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To keep it from seeming boring, 2024 gave us a rap beef of all things rap: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake. Rap feuds are nothing new, from Tupac vs. Biggie (it ended tragically<\/strong><\/a><\/span>) and Nas vs. Jay-Z (they called it quits<\/strong><\/a><\/span>) to Kanye vs. Peppa Pig<\/strong><\/a><\/span> (sure, why not? It’s Kanye). What’s different about the new beef is the contribution of social media, which led to the first content-fueled showdown of its kind. For the artists, content manifested itself as diss tracks with a very<\/strong> <\/a><\/span>(VERY<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>) personal<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>twist. For fans, it’s a (currently) untapped source of video content and memes, demonstrating just how explosive celebrity clashes can become in the social media age.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Although it has only just broken out, the dispute between Kendrick and Drake comes amid tensions that have been simmering for years. It gained momentum after Kendrick’s first diss in “Like That,” which addressed Drake’s lack of artistic integrity and popstardom artificiality. The track came in response to “First Person Shooter,” Drake’s collaboration with J. Cole, in which the two called themselves and K.Dot the “Big Three” of modern hip-hop (to which Kendrick politely said “no thanks”<\/strong><\/a><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n Drake fired back with “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made,” prompting Kendrick to escalate with “Euphoria,” “6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us.” Each diss ramped up the personal attacks, with Drake being labeled, by turns, Culture Vulture<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, sexual creep and absent father.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Drake’s comeback and last track in the beef (so far) was “The Heart Part 6”, perceived by most fans as a lame comeback and the first example of defensive rapping<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, in which the Toronto rapper claims he intentionally gave false information to Kendrick.<\/span><\/p>\n\n In short, it amped up the beef. Lots and lots of it. X\/Twitter<\/strong>, Instagram<\/strong>, TikTok<\/strong> and YouTube<\/strong> have allowed fans and artists themselves to instantly share reactions, opinions and lots of memes. The track exchange has generated tremendous amounts of fan content. It created a rapid feedback loop that fueled conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n\n The phenomenon had several layers:<\/span><\/p>\n\n For example, “Euphoria” has generated hundreds of videos on TikTok using the song as a soundtrack in various contexts:<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\nKendrick vs Drake: How it started<\/span><\/h3>\n\n
Okay, and what did social media do?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n
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