7 hot takes I had to leave out of my Drake video

[@MangetsuSAMURAI]

I take back what I said. Kendrick isn't Batman, he's Ozymandias.

[@TapatioCombate7]

Had to look this reference up: incredible

[@tananario23]

Dude, the poem ends “No thing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.” Not sure this means what you think it does. Because you’re saying no one will remember who Kendrick was, nor care.

[@infinitiyash3440]

​@@tananario23 I think the point is more about ruination, in this case.

[@Kamidio]

@@tananario23 He means the Watchmen character, who when doing his 'big villain monologue' also revealed that he'd done everything he had talked about like ten minutes before anyone even showed up to his base and they could either join him or get turned to paste.

[@TapatioCombate7]

@@Kamidio i thought it was referencing the sonnet competition of Shelley and Smith

[@M3atbucket]

As a token musically involved white guy, I can offer a bit of insight where the rock music has gone. So after the grunge decline bigger labels weren't very keen about putting money into random "alternative" sounding bands since the music industry was shifting more toward rap. Then all the sudden that rap got laced into heavier music and suddenly we have that massive nu-metal boom. The industry pumped MILLLLLLIIIOOOOOONS of dollars into every band doing all sorts of wacky sounds and actually taking risks on projects. There was a huge positive and negative effect. The positive was that the masses got exposed to a whole generation of music that pushed the boundaries of the listeners. The negative effect was that now the scene was flooded with...well...a bunch of crap too. The over-saturation and the wacky nature of the post-grunge/nu-metal era ended up being distilled into two camps. The first camp being heavier and more polarizing metalcore that caught on huge in the underground metal scene, but the second camp ended up being the clear winner. The second camp was a more radio friendly "alternative metal/hard rock" with bands that consist of Nickelback, Three Days Grace, 3 Doors Down, and slightly later Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown. Now all the while there are a couple underdogs still being able to appeal on a larger scale but push the envelope. Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone, and The White Stripes. But with mainstream music, everything will coalesce at one point. Breed some poppy "hip hop" rhythmic flows and some trap beats into a 3 Doors Down style watered down easily digestible package and now we have Imagine Dragons. Throw some similar poppy elements into The White Stripes and we got Maneskin. So you ask "White people, where's the rock music?" and I answer, "In the same place where all the other really great ear challenging, harder to digest on a single listen music is. Underground. Next to the prog metal on the left, acid jazz on the right, and conscious hip-hop behind it." Otherwise just like the rest of the airwaves, it's dominated by the same few groups because those are the names people recognize. TL;DR - "White people, where's the rock music?" Answer: "We don't know either, man."

[@cadenisforeverbored1612]

🙌

[@MidTierVillain]

Lmao I love the TL;DR great read, man.

[@ZChoate]

I think all of this also plays a large part in the rise of bluegrass and folk music. Us HHWHITES have grown tired of combing through a thousand souless artists just to find the occasional Tame Impala. Enter the rise in popularity of Billy Strings, Derek Trucks, Nathaniel Ratliff, Tyler Childers, Marcus King. The industry has forgotten that the roots of rock stems from blues and folk, so rather than wait for those elements to present themselves, we have gradually and unconsciously headed to the source. Great time for festivals.

[@M3atbucket]

@Jack-px8lf The reality is that those bands you listed are exactly what I meant in the final sentence. The rock radio waves are dominated by the same few groups because they are safe and easy. A lot of those bands don't challenge the listener in the same way when they first hit the market. Green Day is the epitome of "radio rock music" at this point and it's the same mush they have been producing. The overall point I am making is even huge bands like Green Day and Foo Fighters are still underdogs in the comparison to main popular music. And the reason why bands like Sleep Token and Polyphia are getting big traction is because they implement a lot of the current pop music sound into more challenging genres. They are exceptions not norms.

[@JaiTheFaeBae]

Thank you for this breakdown! I'm a Black woman who's been out of the rock scene since the second wave of heavy metal/shock rock in the late 90s, so this was very insightful. SN: I like Imagine Dragons and never quite knew how to classify them so thanks for that too 😂

[@gabrielladias420]

Ah yes... the director's cut

[@jeremybrown9611]

We eating good out here

[@roundmaster2418]

I was thinking the same thing

[@badboygoodgirl]

thank god it’s not a snyder cut 😭😂

[@neyosega4330]

😂😂

[@WhizPill]

Release the SIGNIFIER Cut 2:45

[@JunkmanTTLB]

When dude said there is a Drake song for every moment in his life, I thought to myself "There is a hallmark card for everything too, and the emotions are just as real"

[@Watchingvideoslikeu]

Good one

[@connerwehri5743]

good one

[@TamRoc18]

💯

[@phdonme1]

Yoooo

[@leaffinite2001]

Oof

[@daybrink1267]

oh my god I just realized that every piece of mail//email adonis gets is gonna start with "dear adonis"

[@dylansomewhere]

And? That song was trash and made up. The consensus of this beef is they’re both terrible people.

[@naima3705]

as a founding member of the national aubrey graham misfortune manifestation movement, the never ending evidence of him being a scoundrel truly warms my heart

[@tripleabattery2914]

national aubrey graham misfortune manifestation movement is good, I gotta write that down😂

[@Bee-f7r]

Y’all are funny 😂

[@chunkypufflover7102]

Amen Brother see you at the Annual Consolidation of the "Drake was Never Like That" Community 👊🏿

[@originalscreenname44]

Shout out from the East Coast Chapter of the Day One "Fuck Drake" Fan Club.

[@zamplify]

Huzzah

[@KeegoTheWise]

unc dropped the “i’m what the culture feeling” dlc pack

[@jetsto5612]

Bro I saw this in my feed and my eyes LIT UP

[@amormundi98]

DLC pack is crazyyyy

[@KeegoTheWise]

@@amormundi98 shamelessly stole it from peggy+danny brown lmao

[@cadenisforeverbored1612]

thank god

[@sandenson]

Video of the Year edition

[@jalenwilliams8622]

Drake passively collecting XP from sexy red is crazy. 😂

[@TrapHashira1161]

😂😂😂

[@bnrso]

while showing the mob farm lmfao

[@nuggyfresh6430]

lol

[@adubfree]

Mf got exp share turned on 😂

[@tonywords6713]

Come up with something original to say

[@ZChoate]

I was not manipulated by Kendrick. I've been waiting for this since 2010.

[@504girl]

Exactly 💯

[@Juantissimo]

The Sexyy Red connection is more insidious than it seems. Drake got her to sign to gamma, a label he helped found with Lucian Grainge and Larry Jackson from Apple music that functions more like a pyramid scheme than a traditional label. Drake is personally getting a cut from her record sales through the backend

[@JimmySlick]

Got damn! These are facts?

[@Juantissimo]

@@JimmySlick yeah you can look it up, Joe Budden talked about it too

[@ArmLegLegArmHead47]

@@JimmySlickYep and I'd like to mention that SexyyRed being a ex-stripper also could benefit more sinister motives considering the trafficking allegations

[@Juantissimo]

@@JimmySlick 4batz too

[@rahbeeuh]

Usher is in a partnership with them ​@@Juantissimo

[@MariW736]

Regarding your seventh point: I’ve heard a lot of people say Kendrick brought the whole thing down or was the villain, but everybody seems to forget that just 30 minutes prior, Drake was accusing Kendrick‘s woman of cheating on him, fathering a baby with his friend, accusing Kendrick of being abusive… Just because Drake did it over a pop beat with a lighter tone of voice doesn’t excuse him from being the one who took this all down the dirty route. Kendrick knew what was going to happen, and was prepared for it, but he warned Drake at least three times in previous songs not to get dirty, and Drake chose to take it there. Hearing people blame Kendrick, is honestly really disgusting and just reinforces Drake’s continued ability to be a gross human and somehow get away with it. (that said, I do agree that big picture K had this all planned and it was an opportunity. But it wouldn’t have been possible if Drake hadn’t gotten dirty first)

[@tenishabobb6643]

lol i was wondering if i imagined drake released family matters but that can't be because they say it's his best song in the beef

[@Kekira]

I took this point to more so be that Kendrick set a trap by explicitly telling Drake MULTIPLE times to not go there, knowing full well that he would. Drake was predictable.

[@MariW736]

@@Kekira I definitely do agree with the set up, but at the same time, Drake lit the fuse. It wouldn’t have been possible if he weren’t such a POS, and I am aggressively angry that people choose to blame the guy who gave multiple warnings lol.

[@bullcitybaby703]

THIS.

[@HeroToxiko]

He also accused Kendrick of marrying a biracial woman because Whitney is light skinned, bro is so disconnected he thinks we come in one shade.

