Is the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Beef Over? Did Kendrick Really Win?

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We go deep on Kendrick Lamar's rap battle with Drake on the new episode of 'Rolling Stone Music Now' - Credit: Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images; Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
We go deep on Kendrick Lamar's rap battle with Drake on the new episode of 'Rolling Stone Music Now' - Credit: Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images; Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Kendrick Lamar’s battle with Drake may or may not be over for good, but it’s clear that it was easily one of the greatest hip-hop beefs of all time, producing no fewer than nine separate songs — including Lamar’s current Drake-savaging Number One hit, “Not Like Us.”

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In the new episode of our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, we look back at the rapid-fire exchange of songs between the two artists, with Andre Gee joining host Brian Hiatt for the discussion. Go here to find the episode on the podcast provider of your choice, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or just press play above.

The episode breaks down just how quickly the beef turned super-ugly, with wild accusations flying back and forth. Gee also explains why he’s convinced Lamar won the exchange, thanks to a series of knock-out blows that culminated in “Not Like Us.” The discussion also looks at how Drake might go forward from here, whether Lamar’s next album could be poised to be a blockbuster, and much more.

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