Drake accused of trolling Kendrick Lamar with a Tupac Shakur shirt

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As a longtime hip-hop fan and avid follower of both Drake and Kendrick Lamar, I can’t help but feel like I’ve lived through a rollercoaster ride of emotions watching their ongoing feud unfold. The tension between the two artists has been brewing for years, with rumors of beef simmering beneath the surface even before their epic battle began in earnest.

It looks like the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar was starting to cool down, but something has reignited their rivalry once again. More recently, Drake fueled the fire by wearing a shirt emblazoned with the image of the late rap legend Tupac Shakur, which led to a significant response.

On Monday, July 23, Drake shared a selfie on Instagram Stories where he donned a shirt displaying a prominent image of Tupac Shakur’s face with the phrase “Only God Can Judge Me” written in bold green letters. While it’s not unusual for hip-hop artists to wear merchandise bearing Shakur’s likeness or name, given the recent back-and-forth between Drake and Lamar, this selfie might be interpreted as a subtle jab.

So, let’s start from the beginning.

Prior to their famed feud, whispers of friction between the two artists circulated. This was surprising given that Drake made an appearance on Kendrick Lamar’s track “Poetic Justice” from his acclaimed 2012 album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.” However, the rumors escalated into reality when Lamar aimed at both Drake and J. Cole in Metro Boomin and Future’s collaboration “Like That.” This instigated a series of retaliatory diss tracks, including Drake’s “Push Ups,” Kendrick’s “Euphoria,” and others like Drake’s “Family Matters” and Kendrick’s “Not Like Us.” Many believe that Kendrick emerged victorious with his last mentioned track.

Just how Tupac was used in the Drake, Kendrick battle

Drake initiated the feud between himself and Shakur by releasing a diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” where he employed artificial intelligence to mimic Shakur’s voice. However, this move was met with severe criticism from both fans and Shakur’s estate, who warned of potential legal consequences. As a result, Drake took down the song. In retaliation, Lamar referred to this incident in his track “Euphoria,” stating that Shakur would have been displeased by a Canadian rapper purchasing his iconic ring for over a million dollars at an auction in 2023. Essentially, Lamar expressed that Shakur’s spirit was unsettled due to the sale of the ring to Drake.

Lamar referred back to Drake’s previous use of Shakur’s voice in his song “Not Like Us,” where Lamar rapped, “You believe the Bay will tolerate disrespecting Pac? I think that Oakland performance could be your last one.” At his “Pop Out” concert in June, Lamar altered a line in “Euphoria,” saying, “Give me Tupac’s ring back, and perhaps I’ll give you some respect.” Additionally, during a speech to the crowd, Lamar expressed protection over the West Coast legacy: “Y’all aren’t going to let anyone disrespect the West Coast, are you? Or mock and imitate our legends?”

Drake possibly trolling Lamar with the Pac shirt

Drake’s post of him wearing a Tupac shirt, which followed Kendrick Lamar’s reference to the late rapper in his “Taylor Made Freestyle” and the purchase of a ring with Pac’s image, sparked speculation among some fans. They wondered if Drake intended to provoke Lamar, given their past musical tensions. Regardless of Drake’s intentions, many commenters shared their thoughts on social media after Hot 97 posted the photo:

He steady tryna troll you’ll never be like us sir

He think he’s trying to troll but he is just taking more L’s

Still trolling

Some argued that Drake’s actions were simply a tribute to Shakur, while others saw it as an unnecessary issue.

Guys allowed to love pac

Who cares he’s a fan okay

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but ponder over the recent exchange between Drake and Lamar. Whether Drake meant to stir up controversy or not is unclear, but one thing is for sure: their feud has certainly kept fans talking. And it seems that this back-and-forth won’t be fading away anytime soon. At least among us passionate supporters of these talented rappers.

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2024-07-24 19:24