Ever since Kendrick Lamar’s surprise feature on the song “Like That” on Metro Boomin and Future’s collaborative album “We Don’t Trust You,” released on March 22, the rap game has been completely shaken up. Kendrick dissed the two other members of “The Big 3”: J. Cole and Drake.
Following Lamar’s verse, J. Cole released his “Might Delete Later” album on April 5th had a diss track aimed towards him called “7 Minute Drill”, which was promptly taken off of streaming after two days. Some respect his decision to back out of the beef, but others thought of J. Cole as a coward. Many rap fans would desperately wait for Drake’s response in the form of “Push Ups” released on April 19.
However, following “Push Ups,” Drake made another diss track against Kendrick Lamar called “Taylor Made Freestyle,” released on social media and has received heavy backlash and remains in controversy. Drake, in the track, used AI to mimic the voice of the late Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, which many, understandably so, find in poor taste.
Some compare what Drake has done on “Taylor Made Freestyle” to the ending of “Mortal Man” by Kendrick Lamar, in which he has a conversation with 2PAC. Kendrick Lamar used an old interview of Tupac and got his mother’s permission to incorporate it into the song, tying it into the themes of his 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly”.
Tupac’s estate threatened to sue Drake over the AI usage in “Taylor Made Freestyle”, which made him take the song down from social media platforms.
The entire ordeal further pushes the question and ethics of using AI in music, while also leaving many disappointed with the state of the rap game of today. For now, many are waiting for a response from Kendrick, who hasn’t said anything ever since his feature in March.