[@Lildeadthing420]

"would you let drake around your 16 yo sister? Or your daughter?" Yeah they probably would tbh amd they would probably brag about it too cuz they're weird and have shown they don't care lol

[@mirandameyer237]

yeah it's not like it's rare for adults to look the other way and refuse to believe their eyes, ears, and own children when the abuser is someone they value or who offers them status

[@megan-mr9vk]

the MJ parallels continue…

[@kerri6011]

@@mirandameyer237especially if they think they can benefit from it cause of Drake’s status and money

[@highlandave8507]

​@@kerri6011Remember the parents actually helped R. Kelly sleep with most of those young teen girls from then

[@mari98_]

Same type folks who was giving their daughters to r Kelly

[@bsmick6]

*sigh* Fine... I'll do it myself 1:16 Drake and Ice Spice 3:54 Keep the Family Away 5:24 Wayne's Girl 6:43 Certified PDF 9:45 Aubrey's Wack Services (AWS) 18:10 Old Heads... wya? 22:10 Kendrick Lowkey a Villain

[@AliFrankTheTank]

6:10 Wayne girl*

[@bsmick6]

@@AliFrankTheTank the section starts at 5:24

[@SirYaliBeats]

Ice Spice admitted in text that he wanted something more. Also, you should’ve left the Death Note stuff in

[@aiocafea]

yeah i wanted to say how it gets even shadier, how it may be that you kinda have to accept more things from the package than what you want with the weeknd, the pressure made him accept giving away so much of his work, but nothing until now has made us believe that people in the industry, especially drake stop at music people were joking about camila cabello slept with drake for nothing because their song wasn't successful after the beef, but it's kinda sad how this is clearly not part of anyone's narrative against drake, it's just ingrained in us that that is how it works

[@megan-mr9vk]

@@aiocafeapart of that is people claiming camilla slept with young thug for the havana verse. it’s a popular dig at her, so that may be more where those opinions/jokes are coming from. gross no matter how you cut it

[@a_brodo3158]

@@megan-mr9vkI heard of the rumour about Carti but not thug. Didn’t he say he didn’t even want to get on the record before one of his team had to ask his mum to ask him?

[@marylander3798]

Not surprised

[@viewer29fly]

yes, i too wanted to hear the DN take

[@trickynotes9548]

There is an aspect of the elder segment that is similar to conversations I’ve had about the LGBT+ community. We lost so many of our elders to violence, drugs, and the AIDS crisis…the shockwaves from that history traumatized my generation in many ways, so much so that we don’t know how to share our history in healthy ways and it is getting lost and forgotten.

[@birchiebaby]

that was my first thought as well when FD said that...

[@yunglynda1326]

same thoughts😢

[@zeldomaine]

now the kids have jojo siwa...

[@lousielouise8716]

totally and double that for queer POC.😢

[@bobthebuilder8110]

​@@zeldomaine😭

[@sapphirefractal4506]

"Drake settled a sexual assault case for 350,000 daughters" what a slip 💀

[@isouro]

Like the news anchor calling Drake “a raper, *ehem* excuse me a Rapper” 🤣🤣🤣 like was that really a slip? A Freudian slip

[@fangal12]

@@isouro to this day I truly believe that reporter was throwing shade and probably had Not Like Us playing in his dressing room 😅

[@mariab2642]

He didn't sexually assault that female. What a lie.

[@john-olivierlukama1548]

Well he definitely didnt bother to settle it in court​@@mariab2642

[@harbingerofsalt]

Yeah, what a lie. He clearly gave her that money out of the kindness of his heart. Nothing nefarious about that, or the other times he did that with other women

[@stella_le]

"everyone has that one drake song that was playing during a core memory" a few years ago i was out in public when i got a call that a close friend i hadn't seen in a while had passed away in an accident. it was one of the most shocking moments of my life and i still remember every word said in that conversation. "tootsie slide" by drake was playing loudly in the background the entire time. i've held a visceral hatred for this man ever since

[@develrandomdankmemes7586]

rest in peace

[@michaelturley8222]

So you're a crazy person? Weird flex.

[@domotemujin7780]

Weird flex, you need a Prozac sis 😐

[@derekjordangregg7468]

lol such a zoomer statement. Negative

[@leaffinite2001]

​@@derekjordangregg7468 what do you even mean, seriously

[@SenorChistoso]

Low key a villain? That key was the highest of keys from "Psst, that's something you don't wanna do." And Meet the Grahams was him sneaking his gun into the club and smiling after he got slapped.

[@Moxiemax511]

“I’ll Crash out like fuck rap, diss Melle Mel if I have to”

[@ahmadzuhayri2439]

Kendrick definitely knew how dark it's going to get, 6:16 in LA is just him going "God, please forgive me because I'm about to obliterate this man"

[@swedishfish1]

“Have you ever thought that OVO is workin' for me?” & walked out the studio like 😈

[@Zack-vi7is]

​@@ahmadzuhayri2439I feel like you gotta give him credit for giving Drake fair warning. Most rappers would not give anyone a fair warning before torching them. Pusha T for sure didn't lol. I still don't understand why Drake didn't just take the "friendly fade". Worst case scenario he outraps you and both of you keep your reputations intact for the most part. It was a no-lose situation Drake unnecessarily turned into the worst possible outcome for himself.

[@AllTheArtsy]

and the thing is.... yes, he was moving maniacally AND SO WHAT. the enemy is so powerful. has been so protected and insulated. if you're gonna go for the head, best not miss. i am looking at Dot sideways, but thats on me, not him lol

[@patricialong262]

Kendrick is not a master manipulator. He said very plainly that he hates this man and if Drake took it “there” he’d take it “further.” Kendrick is a man with questionable convictions that he is pretty up front about. Drake is a liar who doesn’t show his true face. It just turns out that most of us prefer the former.

[@jamesnomos8472]

Yeah, but it's also clear Kenny wanted that outcome and was specifically acting to cause it.

[@patricialong262]

@@jamesnomos8472 I think that after all these years of seeing how Drake moves he built a genuine disdain for him and knew exactly how to beat him. Even with that, I can respect genuinely hating the way someone operates (because they’re petty and exploitative) more than I respect whatever the heck motivated Drake. I think some analysts are still missing the fact that the audience is not slow. Kendrick has not convinced us that he’s a saint and Drake is the devil. He’s explained to us why he (a flawed man himself) really hates this guy. And if Drake weren’t so “hateable” it wouldn’t have been nearly as effective.

[@mohamedfahad2364]

@@patricialong262fact

[@dannydanumba]

Yeah but Kendrick set the whole thing up so that would be the outcome. He knew Drake would go after his family from the start so he laid the road down to drop on him. And best believe he has a plan if Drake continues. THIS MF AIZEN

[@mohamedfahad2364]

@@dannydanumba 😂 fact.

[@AMcGrath82]

The fact that your longest video is your biggest gives me hope for peoples' attention spans.

[@lasagnahog7695]

I don't know if I'm just falling into it or if long form youtube content is on the rise but I'm here for it.

[@NickTaylorRickPowers]

Yes but the attention span is only active during drama or the jerry springer style shit Which is bad

[@vanillavania.]

@@NickTaylorRickPowers I agree.

[@rahbeeuh]

​@@NickTaylorRickPowersI'm AuDHD (Autistic with ADHD) and anything that can stimulate my mind gets my attention. How that attention is sustained or allotted is anybody's guess. I can't help it but I still try.

[@rahbeeuh]

​@@lasagnahog7695I'm here for it as well

[@vagabanda11]

Drake doing the Netflix strategy. Large amounts of purposefully generic stuff. To make you accustomed to passive listening

[@TheEvolver311]

The Jay-Z system

[@darrinarmijo-wardle3662]

Where are rock bands white people? 2 ideas here: 1. Rock’s time has passed and is now mired in nostalgia. 2. Bill Clinton. In 1996 Clinton signed the telecommunications act. This deregulated the radio station industry and was consequently monopolized. This severed the relationship between Radio stations, DJ’s, record stores, and clubs. Simultaneously the labels began consolidating as well and when a label becomes a monopoly they begin to nickel and dime artists. Charging bands hundreds of dollars a day to use 40 yr amps, mixers compressors, and drum kits. Labels especially in the nu metal era wanted a uniformity in sound and would demand artists use label equipment and studio musicians. Making money on records has been off table unless you’re a giant act who came to fame in the 90’s or you’re independent. There is hardly anything in between. In digital download era gave way to streaming where the labels are investors in Spotify- Spotify and labels have found a way to cut artists out of royalties. They do this by not paying “mechanical royalties”- think juke boxes. Additionally music royalties law is stuck in 20th century. So streaming isn’t physical so the labels can pocket even more. Chances are they own the artists masters and publishing as well. Now a days it seems you’re on your own and hope you do numbers on tik tok. I think this is the pink slime effect. Corporate monopolies want rent and they want artists who produce unthreatening, uniform, predictable slop- enter Drake. He’s perfect.

[@NoSleepDaChimney]

I like the short answer and then the real one

[@paradise_valley]

Very eloquently articulated. I hope more people read this. You know your stuff. That said, music is also an international business. In westernized, English-speaking or capitalist economies this formation of anti-artist monopolies and music conglomerates is mirrored in Europe and Asia too. Wonder what their catalysts were.

[@TexasGentleman_]

The part about the upfront and upkeep costs of being a traditional “band” musician is absolutely true. Yeah, a MacBook and the right music programs may cost $2k upfront, but you’ll save thousands over time compared to what a working guitarist or drummer would spend.

[@anthonyrowland9072]

It cost more to make rock or metal music. That's why it all sounds so similar, they literally use drum and bass midi samples as every other band. Edit: also in 1991, rock had a "If you have fun, you're a sellout/asshole" civil war and the no fun side won.

[@paradise_valley]

@@namarupa3015 not to mention, most of those songs are just cooler live

[@corpsecandy2076]

Your bit about the oldheads not passing the torch well, but talking down to new listeners , reminds me of a quote "those who criticize this generation, forget who raised it."

