Tag Archives: rap

K.Dot v. Drizzy, a Fight for the Culture

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On March 22nd, 2024 the track “Like That” was released by Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar. Lamar escalated the existing feud between himself and hip hop mega-star and former child actor Aubrey Drake Graham. The two have a long history of collaboration and feuding stretching back over a decade; Drake gave Lamar of his first big breaks by having Lamar open for him on his 2012 tour.

Back when Drake and Kendrick were cool with each other : r/HipHopImages
Drizzy (left) and K.Dot (right) together in 2012

The back and forth between Drake and Lamar spanned several months in 2024. The timeline for the tracks are as follows:

“Pushups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” – Drake, April 19th

“Euphoria” – Lamar, April 30th

“6:16 in LA” – Lamar, May 3rd

“Family Matters” – Drake, May 3rd

“Meet the Grahams” – Lamar, May 3rd (20 minutes after “Family Matters”)

“Not Like Us” – Lamar, May 4th

“The Heart Part 6” – Drake, May 5th

Each track is worthy of discussing in its own right but the feud culminated in the track “Not Like Us” by Lamar. The track is a violent take down of both Drake and his label, OVO. THis was done with bars like “Say Drake I hear you like ’em young… Certified Lover Boy? Certified Pedophile.” Allegations of Drake’s inappropriate behavior with underage girls have circulated the internet for over a decade. A 2010 video has surfaced of 23 year old Drake inviting a fan on stage, kissing her neck, learning she is 17, saying “I can’t go to jail yet, Man” before kissing her neck again.

31-year-old Drake and 14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown have a weird relationship
Aubrey Drake Graham (31) and Millie Bobby Brown (14)

Lamar’s second verse on “Not Like Us” makes a historical and cultural critique of the music industry by comparing the struggles of slavery to the exploitation of black artists by the music industry. Lamar posits that Drake perpetuates this exploitation by using Atlanta based artists like Future, Lil Baby, and 21 Savage to gain credibility and make money. He rejects Drakes claim to Atlanta with the bar “No, You not a colleague you a fucking colonizer.”

Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s 2024 beef appears from the outside to be two mega stars squabbling but by looking deeper into the context and the lyrics of both of these artists there is a much deeper meaning to be gained about the music industry and hip hop culture. For a better, if lengthy breakdown of the beef by black culture critic I highly recommend F.D Signifier’s video “I’m What the Culture Feeling.”

1980’s Music Censorship: NWA vs. FBI

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pu3ByHBeU0

“So police think they have the authority to kill a minority.” -Ice Cube

NWA

In 1988, the famous rap group called NWA received a letter written by Milt Ahlerich, assistant director of the FBI office of public affairs. The letter enveloped the idea that NWA was advocating for violence against local police officers. Later, NWA clarified that their music was not advocating for action, rather reflecting on their personal experiences with police brutality. This letter was perceived by many as a means of artistic censorship, which caused much controversy across the nation. Many people felt that their amendment of free speech was being threatened by the FBI. According to Ahlerich, he felt that he was representing the sentiment of all the police departments across the nation, stating, “I believe my views reflect the opinion of the entire law enforcement community.” Ahlerich was specifically referring to the censorship of the song, “Fuck The Police” which was written by rapper Ice Cube from NWA.

The entire incident reflected the oppression of expression at the hand of the government. Whether the claim was racialized or not, the FBI’s decision to write such a letter actually worsened attitudes among minorities because it showed that the government will censor any form of personal expression. It created an “us vs. them” feeling among many people.

Los Angeles Times journalist Steve Hochman writes this particular article from a 3rd person perspective. When you read the article, you get to hear all sides of the story, including the FBI member, Milt Ahlerich. Ultimately, Hochman does end up including an argument that music should not be censored by government entities by utilizing quotes stated by Danny Goldberg, chairman of the Southern California affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and a recording industry executive. The article was written in 1989, which gave the writer some time for more information on the incident to arise, since the letter was sent to Priority Records, the label that represented NWA, in August 1988.

Although this source highlights the overall story from all angles of the issue, there are more articles that may highlight or focus on the controversy that immediately followed the publication of the FBI letter to NWA. This incident surely created some heated debates across the United States, and only brought NWA more recognition for their art. Hearing from those sides would be paired well with this primary source.

 

Sources Cited:

1973eazyme. “N.W.A. vs. the FBI [1989].” YouTube. March 20, 2010. Accessed May 01, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pu3ByHBeU0.

 

Hochman, Steve. “Compton Rappers Versus the Letter of the Law: FBI Claims Song by N.W.A. Advocates Violence on Police.” Los Angeles Times. October 05, 1989. Accessed April 29, 2018. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-05/entertainment/ca-1046_1_law-enforcement.