadness.” 

Highlights: Missing U, Human Being (ft. Zhala), Send to Robin Immediately, Honey

3) Clean - Soccer Mommy

Clean, the impressive debut album from 20 year old Nashville singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, was the first album I heard this year that I 100% knew would be on this list. By the time Your Dog hits at the third track, I was completely enthralled. That song is so goddamn rock and roll with Allison sparing no mercy for the subject shitty boyfriend of the opening verse: “I don't wanna be your fucking dog, That you drag around, A collar on my neck tied to a pole, Leave me in the freezing cold”. Elsewhere, on Still Clean, Allison plays with gruesome animalistic imagery singing of an ex-lover picking her “out your bloody teeth”. There is a warmer side to Clean as well. Scorpio Rising, with it’s “bubbly and sweet like Coca-Cola” softness and lyrics about meeting up after dark and missed calls from your mother definitely remind you that Allison is a self-professed devotee of Taylor Swift’s early work (which should give you another idea of why I love this album). Speaking of T-Swift, the rollicking Last Girl almost mirrors You Belong With Me in describing the crushing insecurity of comparing oneself to a new partner’s ex, somehow pulling off lyrics like “I want to be like your last girl, She's the sun in your cold world and, I am just a dying flower, I don't hold the summer in my eyes” as if that were a totally normal thing to say. Beneath the upbeat riff of Cool, where Allison idolizes the cool girl “with a heart of coal, She’ll break you down and eat you whole” is the understanding that being that person won’t bring her the happiness she seeks. Acceptance of one’s emotions and insecurities is the core theme of Clean - that “You gon’ be like that” (as Allison put it to the Fader) and you’ll be happier once you accept you for you. In many ways, Clean evokes a similar vibe to the Snail Mail and boygenius entries further up this year’s list, as a scrappy “girl with a guitar” indie record and a tongue-in-cheek stage name. That sense of charming honesty is what, I think, makes Clean stand above the other entries on this list.

Highlights: Cool, Your Dog, Last Girl, Scorpio Rising

2) Lamp Lit Prose - Dirty Projectors

The first of our top two is another repeat offender on this list (a previous incarnation of the Projectors’ Swing Lo Magellan had #7 back in 2012 and last year’s eponymous Dirty Projectors was my 2017 #8). I loved every minute of Lamp Lit Prose - it’s almost a 1B for me on this list and was pencilled in at 1 for a time in the drafting process. This album has everything that was good about last year’s DPs record but is, ultimately, tighter, more fun, less weird and less sad. Dave Longstreth appears to have moved on (at least musically) from the emotions he was working through on Dirty Projectors, which was essentially an extended meditation on the breakup of his relationship with Amber Coffman and the band’s upheaval. With Lamp Lit Prose, his “new look” Dirty Projectors (with help from friends like Syd, Rostam and HAIM) have put together something a little more traditional (by Dirty Projectors standards) and a lot more listenable. Longstreth told Exclaim that this album, compared its morose predecessor, “is really about feeling hope again, finding the things that give us hope, that make us feel optimistic and joyful.” Lamp Lit Prose falls somewhere between the twangly, jam band atmosphere of the Projector’s Swing Lo Magellan and Bitte Orca heyday and the more experimental, electronic-infused vibe of the Dirty Projectors released 18 months prior. Longstreth’s guitar riffs are again front and centre, but the voice modulation and distorted electronic sounds are still there, albeit in a more subtle way. Four part harmonies bounce over the jazzy melodies and hopeful lyrics. Where he was mourning a lost love on the last record, here we see Longstreth “in love for the first time ever” on I Found It In U (a salvaged beat from his work on Solange’s last album). On Break Thru, the un-named romantic subject is held up as “an epiphany” with comparisons in quick succession to Archimedes, Fellini and Julian Casablancas. The horn-backed chorus on What Is The Time is the high point of the record for me - the kind of song that makes you want to raise your voice and join in on the hook. All in all, it’s just great to hear this band making fun music again. Lamp Lit Prose is upbeat, creative and simply a joy to listen to. I absolutely loved this album... but just not quite enough to edge out our number 1.