[@jinxxy06]

I didn’t know where you were going with #7 but I’m with you there. Also reflecting on 6:16 it’s was Dots biggest bait of the beef. Hearing that song broken down with subs that only Drake would know, solidifies this is what made Drake panic, hit his red button, Family Matters . I believe there were enough references in 6:16 that Drake knew the p3do allegations were gonna intensify. Seriously predicted every angle. #teamgemini though 😂😂😂😂

[@oophorror2251]

@@jinxxy06I imagine obsessing over Aubrey for a decade would lead one to consider every angle.

[@fernandoreyes680]

I think about this a lot when oldheads say there are no good rappers today, and only old school rappers were great. They're basically saying those rappers that they love were not influential on a new generation. They're kinda dissing their favorite rappers' impact on the game

[@JaneDoe-ym7de]

@@oophorror2251if you had a clue about what it meant to be good at anything, you’d keep tabs on your competition too. but you wouldn’t know anything about that so i understand your predicament.

[@JaneDoe-ym7de]

@@fernandoreyes680Proof of oldheads being delusional is that melle mel diss towards eminem. that was like a fever dream.

[@TempestAmethyst]

Not just "Adonis is gonna hear this one day" he expressly TOLD HIM to play it when he turned 18 the Graham bloodline is in SHAMBLES

[@shaeisgae8952]

That part genuinely made me a lil sick when I first listened to it. Like damn. Adonis is going to have to grow up with THIS MAN as his father. And one day he might hear these songs, just the Pusha t song is enough to do some damage to that kid, now you have meet the grahams

[@lenbonbsides]

can't stand kanye but that line i swear got echoes of "18 years, 18 years..."

[@seb_social25]

To be blunt Drake was a menace that is probably one group chat leak away from being in a courtroom. What Kendrick did was fucked up but sometimes you have to take out the trash.

[@taylormade9748]

Not fucked up at all. Kendrick just said the quiet part out loud

[@phoebecara4361]

​@@taylormade9748 this! I remember seeing ghostwriters and Aubrey dating young women/girls(??) years ago and surprised people were ok with it.

[@bravingbrivatebrian]

"Ya'll stay politically correct ima do what I did"

[@lizomkhize]

Yes, Kendrick has the capacity for inflicting harm and that's what he chose to do in the battle. But rather than something to fear, I view it as something to admire. Clearly Kendrick has always had this in him but for much of his career he's simply gone about his business trying to "change the world" as you mentioned in your previous video. He's genuinely been good for the culture. In order to be considered good you need to have the capacity to do harm but choose not to. If you can't do harm you're simply harmless; not necessarily good.

[@lisele39]

Exactly 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Kendrick has always shown that his capable of destroying anyone when it’s warranted but had mostly kept the volume down. He just had a reason to flip the switch this time 😅

[@medbeth9857]

@@lizomkhize What a wonderfully refreshing take. I fully agree with your statement!

[@mohamedfahad2364]

What an amazing analysis. 👏

[@akiret3113]

Can't agree enough with this. For me it dovetails with the point I have been trying to make about the Richard II "who will rid me of this turbulent priest"? And then show disdain when that outcome is achieved. People disown their 'darker' instincts, and project them on to someone else. IMO real growth is not the obliteration of all 'negative' action or unwanted aspects of the self; but in recognising it all. And then the deliberate decision to draw on that action, having considered the consequences and the motivation. 6:16 in LA only emphasises this point "I know this type of power is gonna cost..."

[@MrsYomomma11]

Was looking for this take 👏🏾 couldn't have said it better myself.

[@chrissullivan6572]

Kendrick had his "I'll take a chip AND EAT IT!!" moment when he was writing Meet The Grahams.

[@prettyroach]

LMAO im dying

[@Beisokind]

😭😭😭😭

[@michaelturley8222]

Yeah, it was super dope when he started lecturing a child about how cool and manly it is to murder someone after explaining how his father is a real POS lol That's when I knew Kendrick fans were really smart, moral, logically consistent people as well. Nothing weird about writing a song for a little boy, nothing pedo-y about that, no chance Kendrick's projecting his pedophilic attraction. Kissing a 17 year old when you're 23 is so much worse.

[@chrissullivan6572]

@@michaelturley8222 Adonis, you type really well for your age.

[@fulldisclosureiamamonster2786]

@@michaelturley8222 Are you calling Paul McCartney a pedo for writing Hey Jude? No, yeah, kissing a minor multiple times as an adult after being told they're a minor is genuinely worse than writing a song for a kid, wtf?

[@sashanoel8766]

R&B is not dead, it’s just not on the radio anymore. Alex Isley, Summer Walker, Solange, Lucky Daye, Xavier Omar, etc. the list goes on.

[@pristinedecision1877]

Is Summer Walker actually good? I’m gonna have to check her out.

[@wandervoltz]

A GREAT LIST! Don't forget Durand Bernarr! Victoria Monet is amazing too. 😊😊😊

[@valeriebruce5478]

Rini

[@stingjunior6]

Let’s be real rnb is dead it was once the dominant number 1 black art form now it’s a slowly dying 2 with no actual stars

[@AngeBiampandou]

Rnb has a DOMINANT COMMERCIAL FORCE is in on LIFE SUPPORT tho. SZA and Summer Walker are anomalies in this new day and age

[@personalemail3344]

Two points re: villain Kendrick narrative: initially, Drake wanted this beef as much as Kendrick did. Drop, drop, drop, et cetera. It would've galvanized his fanbase and given him some old school respect he clearly craved. And just as it's true that plenty of people wanted to see Drake go down, I'm sure that a lot of people would've loved to see Kendrick's nose tweaked out of joint some, simply because he was untouchable for so long. All Drake had to do was to keep poking fun at cleaner topics - Kendrik's savior complex, and his pride, and his conspirationist thinking, and the audacity of appointing himself a proxy ersats-therapist for the trauma of his community -- and putting out club bangers, and he could've probably fought it to a perceived draw. Euphoria was a masterclass in character assassination, but it only worked for the people who were already not very much in Drake's corner, and if Kendrick was forced to stay within the clean confinues of Euphoria-like songs, he might've not been able to drive a clean win. And then Drake went and made MTG possible by going after the only thing that's been consistently and cleanly off-limits all through Kendrick's career, seemingly for no reason at all but because he couldn't figure out anything better. And Kendrick, who likely heard this song before it was released, very clearly and explicitly and in simple words warned him, that down this road lies , ahem, XXX treatment, blower in Drake's lap and everything. Maybe it WAS a bait as well, but, well. Nobody had to force Drake to take that bait, and once FM came out, it was obvious that he's going to invent rumors about people around Kendrick until he's put down. I mean, I don't think Kendrick was particularly UPSET about getting the opportunity to become Death, Destroyer of Worlds there. But I'm pretty sure he would've not gone there had he not been invited. (What WAS diabolic and manipulative, imo, is the incredible tonal switch from MTG to NLU and how, I think, it was about 50% done to net the reviewers and reactors: to make them feel so relieved and elated about not getting MTG again they would enjoy it and uplift it so much more.)

[@mohamedfahad2364]

Perfect summary. Drake brought all that suffering to himself. He’s still haunted by Pusha T loss and he thought if he TMZd Kendrick with DV he will win instantly like Pusha did with Adidon. Bad call.

[@cta2644]

MTG to me was like kendrick hitting a game-winning combo in a fighting game that's so absolutely powerful that it's demoralizing; and then not like us is the taunt after that gets the crowd cheering

[@marcusjohnson8649]

I really like what you have to say here, especially about Drake having a lotta good *above-board* ammo about Kendrick. Ngl, idk why Drake didn't bring up that Kendrick has some Dumbo ass ears. Some good jokes were there. Ad hominem aside, After writing this I think actually we agree on everything you said, but prescribe it to different parts of the puzzle. I think the diabolic and manipulative thing was knowing Drake couldn't resist the bait in Euphoria because Kendrick truly understood Drake so well. To know Drake is immature enough that he WILL 100% take things too far and to then have something lined up for immediately afterwards... While it takes a boob to fall for a booby trap, this felt like a trap door opening beneath Drake's feet if you get what I mean. I don't think Kendrick felt bad about obliterating Drake either, but I think he did it for the rap culture he loved as Drake had largely become the figurehead for everything Kendrick dislikes about rap/hip-hop. I think NLU was kinda necessary in the takedown of Drake overall. Drake stans on insta and twitter woulda manifested the notion that Drake won unless Kendrick made a club banger that would beat out FM in playability. I think that's reinforced by the fact that there were still Drake fans saying he didn't lose AFTER The Cringe Part 6 came out. Unfortunately, I think NLU was the 'double-tap to make sure he's dead' move in this whole play.

[@milu3779]

@@mohamedfahad2364 yeah, "Kenny just opened his mouth, someone go hand him a grammy" type bars. that was a fine line of attack, roast him for being a white urban liberal darling. welp. RIP drake, but i gotta feel bad for his kid. i thought that was messed up

[@AnUncleanHippy]

I think the reason Kendrick switched the tone so much for NLU was to back to back drake, not just in the sense of 2 disses in a row, but to make a diss track that's such a club banger, that it is ***inescapable*** for him, the same way it was for meek. If you have millions of people in clubs all over the world singing along to a song calling you a pedophile, you're going to be fuming, and that's why he conceded in such a miserable manner.

