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Drake responds to Kendrick Lamar’s six-minute diss track with 10 Things I Hate About You clip

Rappers have been embroiled in a long-simmering feud for years, but Lamar’s latest track includes a number of direct hits

Roisin O'Connor
Wednesday 01 May 2024 09:01 BST
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Kendrick Lamar performs at Glastonbury

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Drake has attempted to suggest he was unbothered by Kendrick Lamar’s latest diss track, which takes aim at everything from plastic surgery rumours to his parental responsibilities.

The Canadian star and the Grammy-winning To Pimp a Butterfly rapper have been embroiled in a simmering feud for years, trading thinly veiled barbs at one another in their respective songs.

In recent months, however, that feud has errupted into all-out war, with Lamar now openly naming Drake in his latest track, “Euphoria”, seemingly a nod to Drake’s role as a producer on the hit HBO teen drama.

Released on Tuesday (30 April), the six-minute track sees Lamar open fire on Drake’s racial identity, alleged use of ghostwriters, and recent remarks and behaviour that have led to accusations of misogyny.

One widely discussed moment on the track has been linked to a notorious interview with late rapper DMX. Asked whether he liked Drake in the interview, he simply said, “No.”

Pushed to elaborate, he said: “I don’t like anything about Drake. I don’t like his f***ing voice, I don’t like nothing he talks about. I don’t like his face. I don’t like the way he walks. Nothing. I don’t like his haircut.”

Lamar echoes this as he raps: “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk/ I hate the way that you dress/ I hate the way you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct.”

Kendrick Lamar (left) and Drake
Kendrick Lamar (left) and Drake (Getty)

While many fans quickly compared Lamar’s verse to the DMX remarks, Drake was clearly reminded of another moment in pop culture: a scene from the Nineties rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You.

Posting the clip on his Instagram Stories, Drake shared the moment Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) reads a poem in front of the class: “I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair/ I hate the way you drive my car, I hate it when you stare/ I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind/ I hate you so much it makes me sick, it even makes me rhyme.”

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Drake added a broken heart emoji and a winking face to the clip, which was reposted by Instagram page The Shade Room.

Drake shared a tongue-in-cheek reaction to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track
Drake shared a tongue-in-cheek reaction to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track (Getty/Instagram)

Fans were divided by the “One Dance” artist’s response, with some claiming he won the “sassy olympics” and others exasperated that Lamar’s DMX reference appeared to have gone over his head.

“Of course Drake wouldn’t know,” one viewer said, while another defended Drake and said he was using the 10 Things clip to troll Lamar.

In other searing lines, Lamar dismisses rumours he has been looking for “dirt” on Drake: “Why would I try to call around and try to get dirt on you? You think my life is rap? That’s ho s***. I got a son to raise. But I can see you don’t know nothing ‘bout that,” he raps.

The bars hark back to the now-infamous diss track from US rapper Pusha T, “The Story of Adidon”, which revealed that Drake had fathered a son with French former adult actor Sophie Brussaux. Drake confirmed he had a son, Adonis, a month later when he released his fifth album, Scorpion.

Lamar also skewered Drake over the fact that he never responded to “The Story of Adidon”, suggesting that Pusha T had the final word in their beef and Drake chose instead to take shots at artists like Pharrell.

“I don’t like you poppin’ s***, that s*** at Pharrell, I inherit the beef/ Yeah f*** all that pushin P, let me see you Push a T,” Lamar raps.

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