French Montana's Claim He Has More Hits Than Kendrick Lamar Sparked the Funniest Hip-Hop Feud in Years

Matt Miller
·5 min read
Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Esquire

Can you really call it a feud if one of the parties in question seemingly doesn't even know or care about said feud? That is the question when it comes to French Montana's current beef with Kendrick Lamar, which has captivated hip-hop Twitter this week, and now includes a side feud with Young Thug. The whole thing—which, just to reiterate, has not bothered Lamar one bit—has become prime fodder for meme-age, and perhaps one of the funniest hip-hop feuds in years. At the very least, it's given people some much-needed entertainment while in quarantine.

It began with a conversation with Complex News' Speedy Morman on April 18 during which French said he "might outshine" Lamar if they were both headlining a festival. "I mean, honestly, I could go against anybody. You could put somebody like Kendrick Lamar next to me on the same stage at a festival," he said after being asked who he could go up against after his IG Live battle with Tory Lanez.

Shortly afterward, in a series of tweets, French doubled down on his claim, saying that he could go "neck to neck" with Lamar in an IG Live battle. He also claimed to have more hits than Lamar (he does not).

"IF WE JUST TALKING ABOUT ANTHEMS, !! ME VS KENDRICK HIT FOR HIT ! I BELIEVE I CAN GO NECK TO NECK," he wrote. "I BEEN MAKING HITS FOR A LONG TIME ! IT AINT MY FAULT I BELIEVE IN MYSELF. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION ? HOW MANY TIMES I GOTTA PROVE MYSELF BEFORE I GET MINE."

While he did acknowledge that he loves Lamar, he maintained that he could beat him and anyone else that is put in front of him.

"I love kendrick! that’s not just for kendrick that’s to anybody they put in front of me, and ask me that same question what u want me to say lol ? It should be your attitude too," he wrote. "If u think any less of yourself don’t blame it on the next person who don’t ! set it up."

That's when Young Thug jumped in to defend Lamar (who at this point still hasn't acknowledged any of this is happening), calling French a “stupid ass" in a lengthy Instagram story. According to XXL, French responded by uploading an image of Thug in a skirt in a now-deleted Instagram post then followed that up with a different message:

"Aye Thug man, thank you for wearing that skirt for me on “No Stylist.” You heard? Hold the cap. Fuck with you though. But, worry about 21 Savage before me and Kendrick, you heard?"

Thug then responded with another clip, telling French:

"Listen, bro. Get out of your feelings. I’m only speaking from an artist standpoint. You do not have nowhere near more hits than Kendrick Lamar, whatsoever. You probably won’t ever have more hits than buddy. So, get that out of your head. I don’t know what you’re taking, but get that out of your head. I wore that dress in your video just to show love and support because I only put that dress on when it’s real…when I feel like it’s real love or I feel like this what it’s supposed to be. That’s the only time I do that type of shit. ’Cause I thought it was love.”

And in another video Thug claimed French has a fake Bugatti and "cheesy ass jewelry" and a house he'll "get put out of in the next two, three years."

Meanwhile, Lamar still has not made any indication he knows that any of this is going on—he hasn't posted on Twitter or Instagram since March 5. If anyone is trying to keep score, Kendrick has 48 Billboard Hot 100 songs compared to French Montana's 17 hits, according to XXL.

At the very least, this feud is giving everyone something to do right now. And it's made for some pretty good memes (even Gunna jumped in, saying "Prayers up for French Montana. Cuz he gone need em.”):

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