Who's actually going to win this monumental rap beef Drake or Kendrick Lamar
We're going to give our 10-minute takes on it. Joining us today, Ryan Alexander Holmes
I guess long story short, this whole thing's been going back and forth. There's so many shots being fired
Does this even matter? Is it performative or is it just trying to reignite interest in a flagging rap industry
where a country is seemingly taken over? First of all, I just want to give a shout out
We did a whole podcast with Ryan before this video. It's about being black, Asian, and from L.A., so check it out
But anyways, we're just talking about rap right now, because we've talked about this together as friends
So we just got to make a video about it. Yeah. So, Ryan, I guess after, okay, it's got Jay Cole's disc
Metro Boomin like that, Drake pushups, Taylor Made, Euphoria by Kendrick, 616 by Kendrick
Family Matters by Drake, Meet the Grams by Kendrick, not like us by Kendrick
And now Metro Boomin just dropped a beat about BBL Drizzie. What is your feelings as a L.A. guy into rap
rap fan. I mean, first of all, like, it gives me PTSD towards, like, the black violence that
has happened in hip-hop and it has ended in, you know, dire circumstances. But I don't think that's
what's going to happen here. So I think there's a levity to this, and I think it's kind of hilarious
and I think it's good for hip-hop in terms of getting people's eyes back into it and putting it
launching it more into, like, the public arena for everyone to sort of witness. And the stakes aren't
as high. Like, the stakes aren't life and death. So I think it, I think they're both kind of winning
Even if people are saying like that KDOT has eviscerated Drake, I think that they're
both winning in terms of their, they're, they're even more relevant than they're talking
about the search engine optimization, the eyeballs, all that, engagement. It's all coming back to rap where it almost was like can black people take over country
music with Beyonce. Lilnaz-X. Yeah, Shabozy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So do you think it's igniting
both audiences right now or because there is some crossover of the audiences obviously
that some people are just enjoying it as fans of both. I think they're enjoying it as fans of both
I think I don't think anyone's even really choosing a side really per se
Like I still think they're going to listen to both of their music because Drake just makes hits and so does Kda
Like I think at the end of the day they're both going to win. But I think when you said when you talked about performative
I think, like, as the artists that are doing it, as Drake and Kendrick
they just want to feel like they're on top. They want to feel like they stuck it to each other
and they want to win that battle. But what's funny is the fact that, like
it's actually good for both their careers. So long as it doesn't get violence, which I think it's going to
I agree that actually, I know Jay Cole stayed out of it
but him not being in the fight, it kind of is now, it kind of shows that they're one and two
You know what I mean? Like that's kind of the inclint. That's kind of the assumption, David, right
Would you agree that because this battle is so big and all eyes on Drake and Kendrick
that from their separate realms, which Drake is more of the pop rapper and like gangster rapper
or I don't want to say gangster rapper, but you know what I mean, pop, whatever mainstream. And then Kendrick..
