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Kendrick Lamar dropped a new diss track titled “Euphoria” directed at Drake. This marked the latest development in an ongoing rap feud between the two prominent hip-hop artists.
Recently, speculation had grown that Lamar was preparing a response to remarks Drake made about him on the song “Like That.” Drake responded to Lamar’s verse on that track with two songs of his own – “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” later that month. “Push Ups” took aim at several rap peers, while “Taylor Made Freestyle” featured altered vocals of deceased rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, which was later removed.
On April 30th, Lamar unexpectedly tweeted a link to “Euphoria” on his official YouTube channel. The six-minute track contained myriad insults and attacks directed at Drake. Lamar referenced Drake’s use of altered rapper vocals, questioned the authenticity of his public persona, and hinted he had privately disliked Drake’s music and image for some time. He also challenged Drake to finish prior beefs before engaging with him.
The song’s title of “Euphoria” and single artwork featuring the word’s definition were seen by many as a reference to Lamar feeling relief after addressing Drake. The track opened with backward audio from a scene in the 1978 film The Wiz, where the character is exposed as inauthentic.
Many applauded Kendrick for this diss track, who felt it represented a legitimate rap battle response after Drake’s prior efforts. Now, we await a reply from Drake addressing Lamar’s potent verbal attacks.
