Rakim praises Drake and Kendrick Lamar for validating real hip-hop
Rakim, who found success as part of the hip-hop duo Eric B & Rakim, has shared his thoughts on the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
The feud between the two rappers kicked off earlier this year when Kendrick appeared on a Future and Metro Boomin’ track which took aim at Drake. From there, the two rap giants have traded diss tracks back and forth on songs like ‘Family Matters’ and ‘Not Like Us’.
A number of other rappers have weighed in on the topic, including Lil Yachty and Soulja Boy. Artists from outside of the hip-hop realm have also shared their thoughts on the feud, including Sheryl Crow, who criticised Drake’s decision to replicate Tupac Shakur with artificial intelligence. Rakim is the latest to provide his take on the beef.
Rather than siding with either rapper, or dismissing the feud entirely, Rakim shared his appreciation for how the feud has brought real hip-hop into the mainstream realm. “I think it was important,” he began, when prompted to comment on the beef during a conversation with Billboard, “because these brothers are at the top of the game, and revered hip-hop.”
“You know, a lot of people in that position won’t accept no challenge,” he continued, “because they got too much to lose. So, it was dope that these brothers put the mainstream success down and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.'”
Rakim went on to suggest that the feuding between the two rap greats has put things into “perspective,” showing new fans and budding artists the difference between “real hip-hop and mainstream hip-hop.”
“The battle was very needed for the genre,” he declared, “I tip my hat to them brothers. Let’s just hope that it stays to the music.” Rakim then implored new artists to look further into the hip-hop history that precedes them, beyond the beef between Kendrick and Drake. “Researching hip-hop is one of the illest things you can do,” he stated.
Though the feud between Drake and Kendrick seems to have quietened down a little, DJ Akademiks recently suggested that the battle is ongoing, predicting sneak disses still to come.
Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky is reportedly set to join the feuding on his upcoming record, Don’t Be Dumb. After Drake took aim at the rapper on ‘Push Ups’ earlier this year, it seems that Rocky might be gearing up to respond on his new record. Don’t Be Dumb is expected to arrive next month.