[@Soulcrash3]

As a very depressed and very overthinking inclined person, who likes to think of herself as rather brainy: Kendrick doesn't need to have those songs already written but he certainly had been ruminating about it... clearly had ample time to bathe in his hatred. It is kind of how you think about what you should have said in a prior fight in the shower... but it has been like three months? And when that person does that $h!t again (because humans are creatures of habit) you have like one thousand knives sharpened and eager to draw blood? That's what I think it happened. Like it was absolutely a premeditated murder, but (and I might be projecting hard) you have to earn that kind of hatred, the destroyer mode only gets activated after years and years of build up. Kind of like when you procrastinate on an essay so long that you end up writing it half an hour before the deadline and still get an A, it is not the work of genius or anything it is just lots and lots of thinking before putting ink to the paper... but I am autistic so maybe it isn't as relatable as I think it is lol.

[@AShiftingofFate]

I agree with you here, and can say it might be true from experience. I used to do poetry slam, and there was a time I wrote what my friends thought of as a super deep piece in an afternoon because it was an idea and theme I had played with in my head before. My friends thought it was insane that I went from saying I wanted to write it at lunch to tweaking vocal delivery at dinner, but the reality was I had shower-thought what I would say if anyone ever asked me about it, so I was ready when they did.

[@Soulcrash3]

@@AShiftingofFate This is exactly what I meant! I have similar experiences of times I had assignments to write about very specific questions I have asked and slowly developed my answers to for years, it even happened to me last year in an exam. Thought is just invisible work. And since you are a poetry person it makes perfect sense you had relative ease in organising those thoughts into poetry, it's your art medium!

[@royceroyce7715]

This is extremely relatable and p much what I envisioned happened

[@james-uj7ou]

This is exactly what happened and I’m surprised very few people know that. Kendrick is just so good that it only took 1-2 takes after hearing.

[@rahbeeuh]

​@@Soulcrash3as I was reading your comment I thought to myself why is my auti-radar going off? Then I got to the end and-ohh. I'm Autistic with ADHD (AuDHD) so it's interesting to interact with others similar to myself.

[@tylerjames9953]

Just started this vid, but the only thing I wanna comment on is that your 3.5hr video essay felt shorter than 2 hours, thanks to your style. The things I admire about you are your cohesion, gapless bridges, and succint points fleshing out your ideas without getting superfluous. Thank you.

[@mccperin]

genuinely! one of the most satisfying things about FD's stuff is how he always constructs his arguments and unravels them throughout his essays. genuinely mastered the art of cohesion

[@California-Rays]

I'm from South Central LA. And where we are from you have to think of every possible scenario and plan accordingly. Kendrick isn't a Villain, he's a product of his environment.

[@fabriciolima2712]

That's a pretty significant point, bcz when the beef started with Like that Kendrick and future started asking "are you like that?" referring to being a person from the hood, and then Kendrick finished responding to that question back to future "They not like us"

[@subjekt5577]

Yup. It's anxiety and trauma, not selfish egotism.

[@yoelisaac7213]

So by definition, he is villainous. The reason behind is worth understanding but doesn’t take the fact away. Most people have a reason for acting the way they do, including Drake. I think it’s important to look at things soberly. It allows for understanding and evolution.

[@Artemis-re6yj]

I thought the exact same thing. You don't survive in that kind of environment if you're not able to calculate all the angles. Kendrick is very smart (straight As), he also grew up in Compton and made it out alive and successful. He's both book smart and street smart. A winning combo.

[@saffegis]

Well said. INGLEWOOOOOOOOD

[@Ricecooka]

Big ups for shouting out En Vogue. I felt they were everywhere and today completely underappreciated. Ridiculous how attractive and talented they were.

[@cmssaysftw]

Meet the Grahams seemed 100% pre-planned. The timing is too perfect. The third verse addressing the mystery daughter felt like the end of the song originally. Only the last verse with the "crash your party" felt like it was recorded that day

[@941zeke]

I'm willing to bet it is. There was some interview recently. I can't remember who but said Kendrick was waiting for him to drop that he had something ready. So I do think that someone had leaked to kendrick family matters.

[@sontho6995]

​@@941zekeIt was the Jason Martin bootleg kev interview

[@AShiftingofFate]

@@941zeke I bet he had meet the grahams done, got the leak of family matters, added on the Meet the Grahams and then started not like us. Also I swear I saw a clip of Tommy the Clown saying that Kendrick told him he did Not Like Us in three days writing to recorded, but I cannot find it so take it with a grain of salt.

[@Zack-vi7is]

It was obviously pre-planned because he dropped it within 30 minutes lol. I think it's possible tho that he had multiple songs stocked, with one being less dark in case Drake removed the stuff about Kendricks family from Family Matters.

[@AllTheArtsy]

i dont even understand why thats supposed to be a dig at Kendrick tho. so, dude was prepared. he had already pre-planned the game in his head, and made adjustments as he went along, towards a winning strategy. is that..... bad, somehow? is Drake so predictable that these old Kendrick songs still made maximum damage?

[@darwinism8181]

Anyone that ever tells you there's any meaningful difference between an ephebophile and the PDF version is almost guaranteed to be telling on themselves

[@royceroyce7715]

Facts

[@roachdoggjr4648]

@darwinism8181 also splitting hairs about what variety of PDF someone is just muddies the waters. A PDF is a PDF, and that's that. I don't care if a child is 17 or 7, I'm equally disgusted that anyone would prey on them.

[@Cdr2002]

It’s like the mfers who split hairs over the dictionary definition of “fascist” when discussing evil oppressive regimes (real or fictional)

[@janettewong9900]

Just easier to call them “predators,” to focus on the grooming and exploitation behaviors rather than letting them derail the conversation about why their victims are attractive to them

[@notinsane4165]

That or they’re a psychologist/psychiatrist writing a paper

[@jfarmand8]

I remember hearing during the height of the beef - One of these guys is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer, the other is the living embodiment of a Kohl’s soundtrack. That reminds me a lot of the Olive Garden analogy

[@kelseybowman5463]

Facts! My first job was at Kohl’s and I’ll just say you’re 100% right. Drake is literally like 40% of what they play; often sandwiched between (at the time I was working there 10 years ago) Adele, Rihanna (ironically), Carly Rae Jepsen…. You get the picture. His music is background shopping music for middle class white people and EXTREMELY pacifying. Let’s just say since the early/mid-ish 2010s, after hearing Drake (whichever song was poppin at the moment) over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again for hours on end… I have hated Drake ever since. It might actually be the reason I quit working there.

[@fricketyfracktraintrack]

As someone who used to work at Kohl's, this is diabolical. And 100% correct

[@funkyfreshkid08]

"If you take it there, im taking it further" "You're a "pathetic" master manipulator." Pathetic being the key distinction, to me implied that Kendrick is ready to show him what a REAL master manipulator looks like... And he executed.

[@yunglynda1326]

ooh nice catch

[@Z4NKA1]

So hes just as bad of a person as drake?

[@sontho6995]

​@@Z4NKA1I don't think kendrick ever texted a 14 yr old girl "I miss you" so I think he's fine on that part.

[@OVO-Adolf]

@@Z4NKA1no, he’s definitely a liar tho, but if drake lied, then he can lie too. It’s just insane how people are sipping the k dot kool-aid and believing every word he says.

[@opiuy8]

​@@OVO-AdolfOk "OVO-Adolf"

[@Sammy213]

there was a good essay someone did (maybe John Green?) about how people love pop music, not necessarily because it's good, but because it's all around you when you are making significant memories, especially while you're growing up and those "good times" just have a soundtrack attached to them. For a lot of people that soundtrack is whatever was playing at Target.

[@Therealmeowmeow22]

"so many sku's" - yasiin bey

[@runawaylostmymind]

@@Sammy213 this was the realization I had in my early twenties and partying a lot when I started finding myself liking top 40s music and not lying to myself denying it, whereas before I was deep into many v dif genres except for mainstream pop.

[@jlaw6036]

Kool herc is Jamaican...

[@rosagonzalez4739]

Calling Kendrick villainous doesn’t acknowledge the reality of this current culture. How’s he gonna go into a battle with the biggest selling rapper in the world and not play to win?? He understood the depravity of the fans and the media who would not have considered him the winner until he completely massacred Drake. When Euphoria came out, people immediately said it didn’t do enough in terms of character assassination to take down Drake (despite the brilliance of the bars and delivery). Kendrick played into that within US that he needed to take this beast down. And he was able to do it with the same depth of writing, creativity, and culture as all his other music. It was beautiful to see him do it and he is forever my GOAT.

[@memyselfandi3288]

ONG!

[@dogkiller1804]

idk what reality you living in. from the get go from when he dropped the song with future people were team kendrick and were saying he was gonna "kill" drake

[@TEAMEEXTREME]

Worded perfectly. couldnt agree more 🤝🏽

[@user28a7dj8e7]

⁠The people you spent time around and listened to, sure. That's not representative of the world as a whole; there are a LOT of Drake fanboys. Like, a lot. A bunch. More than you can count. Even now but especially early in the war. And they were out there and vocal even if you were (wisely) not hanging around in the slummy corners of the internet where they congregate.

[@kingjiy2778]

@@dogkiller1804idk what reality YOU are living in, lots of fans were downplaying Euphoria when it dropped. Yes, the Like That verse got respect from Drake fans, but Euphoria didn’t have the same effect

[@tyler3876]

20:30 This is the most in-touch perspective on Gen Z. Older generations who can’t empathize or understand what it’s like to have an infinite knowledge stick with them at all times can’t command respect like their parents did to them.

