Kendrick Lamar’s diss of Drake, J. Cole, ignites Michael Jackson vs Prince debate

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Artistic beefs have been around for as long as art has existed, but few beefs are as explosive as those in hip-hop. A new rivalry emerged last week when Kendrick Lamar threw down a surprise verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s song “Like That,” firing up hip-hop fans online.

Lamar disses both Drake and J. Cole, who reference him in their song “First Person Shooter.” Lamar refutes the idea that Drake, Cole, and he are rap’s “big three,” suggesting he’s in a league all on his own and that he’s the Prince to Drake’s Michael Jackson. “Prince outlived Mike Jack,” goes the incendiary line.

On X, fans immediately drew lines in the sand. As expected, Drake fans went into defensive mode, claiming that he’s much more popular and influential than Lamar, and ergo, the more important rapper.

“No one rap artist in the world moves the needle as much as Drake,” claimed one fan. Those in the Drake camp had a lot to say about Lamar’s deficiencies, which mainly relate to his lengthy breaks in between albums. “It’s only one rapper yall giving passes to for going on a fake ass hiatus,” one X user wrote.

Lamar’s fans countered these arguments with fervor, contending that Lamar is much more talented—and sophisticated—than Drake. Lamar’s fans brought up the notion of quantity vs quality, noting that while Drake puts out music more frequently, Lamar’s is consistently better. “that Canadian video vixen drops a mid project annually and yall eat it up,” wrote one fan. The overarching narrative posited here is that Lamar’s fans have more refined, intellectual taste than Drake's fans, who simply listen to whatever’s popular. “His cultural dominance is proof we’re philistines,” one of Drake’s haters wrote.

Of course, there is a third player here, and that’s J. Cole. Though Drake and Lamar have dominated the conversation, J. Cole’s fans have tried to make sure their man isn’t overlooked. For the most part, Cole’s fans don’t have as much beef with Lamar as Drake’s fans do, but they were quick to point out Cole’s lyrical talent, which they argued rivals Lamar’s. “His pen is just as lethal,” one fan posted.

Lamar’s lyrics also sparked a secondary debate on top of this contemporary rap beef: the Prince vs. Michael Jackson question. This dispute divided fans into the same camps as the Lamar vs. Drake beef. Drake has previously described himself as the MJ of hip-hop, framing himself as the dominant hitmaker. By aligning himself with Prince, Lamar defines himself as the more creative, critically acclaimed of the two artists.

Lamar’s fans bought into this distinction, arguing that the “Only thing Michael had over Prince is popularity.” On the other hand, Drake/MJ fans found the comparison preposterous and reiterated MJ’s ascendancy. “Because if you’re going to be anybody, you better be ‘Mike Jack’ or it’s an own goal,” said one X user.

Unsurprisingly, Jackson’s alleged abuse of children was brought into the conversation as well, with his fans claiming his innocence and bringing up Prince’s alleged abuses. As if we needed another reminder, stan war discourses—and social media in general—are not equipped to discuss these issues with any nuance.

The narrative espoused by Lamar and Drake fans aligns with the binary of Prince vs MJ. Drake and MJ’s fans argued that widespread popularity and cultural influence are what makes an artist great. Lamar and Prince’s fans contended that these two artists are the more sophisticated choice, the ones that prioritize craft and creativity above all else. 

Why it matters

We use pop culture as a way to project how we want to be seen by others, in addition to getting real enjoyment out of the creative arts. Identity is formed in and around fandom, and vice versa. When taken to the extreme, an attack on your fave can feel like an attack on you personally.

Rap beefs are also good entertainment, and certainly help to sell records. If fans go head-to-head in the process, at least we can learn a little about what kind of artistic achievements matter to people. 

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