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Like, comment, share and/or subscribe! Warning: This isn’t a “breakdown” of lyrics. A few of them will get that treatment. Maybe. This post will focus more on other artists’, podcasters, etc, reactions to Euphoria and my opinion on this and how this REAL bomb drop of this beef rattled not just Drake, but the entire hip-hop community. Also, I should mention I curse a lot through this so if you’re sensitive to that, this may not be the best blog post to read. Check out the other blog posts if you haven't already. *** FLASHING IMAGES AHEAD for those who suffer from seizures or any other similar condition.     This will damn near be a rant. Viewer discretion is advised. The Boogey Man... Credit: Lollapalooza   My reaction:   When Euphoria dropped, I was completely in shock. Not because of the drop. Mostly everything Kendrick did I guessed he would do. I was in shock because of what that man released into the world, at the time, was arguably the greatest diss track of all time. Personally, all of Kendrick’s diss tracks are a league of their own and the best bullets of diss tracks ever launched at one person… (and others that may or may not know yet) and affected others. Ripple effect.   Dot had a target and knew his assignment. No distractions.     I never worried about when Kendrick was going to drop his full length diss because a grown ass person who isn’t a follower and marched to only their rhythm didn’t rush for anyone but themselves even if it was 2024, in this current, “hurry up!!!!!” climate. Just because the younger generation and even the older fuck asses were telling Kendrick to hurry up and release music doesn’t mean Kendrick needed to do so. Hilarious that old heads wanted him to hurry up considering how long diss tracks took to come out back in the days, in the 90’s and so on. Due to us having instant access to social media, streaming services, YouTube, etc., where people are speaking endlessly about their opinions on the battle and pushing narratives, positive and negatively, truthfully and/or fake to the masses, it makes people more impatient, and they want their specialty burgers with everything on it NOW even though they just ordered it a mere 2 minutes ago. People are ridiculous now. Kendrick could’ve waited a month or more and I would’ve been fine with that.   However, Dot was beyond prepared and strategic. Suspense. Dot knew his opponent very well. Impatient. Childish. Peep freak . Anyone who wants to dispute that last part… dude literally can’t stop being all up in everyone’s relationship business then trolls on IG like it’s his personal pink diary with daisies on it and a spiral pen for dramatic effect. Not cute. (Check out my Not Like Us post to understand my " peep freak " comment in more detail if you haven't already)   Before the song dropped:     The amount of hip hop, media personalities and so on who already saw Drake as “ahead” after “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” was ridiculous, disgusting and shocking to me. Especially when it came to some of the East Coast legends and the more lyrical MCs in the game. Some of these individuals couldn’t see Kendrick in a battle against Drake (Listen, I listened to Drake’s disses to Meek Mill in their rap battle for the 1st time last year and I will never understand why this battle was a big deal. That’s how you know hip-hop was on a looooooow ass tier at that point and the masses cared waaaay too much about fuckin’ ass Drake. What? Because he said, “You gettin’ bodied by a singin’ N****?!” REALLY?!?!?! Meek revealing that he had ghost writers was more eye-opening and still, they were both weak diss tracks) which is hilarious because a true hip-hop fan that cares about lyricism would have known Drake wouldn’t have stood a chance. Drake knew this, hence why he wasn’t happy that J. Cole dropped out of the battle. No one to hide behind and act like he was throwing the more lyrical bars when J. Cole IS a lyricist.   Too bad for all the envy J. Cole may have towards Kendrick, he didn’t dislike him enough to battle him like that. Or maybe Cole’s not a battle guy at all and likes people to think he is. Personally, I think he doesn’t like to be challenged by anyone that is top tier lyrical and prefers to stay in a comfortable place… which is why musically Cole hasn’t grown a whole lot (Although “For Your Eyes Only” is an incredibly slept on concept album that was sort of like MM&TBS and I’m ONLY speaking on some of the honesty and growing into adulthood part of it) but I think with the right producers (let go a little Cole!) and some dope music arrangements and hooks, he would be on fire. Ugh, but his homie is Drake, so…   Moving on, all these dumb ass countdowns for Dot to drop. Again, no countdowns for the fragile ass “Boy”, who, in essence, took longer than Kendrick to drop “Push Ups” (3 weeks, by the way), but let’s baby the “baby”. I saw none of this for Drake, only for Kendrick. TACKINESS. Since when do we have countdowns in rap battles/beefs? I’m telling you, duck lips, acrylics and scrunchies must be something y’all who condone this nonsense wear in secret. Low key smackin’ ya lips, rolling ya eyes in y’alls head and saying, “KENDRICK NEEDS TO DROP LIKE RIGHT NOW CUZ… I AIN’T ABOUT TO WAIT FOR THIS NIGGA, FORREAL…” Every fucking time I heard someone said Kendrick was on the clock, this was the vibe men seem to be giving- AND I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE GEN-Z MOFO’S!!! All of you who are Millennials, Xennials (I am one) and friggin’ Gen-Xer’s were out of control, acting like you’re standing on a corner shaping your nails with a blunt in your mouth, gossipy, actin’ spicy but trying to act tough – ALL TO SUPPORT ANOTHER LIP SMACKER NAMED AUBREY GRAHAM?! HUH?!?! Gross. The motherfucka took 3 goddamn weeks, if you wanna do fucking countdowns. Kendrick took 2 friggin’ weeks but somehow this was spun like HE took the longest. Soft fuckin ass brains a la social fucking media – fuck it, the INTERNET.   