Highlights: Break-Thru, That’s a Lifestyle, I Found It In U, What Is The Time

1) ASTROWORLD - Travis Scott

IT’S LIT!!! I would have never predicted that a Travis Scott album would land here at number 1, but here we are. And I feel good about it. ASTROWORLD dominated my listening from its mid-summer release onward and, with each spin, I became increasingly convinced of its greatness. Travis is an artist that I’ve long found perplexing. Insanely popular among his legions of young fans, he embodies so much of the “new rap” ethos, the first genre of music where I’ve started to feel like I might be ‘too old’ to enjoy it. It was clear on his prior outings, Rodeo and Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, that the talent and creativity was there, but the overall product always seemed messy, disorganized, unpolished. With ASTROWORLD, Scott finally has made his Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The album is named for a former Six Flags theme park in Scott’s hometown of Houston that was torn down a decade ago and still sits vacant. Previewing the title of the album, Scott told GQ last year: "They tore down AstroWorld to build more apartment space. That's what it's going to sound like, like taking an amusement park away from kids. We want it back. We want the building back. That's why I'm doing it. It took the fun out of the city." True to his word, the album’s 17 tracks are tied together by an overarching creepy, grimy sound. Listening to ASTROWORLD feels like walking through an abandoned theme park. Even more impressive is how Travis, as curator of the album’s varied guest list, bends the star studded guest appearances to his will, fitting them in perfectly to his dank sonic menagerie. The likes of Frank Ocean, the Weeknd, Swae Lee, Tame Impala and James Blake don’t overpower Scott’s vision but blend into the scenery, their talents employed perfectly by Travis in the role of ringmaster. Newcomers get some shine too, like Scott’s Cactus Jack labelmate Sheck Wes who gets a guest verse on NO BYSTANDERS and a shoutout to his ubiquitous single from Travis on 5% TINT: “We did some things out on the ways that we can't speak, All I know it was "Mo Bamba" on repeat”. And then, there’s SICKO MODE. Why is it that the best Drake song each year invariably comes from someone else’s album, even in a year where Drizzy himself releases a double album? The ASTROWORLD track list, at least initially, left out the featured artists, so hearing Drake’s voice over the opening notes of the album’s third track was the first time most listeners had any indication that the 6ixgod himself would be making an appearance. What a wonderful surprise it turns out to be. SICKO MODE, the album’s best track, feels like three or four different songs as the beat changes form and Travis and Drake pass the mic back and forth. The song’s Tay Keith produced final act (the “out like a light” part) is for my money the best two minutes of hip hop music made in 2018. ASTROWORLD succeeds on its grandeur, vision and consistency. Travis Scott set out to build something big and from the moment the bass kicks in on STARGAZING through to the mellow, string backed denouement of COFFEE BEAN, he succeeds at every turn. ASTROWORLD was 2018′s biggest, most creative, most sonically consistent and most fun album in hip-hop. In my estimation, it’s the best album of the year.

Highlights: STARGAZING, CAROUSEL (ft. Frank Ocean), SICKO MODE (ft. Drake, Swae Lee and Big Hawk), WAKE UP (ft. The Weeknd), CAN’T SAY (ft. Don Toliver)

That’s all folks. Thanks for reading and see ya in 2019.

[gibsonsflowofthoughts]

Hip Hop Week In Review: Drake Drops "Scorpion" & Fans Mourn XXXTENTACION

HipHopDX – This week in Hip Hop, Drake’s highly anticipated album, Scorpion, dropped on Friday (June 29). Also, XXXTENTACION’s video for “SAD!” arrived as fans mourned his death and Jamie Foxx hosted the 2018 BET Awards.

Drake Releases Scorpion

Drake’s Scorpion was released this week and broke Apple Music‘s first day streaming record with over 170 million plays. The double LP features 25 cuts that express his signature blend of rap and R&B. Fans were calling it a classic before it had even been out for an hour.

Scorpion slightly addresses his beef with Pusha T, particularly on its final track “March 14” in which Drizzy confirming the news about his infant son.

Listen Drake’s Scorpion here.

