There is a lot of conflict in the world right now. You can hardly open a newspaper (or, if we’re honest, social media) without reading about some horrific geopolitical incident that brings us one step closer to the abyss. Our public figures are no better: they worsen public discourse with every hastily typed post and every provocative soundbite that escapes their controversial brains.
We used to be much better at this. Even in difficult times, we behaved with grace. We didn’t just shout at each other – we thought about what we wanted to say and said it well.
Thankfully, there is one argument that is still conducted with a level of decorum and artistry that is so often lacking in today’s debate: the rap argument between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Yes, instead of throwing barbs at each other without even a thought for their impact, these two men are behaving in a way that expresses true gentlemanly behavior – by writing each other little poems.
If you haven’t been following the feud, all you need to know is this: Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar and fellow rapper Drake (no last name) have been feuding for over a decade, taking jabs at each other in their music. However, the rivalry recently reached a new level when Kendrick challenged J Cole’s claim that he, Kendrick, and Drake are the “big three” of hip-hop, including the lyric “Motherf*** the big three, n***a, it’s just big me” in his song “Like That.” Drake responded with a diss track attacking Lamar, who responded in return, and the two have been feuding for a few days, writing increasingly hurtful monologues about each other.
Don’t misunderstand – I don’t mean that lightly. I saw someone on X/Twitter earlier refer to this exact kind of observation as “peak Reddit circa 2009” (whatever that means), but I stand by it. Drake and Kendrick somehow managed to elevate what would, under other circumstances, be considered a bit of petty celebrity gossip to the level of genuine art, thanks to their natural literary flair. Somehow, despite everything, this little squabble caused both men to dig deep and produce some of their best work in years.
It’s so good, in fact, that people have accused the two of engaging in some sort of celebrity kayfabe, i.e. both are “in on the joke” and are setting things up for publicity. Maybe that’s true, but I think if it were, Drake probably wouldn’t have signed off on Lamar branding him a “certified pedophile” and warning any women interested in the “Hotline Bling” singer, “Just make sure you hide your little sister from him.”
The same goes for Kendrick, who dismissed Drake’s lyrics implicating him in domestic violence or his story about his pro-black activism as just for show. I understand that the best feuds often run deep, but personally, I might draw the line at telling the world that my rival has a secret daughter.
Even if you’re not a huge rap fan, you have to admit it’s refreshing to see two men actually putting effort into their insults rather than just firing off a screenshot from the Notes app or a low-res YouTube video. It’s like when Edgar Allan Poe included a character based on his rival Thomas Dunn English in his short story “The Cask of Amontillado.” In it, the main character is buried alive behind a brick wall as revenge for his boorish behavior (well, it’s kind of like that—to my knowledge, Poe never accused English of having a “nymphomaniac fetish” in any of his stories). That story became one of Poe’s most acclaimed, and most recently served as a major part of Mike Flanagan’s loose adaptation of Poe’s works. The Fall of the House of Usher.
That’s the problem with literary feuds – there’s always the danger of hitting back at your opponent through your art and inadvertently immortalizing them. Art tends to last far longer than the people who created it, so in a way the two men inadvertently did each other a favor by including the other in a work that will be remembered for decades – perhaps centuries – to come.
So the next time someone cuts you off at the intersection or grabs the last watermelon from the fruit aisle, don’t be mad – be creative. Who knows, maybe something worthwhile will come out of it in the end. After all, sometimes the best way to get revenge on your enemy is to make them your muse.