Think for yourself.     Those guys I mention below. Credit: It Is What It Is Podcast     Now where was I? Oh yeah, for instance, Mase and Cam’Ron, who were seen wearing OVO jackets. I’m snickering as I write this. Like forreal, y’all? These men, who are respected lyrically in hip-hop, sat there on their program I don’t care to mention was beyond the word “bias”. Because I didn’t even know they would be like this because I stopped paying much attention to them for years, to hear the shit they said, especially when Euphoria dropped confused me. But I watched their demeanor, what and how they said it.   Mase said “It was interesting…” as he nods with nearly an uncomfortable smile on his face, then says, “Um, I thought it was cool…” starts grinning uneasily while Cam’ron asks him who’s winning. Mase fixes his mouth to say that “Drake is winning from an MC standpoint, you know it took a while for him to get – for us to get the record from Kendrick and when you wait a while – it got to be like out of this world. I think if Kendrick dropped this record right after “Drop and Give Me 50” (not the name of your Boy’s song btw, even if it was titled that way prior to release) it would have been crazy.” He goes on to say, still looking uneasy, “But we waited.”   Da Fuck?!   So, then Cam’ron, who equally looks uneasy, says when asked what he thought by Mase, “I don’t know man, I think Drake is winning. Euphoria didn’t really move me. I’m expecting lyrics from Kendrick Lamar. You’re expecting certain things and so it was kind of long, took too long to come out for us (I’m cracking up now) and I’m not saying it’s bad…” and Mase adds, “It was a good record (says it again), that we waited a while for. It was a good record we waited a while for.” As Cam’ron continues to babble about a record can still be hot after waiting “2 years…4 years later”, Mase grins with Cam’ron and says in what can be called “lame-assed seriousness” fake sagaciously says, “There’s a certain thing you have to have in a record that Kendrick doesn’t have in his record-” and then Cam’ron chimes in saying, “You gotta school these niggas!!” Laughing but comes off like we’re supposed to think it’s confidence there when, for me, I hear none. Anyways, Mase says “You gotta say something that make niggas look at the nigga different and when he did the whole ‘I don’t wanna hear you say nigga no more’, that was a - pause - angle we already heard before…”. Cam’ron then says the most ignorant shit ever (although they pretty much said enough) by saying, “I’m not saying that this rap beef isn’t entertaining but-”, he goes into his “when we used to do this shit” spiel he says, “People had the potential to die, like literally, or get seriously hurt and I just don’t feel that in these battles – AND I DON’T- I’M NOT PROMOTING THIS!”   Cam’ron said it doesn’t have a dangerous atmosphere for him.   I pause.   I’m a New Yorker. Brownsville, BKLYN. Born in the early 80’s. Any of us who were born in the 80’s, 70’s, 60’s, etc understood what happened during 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.’s beef and the swell of the East and West Coast rivalry it created, thanks to dummies like Diddy and the press. Some would even say Suge Knight. A fucked up time and to see 2 of my favorite rappers pass away less than a year from each other is traumatizing for a teen. It was traumatizing for EVERYONE during that time, adult or not. I think most of us still have PTSD from that time and this fucking moron Cam’Ron, who lives in his own comfortable bubble within his bubblehead, fixed his fuckin’ mouth to say this battle doesn’t come off as “dangerous”.   SINCE WHEN DOES A RAP BATTLE AND/OR BEEF NEED TO GET TO DANGEROUS FUCKIN’ LEVELS?!?! Are y’all that bored?! Nearing your 50’s and/or in your 50’s and y’all need it to be a violent beef so y’all can get engagement?! Views?!   East Coast hip-hop OG’s were grossly disappointing during this beef. I should have heard them rallying for this and giving some perspective. REAL prospective. Real friggin’ hip-hop!!! Only a handful – HANDFUL of them who respect lyricism and the true art of hip-hop spoke out and their respect for what was at play, specifically Kendrick’s masterful dissection of Drake. I also saw East Coast OG’s who reacted to a few videos, meme’s etc in favor of Kendrick. I also saw some who reacted to Drake shit on Instagram – the positive shit about him. There were artists I expected to see because of shit they’ve said in interviews, past and present, them equally slaughtering on the mic and showing why they are THOSE emcees. Beautiful to see them stand on art, lyricism and respect for this culture and not letting their ego get bruised when there isn’t any reason for that to happen in the first place.   