The Aftermath of XXXTENTACION’s Death

Thousands of XXXTENTACION fans swarmed his open-casket memorial in Florida. Lil Yachty‘s candlelight vigil in Atlanta also brought out many fans to show their respect for X.

Before his passing, X had plans on feeding the homeless and internet personality Yes Julz helped to see that through this week. His charity fed 1000 people.

Federal agents began their search for X’s killers this week and were one suspect, 22-year-old Dedrick D. Williams, has been arrested. His charges include first-degree murder, probation violation for theft of a motor vehicle and driving without a valid license.

A video for “SAD!” off X’s album ? also dropped this week and in it, he battles himself at his own funeral.

Watch “SAD!” here.

2018 BET Awards

Jamie Foxx handled the hosting duties at this year’s BET Awards. Although the show was performance heavy, Cardi B, Migos and Kendrick Lamar were among the winners.

During the ceremony, Snoop Dogg celebrated the 25th anniversary of Doggystyle with a performance of the album’s biggest hits. J. Cole also hit the stage to perform “Friends” with Daniel Caesar, and Meek Mill used the platform to push for prison reform by debuting his song “Stay Woke.”

Check out some of the Hip Hop artists on the red carpet here.

DX Reviews

– UGS 4 Life — Fxck Tha Lamestream

DXclusives: No I.D., Method Man, Benny & Jhalil Beats

No I.D. Speaks On Why JAY-Z & Beyoncé’s “EVERYTHING Is LOVE” Was A Personal & Professional Triumph

In a conversation with HipHopDX, No I.D. acknowledged DX’s perfect rating for Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s EVERYTHING IS LOVE and explained how the two achieved it.

“When you find a place at this point in their career when you can open another wide open space that makes you feel free, it’s a perfect expression,” he told DX.

Read the full interview with No I.D. here.

Method Man Admits He Burned Bridges During Last Days At Def Jam

Method Man says his last days at Def Jam were less than amicable in an exclusive interview with DX.

“I burned a lot of fucking bridges at Def Jam,” Meth admits. “I had a lot of love for the company ’cause I came in when I was young. I had been there for so many fucking years, so when staff changed and people changed and things started to change, I didn’t know how to handle the shit.”

Read the full interview with Method Man here.

Benny Talks Debut LP, Griselda Records, Legendary Co-Signs & Shady Connection

Benny The Butcher is getting ready to drop his debut album, Tana Talk 3, on Griselda Records and spoke about the upcoming LP with DX.

“In 2005, I dropped a mixtape called Tana Talk 2, because I already did one that was 1,” Benny explains. “So it’s like, when I put 2 out, it was couple people buzzing in the city and doing they thing. But when I put 2 out, I shocked the whole city. People still talk about that tape to this day. And it’s like, people knew what I was, what type of time I was on. I was hungry, I was killing shit. It was West[side Gunn]’s idea to name it Tana Talk 3, because like I said, he wanted to recreate that energy.”

Read the entire conversation with Benny the Butcher here.

Jahlil Beats Promises Meek Mill Has Big Radio & Street Joints Coming This Year

Jahlil Beats tells DX that he’s been in the studio with Meek Mill and says there’s lots of great music from the recently freed rapper on the way.

“As soon as he got out of jail, he reached out to me and we would be in the studio every day from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.,” he explains to DX. “He was on house arrest but they would let him go to the studio. We did this record called, ‘Make ‘Em Say,’ which made Billboard. I think it was #103. But it was out of one market, just out of Philly.”

Hot article here original source: hiphopdx.com

[nooffensellc]

Is Beef (Diss Records) Reviving HipHop?

Looks like “beefing” has once again ignited the competition in HipHop. The latest to take advantage of this trend is is the collection known as “The Big 3”, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J Cole. But they aren’t the only ones…

Looks like “beefing” has once again ignited the competition in HipHop. The latest to take advantage of this trend is is the collection known as “The Big 3”, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J Cole. But they aren’t the only ones… Image may be subject to copywrite. Image Source: Twitter The biggest boss that you’ve seen thus far has also threw his hat into the ring. Huh! Image may be subject to…