Nearly a year after the explosive peak of the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud, the conversation is far from over. DJ Hed (@djhed) and Mal recently sat down on YouTube to dissect the lyrical battle between two of hip-hop’s biggest giants. And their exchange has social media buzzing once again.
What started as a retrospective discussion quickly evolved into a passionate debate, with both Hed and Mal offering firm takes on who came out as the winner. As clips from the conversation made their rounds online, fans and fellow artists alike jumped into the fray, reigniting conversations that had seemingly cooled off.
Mal made one of the most debated points of the discussion, arguing that many artists in the industry believe Drake actually had the lyrical edge over Kendrick. “Some of the rappers that you’ve played their records and respect, I’ve had conversations with them,” he said. “They’re like Kendrick may have got the strategy and the perception of him dropping right after ‘Family Matters’ […] But if you just go and listen to bars as an MC and as a rapper, there’s no way you think Kendrick outrapped Drake.”
The debate
He even questioned whether Kendrick was truly focused on lyricism in tracks like “Not Like Us,” a record more known for its West Coast bounce and viral hook than bar-for-bar complexity.
DJ Hed, on the other hand, stood firm in his support of Kendrick, emphasizing the cultural impact and calculated execution of the Compton rapper’s moves during the feud. As their debate intensified, so did the online reaction. Fans choosing sides, sharing hot takes, and revisiting the tracks that dominated headlines last year.
While the Drake vs. Kendrick chapter may be over musically, the conversation clearly isn’t. Thanks to voices like Hed and Mal, it seems this debate is still far from settled.
