Jay-Z: “Kendrick and Drake went over the limit”

Jay-Z expressed his point of view on the historic rivalry between Kendrick Lamar And Drakedefining the tone reached by the dispute as excessive. Despite his past as a “gladiator” of the genre, the Roc Nation mogul seems to have taken a more cautious and institutional position regarding the current dynamics of rap.

In an interview with “GQ”, Jay-Z analyzed the role of verbal confrontation in the world of hip hop. According to the artist, “battling” now represents the last of the fundamental pillars of rap culture left standing, after disciplines such as breaking, writing and DJing have lost their original centrality. However, Jay-Z has openly questioned whether this practice should still be an integral part of the movement.

While admitting that he technically appreciated the comparison and exchange of rhymes, Jay-Z underlined how today’s context has transformed the challenge into something toxic. “In this day and age, the negative consequences are such that you almost wish it had never happened,” he said. The rapper explained that the hatred generated between their respective fan factions and personal attacks have crossed the line of artistic enjoyment, negatively impacting the growth of the culture itself.

A position decidedly in contrast with his past, when he did not spare low blows in the famous feud against Nas (as in the lyrics of “Supa Ugly”).