After a hellacious heavyweight feud between two of rapās top superstars, Kendrick Lamar and Drake, the court of public opinion seems poised to announce the Compton MC as the victor. For now, Kendrick can rejoice and hold his head high after issuing the knockout blow of the battle on Saturday (May 4) with āNot Like Us,ā topping streaming charts on Spotify and Apple and already making its way into the heart of pop culture. Meanwhile, his adversary Drake is left to ponder his next move, after seemingly dismissing the lyrical combat in what was likely his last song of the battle, Sundayās āThe Heart Pt. 6.ā
Though Drake can proudly hoist his laundry list of accolades, spanning from his 13 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 to his all-time record number of Hot 100 entries, thereās no denying that this loss against hip-hopās cerebral assassin will certainly muddy his standing in the rap world. Though he fought tooth-and-nail with Lamar throughout the weeks-long back-and-forth, you donāt get brownie points for coming in second place in hip-hop. Despite his glossy Hall of Fame resume, the question remains: Can Drake reclaim his glory and recover? Or did Kendrick deliver his fatality?
From a mainstream standpoint, Drakeās legacy wonāt be affected. For 15 years, he has shattered records by putting up video game numbers. Heās second to Jay-Z regarding rappers with the most Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, while being fourth overall (also behind Taylor Swift and The Beatles). Even after his 2023 For All the Dogs left fans and critics mostly underwhelmed, he still topped the Billboard 200 during the setās opening week with 402,000 equivalent album units moved, while also notching two Hot 100 chart-toppers with the SZA-assisted āSlime You Outā and āFirst Person Shooterā with J. Cole.
Drakeās ability to weave in and out of the pop world whenever he chooses has enabled him to have a fanbase outside of rap. But while this beef has crossed over into pop culture, the reality is the feud was strictly for hip-hop culture and not really anyone else. The people who adored Drake for making āHotline Blingā or āOne Danceā wonāt care too much about his loss to Kendrick as opposed to The Culture and will continue to champion him.
When Drake sparred against Pusha T in 2018, he was in the midst of the best commercial run of his career. He had released back to back smashes in āGodās Planā and āNice for What,ā ultimately topping the Hot 100 for a combined 19 weeks between them. But then, Pusha temporarily toppled Drake with āThe Story of Adidon,ā leaving the 6 God stunned and under duress. Though Drake didnāt respond to the scathing diss track, he pushed forward with his fifth studio album, Scorpion, and ultimately won the summer with his meme-ready, dance-challenge-inspiring single āIn My Feelings,ā which became his third No. 1 hit during that run. While The Culture buried Drake after his disappointing loss, the pop world never abandoned him
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www.billboard.com
Though Drake can proudly hoist his laundry list of accolades, spanning from his 13 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 to his all-time record number of Hot 100 entries, thereās no denying that this loss against hip-hopās cerebral assassin will certainly muddy his standing in the rap world. Though he fought tooth-and-nail with Lamar throughout the weeks-long back-and-forth, you donāt get brownie points for coming in second place in hip-hop. Despite his glossy Hall of Fame resume, the question remains: Can Drake reclaim his glory and recover? Or did Kendrick deliver his fatality?
From a mainstream standpoint, Drakeās legacy wonāt be affected. For 15 years, he has shattered records by putting up video game numbers. Heās second to Jay-Z regarding rappers with the most Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, while being fourth overall (also behind Taylor Swift and The Beatles). Even after his 2023 For All the Dogs left fans and critics mostly underwhelmed, he still topped the Billboard 200 during the setās opening week with 402,000 equivalent album units moved, while also notching two Hot 100 chart-toppers with the SZA-assisted āSlime You Outā and āFirst Person Shooterā with J. Cole.
Drakeās ability to weave in and out of the pop world whenever he chooses has enabled him to have a fanbase outside of rap. But while this beef has crossed over into pop culture, the reality is the feud was strictly for hip-hop culture and not really anyone else. The people who adored Drake for making āHotline Blingā or āOne Danceā wonāt care too much about his loss to Kendrick as opposed to The Culture and will continue to champion him.
When Drake sparred against Pusha T in 2018, he was in the midst of the best commercial run of his career. He had released back to back smashes in āGodās Planā and āNice for What,ā ultimately topping the Hot 100 for a combined 19 weeks between them. But then, Pusha temporarily toppled Drake with āThe Story of Adidon,ā leaving the 6 God stunned and under duress. Though Drake didnāt respond to the scathing diss track, he pushed forward with his fifth studio album, Scorpion, and ultimately won the summer with his meme-ready, dance-challenge-inspiring single āIn My Feelings,ā which became his third No. 1 hit during that run. While The Culture buried Drake after his disappointing loss, the pop world never abandoned him
More at link
Can Drake Recover After His Battle With Kendrick Lamar?
With the court of public opinion leaning on Kendrick Lamar was the victor in the rap civil war, Billboard explores the next steps in Drake's career.
www.billboard.com
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Always questioning Drake, let him heal! 
