Song of the week of Spots of consequences The best new songs every week. Find these new favorites and more in our Spotify best songs playlist and to see other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify new sounds play list. This week, Kendrick Lamar reminds us why Drake it sucks with “euphoria”.”
When Kendrick Lamar finally criticized Drake directly on Future and Metro Boomin's “Like That” last month, the floodgates opened for all those who had only been tolerating Drake come out of the woodwork. Drake responded as he knows how with some decent jokes on “Push Ups,” but his use of Tupac’s fake voice to provoke Kendrick on “Taylor Made Freestyle” exposed a serious misunderstanding of the situation. This isn't a war Drake can win with a few short jokes and memes because no one respects him, something Kendrick discusses in detail on “euphoria,” the better of the two diss tracks K.Dot released this week.
Opening the song, Kendrick hits Drake where it hurts by pointing out that he's always been a goofy theater kid who hangs out with the right people. “The famous actor we once knew seems paranoid and now he's spiraling,” he raps. “You're not a rap artist, you're a hustler hoping to be accepted.”
This is not a new revelation; One of the biggest criticisms leveled at Drake is how he has used his stature to get closer to vibrant artists like Kendrick, The Weeknd and Migos while he rides the latest trends, changing his accent as often as he changes his clothes. However, no one has laid bare his disrespect for Drake so much since Pusha T.
Calling himself Drake's “biggest enemy,” Kendrick goes on to rap: “I hate the way you walk, the way you talk, I hate the way you dress/I hate the way you sneak around, if I catch you” . flight, it's going to be direct.”
Adding that he's not the only one who feels this way (“I'm what the culture feels”), Kendrick further attacks Drake's insecurities about race (“How many more black features until you finally feel like you're black? Enough” ) and empty attempts to be respected as a rapper (“I like Drake with the melodies, I don't like Drake when he acts tough”).
Over six minutes long, “euphoria” also includes more personal lines about Drake's parenting skills and plastic surgery rumors, but what hurts the most is the truth: none of his favorites really liked him in the first place.
— Eddie Fu
news editor
thanks to our partners at consequence.net