[@toad3877]

"the drake stimulus package" is a sublime phrase lmfaoooo

[@Nerdsammich]

I think it's the name of my new jam band.

[@hyrumforstrom980]

Kendrick almost went too far with meet the grahams because I saw so many people thinking, "damn this shit is scary at this point" so the fact he bounced back with a bop shows how premeditated it was because if he dropped mtg part 2 people wouldn't have been feelin it.

[@Rryiac]

Even if he ends the beef with MTG I don't think it's will damage as much as nlu

[@jamieslacks]

Lyft driver playing “Not Like Us” while I watch this 😅

[@davidtaylor142]

11:00 oh my God I just realized. Drake is Taylor Swift for teenage boys. It makes sense now

[@perpetuaonyango7851]

MTG was a response to being called a wife beater, us being told his wife stepped out on him and that he is fathering a child that ain’t his. Why do we see this as villainous? It’s a blow for a blow metaphorically. Drake was tearing his family down and Kendrick gave back the same energy just with a different beat. Kendrick said he was a big stepper if you mess with his family, not sure that is villainous imo.

[@MidTierVillain]

It’s not, imo, it’s more of a protector, a defender, a father willing to die on his shield for his family.

[@Sheena000]

It was definitely an eye for an eye. But I think the initial discussion about the situation glossed over the personal conflict between Kendrick and Drake and instead made it about Kendrick (as a stand in for the broader public) versus Drake. It seems like people were quick to cast Kendrick as a kind of folk hero in all of this. And now that the initial catharsis of Drake’s downfall has passed, there’s more room for nuance in the discussion. If you identify with Kendrick, it’s easy to view this as a selfless underdog/David and Goliath type event. It’s very gratifying to have a prominent and respected artist validate the criticism the public have had of Drake. But by casting Kendrick as “one of us” it diminishes just how calculated and influential he and his art needed to be to successfully take down this other industry giant. It’s comforting to just think of Kendrick as a vigilante concerned citizen who took action to oust an identified danger to the community. But one can’t help but wonder how long Kendrick (who just demonstrated he’s aware of the power he holds) sat on the PDF file/ ovo trafficking info and if he ever would have said anything had it not been for the beef.

[@dra-j9n2015]

Well Kendrick did beat his wife tho. There were allegations in 2014 about it, shit wasn’t random lol

[@perpetuaonyango7851]

@@dra-j9n2015 the allegations were about an altercation in a hotel room. His wife wasn’t involved in that scenario it was another woman and they were proven to be false as he wasn’t even in that city at the time. Watch The Dirt’s Euphoria video about this.

[@dra-j9n2015]

@@perpetuaonyango7851 you’re actually wrong bc he doesn’t have a “wife” they aren’t married and Kendrick was not even close to mainstream back then, no one would have a reason to fake allegations. There are also other lawsuits of Kendrick stealing songs and not giving people features that he got paid for but it all got brushed under the rug the bigger he got. Everything about the music industry is fake, Kendrick is no better than Drake😂😂😂😂 they both have huge egos and just want money

[@homerjunior3953]

I saw this mentioned elsewhere, but Kendrick’s line of ‘You think the Bay gonna let you disrespect Pac?’ is kind of diabolical. Because there are so many people who have no idea about the details of the beef and may not even had considered the AI thing to be disrespectful. But since that line is in a very catchy song, it is going to stick in people’s minds as a fact. The ‘A Minor’ stuff is kind of played for laughs but the disrespect line gets the knee-jerk reaction of ‘Drake disrespected Pac?! F*** him!’

[@AShiftingofFate]

Yep, my mom had no idea what was going on, but Not like Us played on the radio while we were driving and she was heated. "He disrespect Pac? Is he going to Oakland? He better not go to Oakland, they don't play in Oakland. Ooo, I can't listen to Drake anymore, disrespecting Pac and dating young girls, I gotta delete him." And she had 0 idea what was going on prior to that moment, but she was in the Bay Area in the 80s/ 90s so she was Mad.

[@witchfynder_finder]

"You think the Bay gon' let you disrespect Pac?" was Kendrick's true masterstroke of the entire beef tbh. He instantly made it so that Drake wasn't just going after him, he was going after the entire West Coast. Seriously brilliant and insidious work.

[@changedcj007]

That's literally all of not like us. It's just a huge call to action

[@tymeburglar86]

I agree with your point but also pac's estate threatening to take legal action also signaled that this was disrespectful.

[@patricialong262]

@@tymeburglar86 Yeah. It’s odd to me that people are now talking as if Kendrick just said random things and mind controlled all of us to believe them. In reality, he pointed out things that large groups of people already believed and/or there was already evidence for. You can even watch reactions to the AI song and see that folks immediately found it off putting that he used Pac’s voice. There have been long video essays on KZbin about Drake being a pdf file for years too. Kendrick did not use magic language to trick us but he certainly is good with words.

[@SillyNep]

I feel like Kendrick knew what he was doing was villainous to some extent cause he literally had the "certified boogeyman" line in his song. I personally think tho it was less villain and more antihero tbh idk, like you said drake deserved it which does change things to me.

[@NotALongTime]

I kinda get where Sig's coming from. A Rapist getting killed by a serial killer doesn't suddenly make the serial killer less villainous, he just stumbled into doing society a favor. That being said, I agree that Kendrick didn't go into this with the intent of looking good on the way out; his only goal was to rip Drake's reputation down to the studs.

[@mohamedfahad2364]

@@NotALongTime Drake opened a pandora box with his DV allegations, the cheating allegations etc. What was Kendrick supposed to do? To pray his way to victory? And remember, Kendrick dropped two warning tracks (euphoria and 6:16) warning Drake not to talk about his family coz he’s gonna bleed if he does it. He told him to keep it friendly coz if he takes it there Kendrick will take it further and that’s sth Drake will regret. Drake ignored all of that. Kendrick had to eliminate and in the most brutal way Drake. Coz Drake tried to kill Kendrick’s career. Tried to implode his family. Tried to sully his reputation. Tried to kill Kendrick and Dave Free friendship. I don’t like FD intellectual masturbation when he goes on his self-serving intellectual spiel and ignores fact, just for the sake of sounding profound

[@michellecgb]

I love how Kendrick didn’t have to do the legwork to prove anything. The proof was already out there, Drake has been OPENLY doing this stuff. Kendrick just pointed it out and dipped, I imagine he’s back to doing prison workouts in the sun and spending time with his family 😂

[@jeremybrown9611]

I'm What The Culture's Feeling(Director's Cut)

[@zay8919]

Hip Hop historian here. The beef break down was amazing keep doing your thing brotha.

[@bluehood3453]

I honestly need EVERYONE to know that when Drake came to Brazil in 2019 he REFUSED TO EAT OUR FOOD OR DRINK OUR WATER. He brought his own mineral water from Canada. Emicida (a beloved Brazilian rapper) told our news that his behavior was weird and unecessary, and that he refused to even taste some of our iconic foods.

[@Lunacyk]

Disrespectful. He should be banned from here on out anyway!

[@d.52555]

So we’re really criticizing people for not eating your nation’s food? 😂😂 I’m all for the drake criticism but damn maybe the food was garbage and he wanted no part of it?

[@AlexHider]

@@d.52555listen. You don’t have to eat everything offered to you, you don’t even have to drink water (tap water is not very trustworthy in a lot of places), but you cannot deny it’s seen as disrespectful to avoid EVERYTHING and demonstratively bring your own stuff. Drake can wear other cultures like a suit when it works for him, but refusing to engage with them on their own turf just proves he’s a LARPer. Have you never eaten a little bit of something you didn’t like as to not be rude to whoever cooked it for you? It’s basic social skills, Drake just thinks he’s too rich and important for that shit

[@MinecraftRick]

​@@d.52555If he's going to actively avoid actually experiencing any part of the culture that defines the country he's in, it'd be better for him to just not go there.

[@thezackast2752]

Tbf Brazilian water systems have a rather bad reputation, especially Rio. The food is a different story, but I've been told a few times not to drink the water in Brazil.

[@invictusvis4814]

"Where is the rock white people?" Brother it is in Australia

[@kaedatiger]

Calling Kendrick the villain is unfair. He's clearly the antivillain. He warned and baited Drake, and Drake took the bait exactly as predicted. It's manipulative, yes, and dirty, and in the end it was Drake's own behavior that was his undoing, without Kendrick breaking any rules, and that's what's masterful. Nobody else would have fallen for it. And it's so compelling that he basically crowdsourced a bunch of amateur investigative journalists.

[@sophibeans]

I imagine Kendrick watching this video in a dark room, with his face lit only by the light of the monitor, and a sly smile on his face...

[@georgiasweetpotato7170]

🤣lol🤣 I can picture that too 😏

[@michellecgb]

That’s how I picture him if he watched all these videos proving his points 😂

[@fastestdraw]

On the 'where are the rock bands white people' - I listened to a lot of the indie scene in the UK at the end of that era, and you know what happened? We had eight or nine bands with Black lead singers or guitarists set up to be the next wave of indie rock making great experimental music, and all of a sudden they were getting classified as RnB by the music shops. People looking for RnB were like 'why are there rock songs here; and ignored it and the rock fans were like 'wait, why is everything on the radio sounding old?'. After a while it became 'oh, why did they only release one track? Huh, no sales. Or, oh, they make ok-ish rnb now. Guess I'm stuck with the same bands that already had commercial success'. That caused irreprable harm to both indie rock and RnB. Like, sure its not just that moment - the changing media landscape early 2010's has a lot to answer for, and I'm sure there are dozens of other factors too, but that one really stuck in my teeth.

