TDE president Punch didn’t only talk about the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle during his recent interview with Curtis King, but that’s what DJ Akademiks and a whole lot of other fans and media figures focused on this week.
The streamer recently reacted to some of the label executive’s remarks during his livestream, such as giving K.Dot props for “euphoria” and saying the “Taylor Made Freestyle” was a good move. As you can see, the two clearly did not align on a lot of matters, although it’s to a lesser degree than what many fans online assume.
However, the big point Akademiks wanted to make about Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s showdown was how he influenced it. While Punch was relatively critical of the “countdown” Ak gave Kendrick after Drizzy’s “Push Ups” dropped, the media personality defended it as a key push for what might go down as the rap battle of note in hip-hop history.
There were a lot of other comments from the TDE exec DJ Akademiks responded to, although a lot of his reaction was jumping off of points Punch was making rather than specifically retorting them. Both individuals have come a long way since their much more negative and combative statements about the showdown in the past, which is always heartening to see.
Did Punch Diss Drake?
“I’m probably the most unbiased when it comes to this situation,” Punch remarked concerning Drake during this Curtis King interview. “I respect Drake’s talent and skill as a songwriter, as an MC. All the success he has. Even conversations I’ve had with him, he’s always been a cool dude. I had to clear this SZA record for him. I don’t have no beef or malice towards him. It’s that he’s battling my guy, so it’s up.”
In addition, Punch recalled Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” verse and the moment he found out things were about to get serious. “[The energy] had been bubbling for a while,” he told Curtis King. “We had been pretty close-mouthed about it. […] He played the record for Top [Dawg]. I talked to Top and he told me a little bit about the record so I hit Dot like, ‘It’s going down?’ He said, ‘Yeah, we’ll see what’s up.’ [He was] laughing.”
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