Here are Drake music in the strip club Yeah and Kendrick being kind of the more conscious guy it the champions of both realms now going at it But Jay Cole kind of in between I think but I think Jay Cole was the bigger man to be like
yo, this doesn't sit right with me. I'm going to take a back seat. But we're talking about hip-hop fans
and that's not what they like to see. They want to see a fight. They want to see people go toe-to-to-to
Do you think Jay Cole saw that he was more on the hedonistic frat-boy side
being aligned with Drake and being like, you know what? I'm kind of more conscious low key
Because like him and Drake are both mixed Kendrick's full you know what I mean I think J. Cole made a business decision
In the sense that he just didn't want to go to that place Because I'm sure like that's a lot of animosity
And a lot of thinking in the ways that he doesn't want to think anymore
Because that's not what his brand is Like that's not what J. Cole's brand is You know
Well it's like all about peace No but isn't Kendrick doing the most Kendrick thing
In that he's much more outwardly pro black and his his lyrics always breaking down like all these things about society and racial dynamics and black
power and then he's going up against drake who has always been questioned about his blackness
and his heart with the black community and whether he's a culture vulture so it's almost like
drake is the prime target not j cole because j cole's like a conscious mixed guy yeah yeah because
they're both half white yeah black but but j cole has much always been more like you know you know
down with the community black power and stuff yeah but now kendrick is going at Drake who is the ultimate culture vulture for years whether or not you call him that
So it's kind of like on brand for Kendrick. Yeah. It's very on brand for Kendrick
And then that's why you're not a community member. You're a colonizer. That's, I mean, that's almost like, who I always thought Kendrick's lines like when I speak, I
electrify him. When you speak, you pacify him. I was like, man, this guy is really cutting to the core
Yeah. Why Mo's death calls Drake pop rap and not a true hip hop artist
It's interesting because, like, Drake is, is, is, is, is like a very generally popular person
I like Drake's songs. And I love them. Everyone sort of relates to that
And he doesn't really talk about his blackness in the same way that Kendrick does, you know
And does that have something to do with why he's so popular in the way that he is
You know what I mean? He kind of leads into, I would call, say, like, high school superstar sort of like black jock at the school
You know how nobody ever asked the star football or basketball player to say any
They leave that for like, you know. He comes from, he comes from a background in acting
Do you know what I mean? And Hollywood. So it kind of makes sense that the approach that he's taking to
So let me ask you this, Ryan. And I'm just asking you because you're a mixed black and Asian guy
Yeah. Drake is mixed black and Asian. You're in the arts. You're in Hollywood
You act. I feel like I know. Do you relate to Drake? personally more? You're like, no, I'm the L.A. black guy, Kendrick all the way
Honestly, like, I can't say that I relate to either of them. But I had to. I feel like Kendrick grew up in L.A. I grew up in L.A
Different circumstances obviously We mixed And I know sort of like the areas that he grew up in and what he talking about And also what I studied is like you know You more identify with Kendrick message I understand his message but I understand also what where Drake is coming from
Do you know what I mean? Right, where you're saying that, because I know that one of the things
we had talked about in the previous video is like, not everybody has to be a hardcore direct activist
in the way that more Kendrick is, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it seems like, I mean
from Kentrick's perspective, and his music, he really is for the black community
Do you know what I mean? Yeah, it's funny because I saw this one piece on the internet, how they were talking about like a lot of Kendrick fans in a way are like more white
than Drake's fans. Really? But his music is so black. Okay. You know what I'm saying
I know what you're, well, that's like the same thing like when NWA came out
Like what kept them afloat was all these white kids that love their music
That love politics. Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Because Kendrick's crowd has definitely read more books than Drake's crowd
I'm going to say it. Yeah. Your average Kendrick fan has read more books, read more conscious material, more W.E.B
Du Bois, more whatever. Yeah. Like Drake's crowd doesn't know who W.E.V. Debois or Mansa
Well, the thing is they don't have to. Do you know what I mean? Right. They don't have to
And I think that's why he's a pop artist or considered a pop artist
Because pop artists are not meant to force that on you. Yeah, because the intelligentsia doesn't, can listen to Drake, too, you know
And then, but I think smart people listen to Drake and keep it in the, yes, Drake is fun