[@Zer0Tox1n]

Do you remember the names of some of those bands? I'd like to check them out

[@El_likes_to_stim]

Thank you for sharing, I hate the people who made that happen 😬😒

[@remytherat2929]

Do you have names for the bands?

[@bornanagaming3329]

Im guessing Bloc Party are one of those bands that got shafted in that era

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

@@bornanagaming3329 Death grips appealed to so many people it wound up in "experimental" at my local record store, the only thing they agreed on other than they are great

[@AlysiaWilliams-oy5ti]

I would say for R&B you have SZA, Summer Walker, Victoria Monet, Coco Jones, & Janelle Monae for mainstream! And under ground you have October London, Tink, Tank, and Maxwell to an extent (even though he’s not underground)! So I guess maybe try exploring the underground market a lot more if you’re looking for high quality music!!

[@dilificus]

your point about kendrick saying we and us, it always stands out to me particularly when he says "that ain't how mama raised us." i don't know how to fully process it but the idea that they're basically brothers and their mothers raised them the same and drake's the one who went wrong is so underrated in this whole thing.

[@kev1257ful]

i always took it as “mama” is the culture. the same culture that kendrick loves, that kendrick was born into, but still criticizes from time to time, created an amazing rapper and artist. drake SHOULD have come out the same or at least similar after being raised by “mama” too, but he never fully belonged and moreover, he never respected the culture. right after he says that line kendrick goes on to say drake “lied about religious views, lied about your surgeries” etc, which to me always felt like how my mother would get after me for lying. it felt like kendrick was getting mad at drake on behalf of their mama, the culture

[@rahbeeuh]

​@@kev1257fulthis aligns more with my understanding of the songs' message

[@runawaylostmymind]

🔥

[@pillowvibes]

in a similar vein, I saw some ppl questioning why kendrick would say ‘you lied about the only artist that could offer you some help’ if drake was such a heinous monster, why would kendrick want to help him? but remembering how the title 6:16 is referencing the day they met for the first time and talked about fame consuming them, drake most likely wasn’t always as bad as he is today, and might’ve been taken advantage of in the time period when kendrick knew him or was closer to him. that’s, of course, not to take accountability off drake but there’s always been nasty predatory stuff brewing over at young money with their signees and it would be disingenuous to assume that didn’t play a part in who he is today if something had happened to him. obviously we could hear the anger in kendricks voice on mtg, during that section in particular, but the tightness and rigidity almost make him sound sad as well, like he didn’t get a chance to help him out of his spiral earlier in their careers it’s also worth mentioning drakes story abt how he found his drink of choice (he was given alcohol at 15 by a friend of his mother who he described as “being infatuated with”, textbook grooming) and the fact that ppl who worked on degrassi were busted for a cp ring.

[@dilificus]

​@@pillowvibes I also think that Kendrick has shown that he refuses the concept of discarding someone because of things they've done in their past if they show the capacity for change--especially Black men. Not saying I always agree with how he goes about this, but I do think some of the things he gets called hypocritical for are reflected in that concept. Drake has been on this road for a while and just keeps going further, and that's why Kendrick danced around this for so long without going full force like he has now.

[@erronking7783]

The greatest moment I’ve ever witnessed in my hip hop life was watching the air be snatched out the room once meet the grahams played that night >>>>

[@masielmacias]

I like going back to the reaction videos of 7 Minute Drill followed by the reaction videos of Meet the Grahams. Those drums of war calling for Kendrick to come out and fight, only to fade into a whimper when everyone realized they were getting exactly what they asked for.

[@memyselfandi3288]

SAME, i was exhilarated watching AK's soul leave his body right after he was on a high pedestal dancing and hyping up fm 😂😂😂 next day, nlu drops and he goes "aaaahhhhfuckingain???" with the most distraught face and my heart was full🥰 talk abt POETIC JUSTICE lol this the same dude that publicly counted every day that Kenny didn't reply to push ups, taunting him to release lol the same dude that was on air talkin abt Kendrick is only good at creating moments and not good at making actual disses and not battle rap tested blablabla 😂

[@user-mc3qv4pw1p]

i came out of this battle believing Kendrick is way smarter and more diabolical than i ever thought he was. though at the same time, i still view drake as a manipulator and not a dumb jock like you stated. he’s very intentional with doing his dirty work behind the scenes and through family members/people close to his target, all to preserve his image and maintain a level of plausible deniability. i respect kendrick more for going at drake directly and being very clear with his intentions. so that he, alone, is responsible for his actions and he isn’t hiding behind a shield or gimmick.

[@KamilaShakur]

It's really important to hilight Kendrick's hypocrisy when it comes to working with Kodak and continuing to platform Dre. The harm of women and children were used as jabs in this beef and it's not because anyone really cared. Not surprising, this is hip hop after all. But as you said, it warrants discussion.

[@brookebaxter9828]

Imo what Kendrick did during this beef was probably the most obviously manic I've ever seen a celebrity be. "My temperment bipolar, I choose violence" indeed. The meticulous planning, the willingness to take it way too far, the pettiness, the charisma and excitement... I love Kendrick partly exactly because I see some of my own experiences in his music (despite being a southern white woman; at least we're both short?) and man, this whole beef was a little too relatable because yeah, I've definitely also been that villain while manic. He even named the song Euphoria!

[@kev1257ful]

i wonder if it has to do with him being exposed to violence at such a young age. i myself grew up in a crime infested area, only moving somewhere safer at the age of 12. a part of me just thought violence and aggression was normal as a child. for a long time i was prone to outburst and weird revenge fantasies. i always got the same vibe from kendrick, at least through his music, mixed in with a lot of guilt and depression

[@brookebaxter9828]

@@kev1257ful Maybe. It's worth pointing out that extreme rage is a major symptom of a manic episode. Mood disorders and trauma often go together, too.

[@Words0.0]

​​@@kev1257ful yea it's normal , the way we talk never the same, my friends even worse when he talk, he sounds like someone who want to fight or rude and that how he is, but I don't blame Drake bc he come from different background but the way he move just like high school student

[@MarkusManon]

Ooh, I like this analysis Brooke

[@mohamedfahad2364]

Great input

[@rustyapellido4611]

The thumbnail for the Kendrick Drake video is so damn good lol

[@leonardchurch814]

It’s incredible

[@TalentedAndHot]

the original one was better 💔

[@ElleDiablo]

I said the same thing when he put it up lol

[@katekursive1370]

They're finally free from the channel awesome thumbnails and hired an artist who can actually draw

[@ipercrayy4797]

real fans will remember the original thumbnail

[@fullmetal929]

I remember seeing the original thumbnail but I don't remember what it was. Am I still a real fan or nah? hahaha

[@dalitsosakal]

@@fullmetal929 same i can't remember what the OG was

[@Gagagag-d1w]

It was much better, respect to the artist who created the new thumbnail tho

[@elektra8535]

The one with Drake blackface?

[@dtanaka869-d]

​@fullmetal929 the og thumbnail was a normal picture of Drake, cut in half to include the Aubrey blackface picture in the middle

[@JeromeProductions]

You are so spot on about all the oldheads not properly passing on the torch, because as somebody who is 19 right now, but I have listened to all genres and years of music since I was 8, it would be a lie for somebody to say that I don’t know old music, but it would also be a lie for somebody to say that there’s no good music recently it’s just maybe not the majority, but it exists

[@TheManWithTheFlan]

With regards to Kendrick being "the villain" I just have to say sometimes the villain is right, and sometimes what needs to be done can't be done by a hero. Luke Skywalker didn't kill the Emperor, Darth Vader did.

[@tyronepaul3382]

Bars

[@mohamedfahad2364]

@@TheManWithTheFlan FD’s logic sometimes is baffling. He loves the sound of his voice so much that he doesn’t make sense at all. Drake opened a pandora box with his DV allegations, the cheating allegations etc. What was Kendrick supposed to do? To pray his way to victory? And remember, Kendrick dropped two warning tracks (euphoria and 6:16) warning Drake not to talk about his family coz he’s gonna bleed if he does it. He told him to keep it friendly coz if he takes it there Kendrick will take it further and that’s sth Drake will regret. Drake ignored all of that. Kendrick had to eliminate and in the most brutal way Drake. Coz Drake tried to kill Kendrick’s career. Tried to implode his family. Tried to sully his reputation. Tried to kill Kendrick and Dave Free friendship. I don’t like FD intellectual masturbation when he goes on his self-serving intellectual spiel and ignores fact, just for the sake of sounding profound

[@NoirNameless]

Seeing people who started listen to Kendrick during this beef was both the most endearing, and saddening thing ever. Because while I was glad they finally listened to Kendrick and were exposed to a side of rap they’re not used to, yet seeing people say “this existed the whole time?” Or “ where’s the rap like this??” Really hurt me lol. Really shows that people don’t look for music, really. They wait to be told what to like a little too much.

[@Poorbby]

Yeah, I thought that was insane! I remember when good kid,M.A.A.d City, dropped my dad, got me hooked because he loved him. My dad and I bonded over music he loved to Dj. As two neurodivergent people with my dad having ADHD and I have Autism music is such a unique experience. He ended up being my favorite rapper at that time, and my dad passed away in 2013, so I wish he was here to see this. He was a Drake Hater too!

