The sight of two (or more) people tearing chunks out of each other is one of humanity’s first and most enduring forms of entertainment. The sheer excitement, the intrigue, the unpredictability, the adrenaline rush, the bloodlust: who can resist? And in exchange for their courage, discipline and possibly even their lives, we reward our gladiators handsomely. It’s payday for the poetic, profit-seeking, pride-protecting feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, easily the landmark competitive event of our time.
Rappers are our modern gladiators (and poet laureates). And thanks to social media and the fact that every major media organisation worth its salt – the BBC, the New York Times, the Guardian – has dedicated prominent real estate to cover and contextualise the beef blow-by-blow, track-by-track, the world is their colosseum. Are you not entertained?
We see all the modern tools of warfare deployed: high- and low-tech espionage, infiltration of enemy camps, artificial intelligence (Drake released a record with AI-generated verses from Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur, both, like Lamar, west coast icons). There has been kompromat (including accusations of Ozempic usage and Brazilian butt lifts), leaks, disinformation events, racial propaganda, social media hostilities. This has resulted in numerous direct, highly innovative “diss” tracks: some........