Kendrick Lamar recently opened up about his well-known, culture-shifting rivalry with Drake, finally shedding light on his true intentions behind their past back-and-forths.
Let’s hear it.
At an official interview during a press conference for the upcoming Super Bowl, Lamar revealed that his goal from the start was to treat the situation as a friendly competition, viewing it as a sport rather than a personal attack. “My intent, I think from day one, was to always keep the nature of it as a sport,” Lamar explained. “I don’t care how people perceive it, whether they see it as a collaborative effort or not. I love when artists grit their teeth. I still watch battle raps, I still watch Smack/URL, from Murda Mook to Lux to Tay Roc, my bro Daylyt… This has always been the core definition of who I am.”
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Get this, Lamar emphasized that the essence of competition in hip-hop, particularly in battle rap, has always been a key part of his artistic identity. “What I will say about this year: It was more from a space where I think a lot of people were putting rap to the back, and you didn’t see that grit, you didn’t see that bite anymore,” he continued. “So I always took that into consideration.”
On the success of his mega hit single “Not Like Us” and his Grammy wins, Lamar shared his more profound thoughts on the recognition rap has been receiving. After taking home five awards at the 2025 Grammys, he reflected on the importance of putting rap at the forefront of culture. “I just think about the culture, really. It’s always definitely first,” he said. “When people talk about rap, man, the conversations I hear, they think it’s just rap and it’s not an actual art form. So when you put records like that at the forefront, it reminds people it’s more than just something that came 50 years ago. People kind of belittle it, so I love to see it get that kind of recognition.”
Lamar’s words show that, for him, the fight to preserve hip-hop’s integrity is as important as any personal rivalry.
Guess we now know. You’ll buy this or not? Let us know @thesource.
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