[@bornanagaming3329]

Just like how people are complaining about mainstream movies nowadays. Theyre just too lazy and ignorant

[@NoirNameless]

@@bornanagaming3329 Use this example all the time. Same with video games. Hollywood, gaming, and music doesn’t suck, you just don’t pay attention to enough.

[@NoirNameless]

@@Poorbby Sorry for your loss. He would’ve went crazy seeing all this go down I’m sure

[@rahbeeuh]

​@@Poorbbymy condolence fellow autie 🫶🏾

[@brycetheoddball]

“Cartoons and Cereal”, “Sing About Me”, “Alright”, and “How much a dollar really cost”. These are the songs that I’ve listened to since they came out that let me know Kendrick could beat Drake. Drake is so limited artistically it’s crazy.

[@jelanifoster9315]

Hiiipower. Rigamortis. All of Section 80. Kendrick 👑👑👑

[@RyomenAyeni225]

@@jelanifoster9315Rigamortis and nosetalgia are literally the songs that made me realise Drake was finished

[@Xcuvon]

How much a dollar cost is a favorite of mine! So deep

[@Okieant]

Here’s the crazy shit. I’m only a year younger than FD. I was living in ATL for a very short stint while Drake was starting to rise. I really don’t even remember where I first heard his name but it confused me and then So Far Gone dropped. I saw a ton of potential in Drake back then. But the minute he went up to Flex and read off the Blackberry and signed with Young Money, I hopped off the train with expediency. Back then, Young Money admittedly made formulaic music that sold and I knew that mentality would infect Drake. So I knew he would never actually show his true range and level of his talent. The cardinal sin on Flex’ show just made me know he didn’t really have a clue. Had he signed to another label that would push him to his full potential, he could have had a different career. He has it in him, but he’s So Far Gone. And If You’re Reading This, It’s Truly Too Late. We can keep racking up Views for FD though in the meantime.

[@Ninnykallday]

FEAR too

[@kenienspann8203]

"theres a drake song for every moment in your life" kinda is how pop Music works

[@claudevl3254]

Except before drake those songs were not all by one artist and didn’t have the exact sameness to them. That’s the whole point. Drake poisoned the well and now everything is flat and just one thing and for anyone else to have a song that soundtracks your life and moments, they have to outDrake drake to compete for your attention

[@BirdsBeach]

Really love your point about how “old heads” need to reach out to younger folks and that us adults carry the burden of the responsibility to reach the younger generation. I’m 28 so I’m a millennial/gen-z cusp, but based on my parents being relatively older when they had me, I’m definitely 100% millennial in my upbringing and memories. I’m also a teacher and have taught since I was 22 (going into year 7 now). I’m aware of your background as a teacher as well, and it really shined through in this portion of the video. It’s easy to gawk at things younger kids do nowadays and I see a lot of my friends and family members do that, but as a teacher, I am privileged in being able to get to know younger folks on a deeper level and see all sides of their experiences and what they’re dealing with. I think it’s easy for folks who don’t work with children to forget that we shoulder the responsibility to attempt to reach the younger crowd and to serve as mentors to them. I really loved that point you made. We can’t expect them to know what they don’t know or to experience what they haven’t experienced without us serving as a mentor or sharing our knowledge and experiences.

[@princessjellyfish98]

I appreciate you bringing up the hypocrisy of Kendrick's associations with Kodak, Dre, etc. Black women have been sounding the alarm on Drake for years, and even this year, before Kendrick started things on Like That, Megan was throwing shots at Drake on Hiss, including ones that later ended up on Kendrick's own disses. It's good that the Hip-Hop community is coming down on Drake's vile, manipulative behavior towards women and girls. But this beef is NOT about protecting women in hip-hop. At best, it's about protecting women from Drake, but even then, I don't like that bar on euphoria where Kendrick talks about "real women." Like I know what he MEANS, but it's unnecessarily misogynistic phrasing for a man who is extremely careful with his words. It's surreal for one of the top songs in the country right now to directly call out one of the world's biggest artists as a predator. It's cathartic even. But it's also very frustrating knowing this is not about any sort systemic change in the industry. Dr Dre and Kodak can sing "they not like us" all they want with none of their peers batting an eye

[@shwaig1]

Re the PDF file stuff, it's wild to me that no one ever mentions that Drake is a documented fan of high school girls basketball. There's that one video I think it's on no jumper where one of the girls was on one of the teams and is talking about it like, "Oh yeah, he's a big fan." Like bro be so fucking for real that is all the way foul. If any dude in your life told you they were going to high school girls sports games as a fan that's an excommunication.

[@waynewayne8419]

It’s meh, unless there is evidence of him doing any weird stuff with them then you’re just yapping.

[@ambriaashley3383]

@@waynewayne8419 so you’re about to follow high school girls basketball and go to their games, without having a relative on the team?? Ok 🤢

[@rosemaryschild]

​@waynewayne8419 k but do YOU have a favorite high school girl's basketball team? I don't. Most people don't. Drake does.

[@Paulxl]

​@@waynewayne8419I hope we never get evidence of Drake SA of a minor. But he already has evidence of inappropriate behavior with minors.

[@TheWonderpickle]

@@waynewayne8419it's nothing that would get him indicted sure, but if that doesn't at least rouse some suspicion then idk what will

[@Harun-u1h]

Kendrick is more like a antihero than a villain tbh

[@christinegovas-robert4378]

I've recently been revisiting this beef and watching your video was one of my favorite experiences. Although nothing beats rewatching pro-Drake streamers reacting to Family Matters with glee, only to have their dreams crushed 20 minutes later.

[@justhaku9240]

I just got called antisemitic for saying Tom mcdonald bad 5m ago, I think we're officially cooked

[@RyomenAyeni225]

Oh yeah, we are fried chicken 😭🙏🏿

[@zeekia0733]

is Tom Macdonald not antisemitic himself???

[@5imian622]

What the absolute fuck?!?

[@Frosty-1029]

I’d rather be antisemitic than be a TomMacDonald fan tbh

[@bernardkoteko1228]

Lmao wtf

[@RikoAyaka455]

Dear FD, I'm a 20-something Gen Z Black American that listens to a lot of 70s soul music and 80s-00s r&b and hiphop, as well as jazz and techno. My parents were breakdancers and footworkers in the 80s, so I basically didn't have a choice. There are still a lot of us younger people that have an appreciation for good music.

[@jetsto5612]

yeah thats why I dont subscribe to this pessimism stuff, even in the darkest hour the most honest people will, by nature of their actions, weather the storm to a new dawn, thats why I'm so glad to see Kendrick draw a line in the sand that can inspire young and upcoming creators to break away from the mold and try to uplift the genre rather than ride the wave.

[@endgame6782]

I think he meant in general, you obviously had a unique upbringing in comparison to the rest of the generation.

[@RikoAyaka455]

@@endgame6782 I wasn't disagreeing with him? Just providing my own experience.

[@endgame6782]

@@RikoAyaka455 I never said you did disagree with him, it's all love brother💯

[@RikoAyaka455]

@@endgame6782 its all good lol

[@zengeki23]

I like the take that what Kendrick did was a villainous move. But I think he took that route BECAUSE Drake pacified the industry of rap and hiphop. Kendrick went to a place that was reminiscent of “Ether”, “hit ‘em up” and “no Vaseline” that if you went back to those diss tracks, you feel the impact it had in the culture and its impact to their target. But Kendrick did it by invitation only. If drake wanted to take it there, he did and we all watched it blow up in his face.

[@vb8801]

I'm a Canadian elder millenial that watched Degrassi and I'm still to this day shocked that Drake became so popular and was taken seriously. At his core he's a one hit wonder with multiple hits.

[@mohamedfahad2364]

Well put "one hit wonder with multiple hits". He’s indeed a one trick pony

[@Adri_Unsung]

I remember when Best I Ever Had popped off and I looked up Drake and I was like “Jimmy?! From Degrassi?!” The music video for I’m Upset was the coolest thing he ever did and even that was kinda corny

[@nomanejane5766]

​@@Adri_Unsung same. I heard the song before I seen the video, when I finally watched it I nearly fell out my chair, I was in disbelief cuz that song was everywhere!

[@lpwexl]

@@mohamedfahad236415 years of 1 hit wonders to be exact.

[@earthtoinfiniti]

He sold his soul IRL

[@magnafoxodyssey2127]

I remember watching Todd in the Shadow's more recent video on Point 7 and he said that when they make a movie about this conflict that Kendrick shouldnt be in it until the very end or as a spector haunting Drake, that Drake should be the protagonist/POV of this story and how someone just effortlessly broke him down viscerally. But rooting for the villian to win is a known phenomenon, and Kendrick was the villian we all loved and wanted to win.

[@bigloquat]

FD Signifier, your favorite video essayists favorite video essayist

[@djpolo99]

I think one of the issues with Drake is that it seems like he emotionally peaked at that age, 15-18. So he's attracted to people in that age demographic. He literally treats relationships like high schoolers. Just a thought.

