15 hours ago
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Common is convinced that the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake beef was good for the hip-hop world.
The Grammy-winning rapper explained his position during a recent appearance on the Earn Your Leisure podcast hosted by Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. At one point during the episode, Rashad asked Common to share his thoughts on the highly publicized feud and the consensus that Kendrick was the winner.
“The battle? I gotta say, initially, I was like, ‘Wow. This is for real. These dudes are going at it because Drake was delivering and then Kendrick came, and Kendrick kept giving him blows. [Kendrick] did what he had to do and he came out the victor… point blank, he won… I think it’s just a victory for hip-hop that the battle went down the way it did and had people paying attention to lyrics in hip-hop.”
Common said the rap battle — which climaxed with Kendrick’s Grammy-nominated diss cut “Not Like Us” — was on everyone’s radar and effectively forced people to pay closer attention to K. Dot’s messages.
“I love that Kendrick, within a battle, is able to give you lessons and spiritual things,” Common continued. “I’m, like, damn that is crazy… This dude is dropping knowledge and still battling. It’s ridiculous.”
Common also made sure to give the OVO boss his flowers, saying he was among “the most talented songwriters-artists to do music.”
“To be able to make songs at the level and be making hits over and over, that says something,” he said. “Even pop artists that had some big hits, they don’t last decades. So, Drake is a super talented dude.”
However, Common suggested Kendrick had a more important role within the hip-hop world because he was more than just a rapper. He described Kendrick as a “masterful artist” who had proven himself years before the Drake feud reached its peak. Common pointed out that Kendrick had won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album DAMN., further underscoring his lyrical/writing talent.
“Each one of his albums have been different, unique, dope, and that’s what it is. The dude is one of the greatest in any generation,” Common said. “He’s a revolutionary and still dangerous. When you think about it, our revolutionaries were dangerous. Fred Hampton, he was dangerous but dangerous for the right thing. Malcolm X, dangerous. Assata Shakur, dangerous. They were dangerous for their people and, at the end of the day, Kendrick is dangerous for his people. I got nothing but love for him.”
Common said the feud reignited interest in his and Drake’s decade-old beef, which has since been squashed. “The Light” MC said he was amused by all the attention but had no interest in getting involved with the Kendrick-Drake drama.
“I’m just watching the battle now. Don’t drag me into this,” he said with a laugh. “Let me watch this and just enjoy. I would have to say that it was probably the greatest battle we’ve ever seen.”
You can watch the full interview above.
English (US) ·