He makes good songs. We like the music. We like to vibe. If I'm at a party, I will probably listen to a little bit more Drake than Kendrick
But I always feel like the intelligent people, their respect is with Kendrick
So now, to me, it's a battle of respect versus pop power
And Drake has the pop power. He got the hits. He has everything. He got the club hits
But Kendrick, even for me, I'm always going to admit. I'm like, oh, yeah, Kendrick is saying the craziest stuff
Like, since Section 80, his mixtape, like, I've always been a Kendrick fan
but I'm not going to lie. I listen to more Drake. It's popular music
Yeah. You know? It feels good. But then when we're talking about a rap battle, that's a completely different conversation
And I think that's where Kendrick is starting to take the edge because it's like
now he's really about that. And he's really about the community, right? He's really about hip hop in a, in a different kind of way than Drake is. Right
So it's from a pure hip hop battle perspective. Yeah, from a pure hip hop battle perspective
No, he doesn't, he doesn't croon. You could argue in a way that the only rapper that Drake beat was Meek Mill
Because he lost to push a T's lot. Because these hardcore, like lyricist, lyricist, I don't use go
I'm like, I just sit and write a hundred bars every day
Just to keep my muscles strong. He's going up against lyricists is like, that's crazy
But like, did he lose in the end? Did Drake lose in the end
No, because even the fact that people felt like he exchanged blows with him. It's almost like if you, nobody expects you to
if Jake Paul just exchanges blows with Mike Tyson and he loses by decision he still will have won That what I saying I mean he already won Jake Paul has already won I thought Logan Paul in the narrative battle won against Mayweather because he looked better than you thought Logan Paul would look against Mayweather
So that's also why I say like they're both winning too. Yeah, I agree
David, any last thoughts? Man, for me, it's interesting to see, like you said
I just don't know. You have a serious knowledge-based, conscious lyricist, lyricist in Kendrick and you almost have the distillation
I mean, obviously a little bit more lyricism muscles than your average like pop rapper
like a Nelly or like a jaw rule. But like almost more from that realm
I put Drake if you made me triangulated more towards that realm. And I'm like nobody can really win or lose because winning or losing would have to
be between two people in the same arena. Yeah, into arena. No, you're right
It's like having an M. M. A boxer. It's like even if that MMA fighter goes
Yeah, it's like Mayweather in Connor McGregor. Yeah. Yeah. Like nobody really thinks Connor McGregor
sucks because he lost a boxing match to Mayweather. Didn't Uzman lose to Francis
Tyson Fury. Oh yeah. But it was like Tyson Fury only boxes. The other guy used to kneeing people
choking people out. Yeah. So it's like, that's why it was like, yes and no
Befoot and style. Like people are going to like, if you have like sort of those like
sports star, Kedinistic, frat boy, dreams, you're always going to want to trade places with Drake
Of course. But if you are like more brainy and you're like, man, what is cutting to the core of like actual
like what knowledge based rap should be about? Oh, yes. For sure
I mean, it's like it's like Bosquiat and, you know, Andy Warhol
You know what I mean? Right. Like we know Bosciad is Kendrick. Warhol is Drake
So it's like, yeah, how can you really compare and say who's going to win between those too
Yeah, because it's an art battle now. It's just the art battle. Was J. Cole kind of like Banksy then
I guess. I don't know. I don't know. He might be fine
He might be like Monet or some shit like that. He might be like fine arts
All right, everybody, let us know in the comments down below what you think Kendrick or Drake
or are you just enjoying the battle? Because as rap fan, I know this has nothing to do
with really being Asian guys, but we just wanted to talk about it. I'll say this
Let me just bring it to an Asian level. Like I feel like our content as Asian creators is more like
Jay Cole or Kendrick than Drake. Like I don't make the Drake of Asian content
Like I let all the pretty whoever's on TikTok and stuff be the drakes of the Asian community
Not that there's not a space for that, but like for sure we're more towards the country. Like pretty and yeah
Yeah, like it's not always pretty when you like listen to Fun Bros. topics
You know what I mean? It's not going to be. It's going to be like, you're going to hear a lot of references. Yeah. Hell yeah
Bro, if we were Drake, we'd get way more of you. No, I appreciate that because I feel like I'm kind of like that too
I don't go towards like the glitzy glamory stuff, glamour stuff. I go towards like what I'm passionate about and what sits right in my soul, you know, what moves me, my passions
So yeah, I vibe with that. I know what you mean. Yeah. All right, everybody, check out Ryan stuff down below
I'm going to leave a link. Check out that full podcast that we did about being black, Chinese and famous on TikTok and Instagram
All right. Until next time, we out. Peace. Peace. Peace