[@munaali840]

he is so petty after break ups exactly like a highschooler

[@claudevl3254]

100% agree. He seems stuck in perpetual adolescence

[@40footwolf]

something I haven't seen anyone bring up is Drake's tendency to squat not just on the music industry as a whole but on his own label in particular. none of the artists signed to OVO have had a culturally successful album in a decade, if ever, and the way he intentionally and maliciously wrecked iLoveMakonnen's career should be a lot more well known outside of rap gossip circles. it's hard not to look at his label as a form of "controlling the capital" i.e. buying up the competition specifically to neuter and stifle their output

[@markanderson7236]

Classic colonizer tactics. The OP gave a brief explanation of this in their three-hour video.

[@stickybear2557]

Well done. Some thoughts: 1) Drake wrote the blueprint for the quick turnaround on disses, which you mentioned in your essay. He wrote his own strategy against himself. 2) 6:16 in LA is the underrated jam of the year. 3) I'm seeing people respond to this whole thing like this is the first time they ever had vegetables. They heard what hip hop could be and felt nourished. The next moves by hip hop artists will be critical within this next year.

[@sharonhickey90]

Lol the veggie thing is too real, people are really surviving on a diet of cultural fast food these days, it's not healthy

[@jetsto5612]

There was such a crazy wave of people discovering TPAB and MMATBS via Euphoria and NLU, suddenly these albums hit the mainstream discussion again as if they were brand new and it is awesome to see

[@topstitchgirl]

As much as I enjoyed everything about the beef, as a nerd my favourite part of the beef has been all of the smart takes and commentary. I thoroughly enjoyed all 3.5 hours of the essay

[@zephaniahmcdaniels]

How is Kendrick a Master Manipulator when he stood his ground for what he believed in? Anyone in his position would be a fool to NOT play the game their way

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Because standing your ground isn't mutually exclusive from being a master manipulator.

[@stzefm9879]

Cartoons & Cereal gets its flowers forever. He went mental on that track and the beat takes me to space.

[@stzefm9879]

Heard it when I was 16 and till this day it’s my top 5 songs from Dot.

[@iamdjared]

The problem with the music industry is genre agnostic, it's not just Drake. Rock and metal are going through this all to such an extreme with pop music. Like, the 90s had Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Metallica, and Alice in Chains. And more. And they were all different and great. Now I have no idea what's even out there in the mainstream. The underground is absolutely amazing, at least for the stuff I'm into, but the mainstream is... not great. I have so many thoughts about this, but your rant here is perfect. I'm 41, and people my age are absolutely awful about good music. If it didn't come out when they were 16 they think it sucks, even though they've never heard it. Or it's not enough. Ugh. Anyway, love your work.

[@TeagueisTrash]

the part about kendrick being a villain, i kind of understand him. drake is empty calories and kendrick has a good reason to hate that about him

[@Z4NKA1]

Kendrick is empty calories too, FD literally says kendrick fans are being manipulated in the video and his fans just ignore it 😂

[@kev1257ful]

@@Z4NKA1kendrick makes music with substance. drake makes vapid music that’s fun every once in a while, but he’s never had the same level of depth, especially in comparison to other rappers considered “the greats”

[@TeagueisTrash]

@@Z4NKA1 that doesnt mean his music is without substance

[@Z4NKA1]

@@kev1257ful what is the substance? I genuinely wanna know, all of his "substance" and "moral consciousness" is performative. I dont understand how a grown adult could take that serious. drake is not a very deep person either tho so i get ur point

[@Z4NKA1]

@@TeagueisTrash to me, the substance is performative. he comes across just as juvenile and fake as drake does

[@daltonbedore8396]

the En Vogue digress was hilarious. Uncle had a core memory going on😂

[@matthemming9105]

Kendrick has reprogrammed the part of my brain that finishes the sentence: "Once upon a time..." 😂😂

[@ElleDiablo]

Don't judge me, but if there's any impact Iggy Azealia has had on me... it's i can't finish the sentence "first things first..." normally

[@noone36101]

Ahh damn, I can't too. Every part of Not like us is way too catchy and memorable

[@benkei1047]

in a city so divine

[@lucretia_macevil]

You gave me an existential crisis while smoking a bowl and seeing my own face lmao.

[@TylaStark]

😂😂😂

[@Poorbby]

😂😂😂

[@SweetieMs]

Your video was soooo good!!

[@egwgsdgwegfqweqwrfqwef9877]

I have rewatched the original video at least 3 times in its’ entirety. I’m gonna watch this one at least a few times as well

[@salomaonplanetsaturn]

Why ? 🤔

[@Mro637]

@@salomaonplanetsaturn it’s just really good.

[@watermage25]

@@salomaonplanetsaturn he probably didn't get it the first time. Or is enamored by the topic, and doesn't see alternatives to moving on.

[@rahbeeuh]

​@@salomaonplanetsaturnwhy not?

[@egwgsdgwegfqweqwrfqwef9877]

@@salomaonplanetsaturnThere’s so much information that I wasn’t able to fully comprehend without going back and having another listen

[@neosaneo2]

you're 1,000% correct about kendrick baiting this entire situation 😭 bro really heard the lyric "rappin like You tryna free the slaves" and turned to the audience and said "Hear that? He called You a slave! 🤯🤯🤯 You really gonna take that one???? 🤔🤔🤔" when he ended a song with "we don't wanna hear you say nigga no more" and then Drake of course started his reply with "NIGGA I GOTTA GO BAD" and then kendrick uploaded MTG with "wow... that guy is so embarrassing... put his mom in it too... 😔" like bro you knew he was going to do that that's why it's in the song ☠

[@memyselfandi3288]

that was not the first time drake used "slave" in word play and i'm personally glad it finally blew up on him coz there's no context in which playing around with that word is acceptable!!! "whipped and chained like American slaves" sealed it for me, i was done with his stupid antics after that.

[@mohamedfahad2364]

Are we gonna blame Kendrick for studying his opp and prepping for the war? He told us in euphoria that Drake is predictable and he proved to us that Drake indeed was predictable. He even warned him in euphoria and 6:16 to keep it friendly coz he’s gonna suffer if he goes the other route. Drake didn’t listen and learned the hard way

[@_NoHandle_]

Ya'll literally removing ALL *accountability* from Drake. Are we really going to pretend that Drake isn't a grown man who makes his own decisions?

[@pillowvibes]

the consistent victimization of drake, someone who is older than kendrick and has masqueraded around as a threatening presence and bully for half a decade, will never not make me laugh 😭😭 “leave the poor 37 year old kid alone”

[@fightingmedialounge519]

​@mohamedfahad2364 that's not what people are doing.

[@Klornfield]

Drake having songs for every moment in your life makes it sound like hes making Sims music lol

[@kimiyounasarukun]

12:19 “Italian food from Olive Garden’s passable to pretty good….” You killed me, bro. I’m dead now, weeping in the arms of my Italian ancestors. 😢

[@nickrustyson8124]

Shit most Italian restaurants (Outside of Pizza, even shit pizza is good) suck, now granted, my experience is whatever is in Mesa Arizona or Binghamton New York

[@Syntaxinsav]

Tomatoes are indigenous to Mexico. What we know as Italian food isn't what your ancestors were making.

[@shahsadsaadu5817]

​@@Syntaxinsavso? What comes forth as tradition is not rooted in the idea of extreme time difference. Tapioca and cashew are not indigenous to India, yet you will find so many places in india where that has been staple food for generations. Milk Tea is not something the british invented, yet its THE british beverage.

[@Syntaxinsav]

@shahsadsaadu5817 Bc it's just fact. I'm didn't say it isn't what itallian food is today, I said it's not what his ancestors ate. Before the destruction of the Mexica society, Itallian food was much more grape leaves and lamb.

[@kimiyounasarukun]

@@Syntaxinsav grandparents are ancestors, mang, I didn’t say we’re going back to the Neolithic here, damn.

[@Gloey94704]

I think Meet the Grahams was a response to Drake implying that his wife slept with his long-time friend and manager and had a baby that wasn't his. Diabolical. Drake was trying to poison Dot's relationships. So Dot was in his right to annihilate Drake, even gave him multiple warnings about going that route.

[@turtle4llama]

Exactly. Drake slandered Whitney multiple times. She's a civilian, the only reason to go for her is because he thinks there's nothing she can do about it. True predator behavior.

[@xv1distort]

Drake and young girls has been as much an open secret as Diddy and R Kelly were before things really came out

[@liezinc]

Well to be fair, Kendrick does call himself the boogeyman. His entire hip-hop persona has this flip side where he’s straight out of a horror movie and I think Kendrick just loves to embody that character he’s created.

[@Ali-fs7ze]

12:40 The greatest piece of writing I've seen on this phenomena is Tim Roger's "Season of Trash" from Action Button's review of Cyberpunk 2077, Episode 6. It's not just the culture industry, capitalism has really turned everything into Trash by promise of convenience for the sake of profit.

[@lucyandecember2843]

👀

[@obtusemooose]

thank you for mentioning this. its so damn good. he really encapsulates the disposable qualities of pop culture. he as well be talking about drake. or at least what he represents in the abstract to (pop, not rap) culture.

[@patrick05Morgan]

I’ve never heard that “sierra canyon parking lot looking like magic city” line until now. Wtf😮. This dude is actually a predator. He used to pull up to watch lebron’s son play highscool basketball and he was dating the mom of one of bronny’s teammates (Amari Bailey). Apparently he wasn’t there for Bronny or Leia Bailey.

[@AnonymousUser-e2w]

Kendrick is not evil. He was just telling Drake about himself, but he had to do it as a rapper, responding to a beef. Kendrick did so, beautifully. He's not evil, that's rude and wrong to say.