Which comes to why I’m using Cam’ron and Mase as the example for all the men who said or DIDN’T say anything about this battle but specifically when Euphoria dropped. There's a reason why the men I mentioned above was saying what they said and acting how they were acting. Not just the fact that Drake had Dipset on stage with him, btw. A lot of men were acting so fucking cringey, jealous and pathetic when K-Dot dropped this song AND AFTERWARDS. Gillie the Kid, who said “Euphoria” was “Whack sauce” or something to that effect, Ice Cube, who, for some reason needed to remind everyone that “No Vaseline” was the best diss track of all time and that he was “Kendrick before Kendrick” and wasn’t at all that supportive at first (which is sad), and Ice T made a shady comment that surprised me because I definitely would have thought he would’ve loved all of this, as a metal head and hip-hop star? Come on!  Then you have all the other super silent rappers that may have sat there and said, “I don’t listen to this music-,” which I somewhat don’t believe. The silent rappers and not so silent ones- you know what Kendrick did to them that has never been done before in the history of musical hip-hop battles?   He emasculated them. With one song.   That is the word. Emasculated. He made Gillie, Cam’ron, Mase, Fat "fuckin’ mouth" Joe- all these mouthy ass dudes and those who didn’t say A THING (or slickly said shit on their albums that subsequently came out after the battle ended. You know who you are) during this battle feel like they had no hanging balls that dropped. Pene done turned inward, hid and shivered.    Kendrick’s 1 song made these men feel a certain way. About themselves? About their abilities as rappers? Questioning their pen? It can be all or some of the above. Just like one verse from “Like That”, changed the game, “Euphoria” was the start of changing rap battle history but what that man packed into this 6 plus minute song was nothing short of jaw-dropping.   Euphoria is masterful and exactly how I pictured Kendrick would “whoop feet” . Opening the song with an R & B soul sample, Teddy Pendergrass, and packed the opening with lyrics, measured not slowly delivered to brace everyone for what’s to come. It irritated me when I saw people being so friggin’ impatient for Dot to get to where it will get intense, lively or “faster”. I call these fuckers “10 second chumps”, can’t hang and need everything to hurry up and get to the point. I hope y’all don’t fuck like that… just saying. What Kendrick was doing was building suspense .   Suspense . Something we have long missed in music, although I can count a few people who still practice this art… this design. Suspense is what we loved about every goddamn song before the fuckin’ 2000’s came along. Immediacy has become “the meal to consume” for nearly 2 decades. BORING!   Not only did Kendrick tap into his own artistry/creativity, but he also tapped into his musical (and possibly theater/movie) influences to carve out such vocal display with impressive inflections and changing of voices and music theory in the first official full length diss track from him. The bar certainly was raised by this quiet giant.   And the production… sigh. Fabulous and perfect. The beginning was poetic, with this hilarious sense that everything was going to be calm… at least to the people who ARE NOT fans of Kendrick and fans of real well-crafted music. But it was such a slow and cool bop to it, at least for me, I had the "squint in my eyes and head nod" going strong.   Then came the horns and “Shoooo! Shoooo! Shoooo!” and that was it. More rapid suspense before he dropped the first verse. You see, Kendrick clearly understands and thinks how a song will sound live and how a person will react to it. I think artists (minus rock and some other musical genres) need to think more in this light. Again, this is what I missed about the music I listened to growing up and hip-hop is surprisingly not the genre I consumed the most. Yes, I grew up on hip-hop. This Brownsville girl who loves metal, rock, funk, R&B – my first concert was Metallica in 1997 at Madison Square Garden… the day after Biggie died.   I digress. Songs like “All Night Long (All Night)”, by Lionel Richie, “Little Red Corvette”, by Prince, “A Night To Remember”, by Shalamar, “Something About You”, by Level 42, “The Choice Is Yours”, by Black Sheep, “In Particular”, by Blonde Redhead, "One", by Metallica and so many, many more I can name that have suspense in various parts of their songs - in the beginning or throughout. That feeling of when a song makes you excited and when the song is done you crave more of it. Because of that “build” or “build up” that has grips on you and you’re about to lose your mind because the musicality behind it and the chords played; so well thought out to make you, the listener want to move some and/or all parts of your body to the music.   So, yes, Kendrick’s first full length diss track was going to be… cinematic… and suspenseful… and it had to be. Why? The differences between him and Drake… Drake doesn’t have suspense in his music. Straight to the point, checks all the “what must be in a hit song for the 2010’s” boxes which is what is “popular” now. Talk about women- excuse me for being considerate about women  - “bitches and hoes”, money, fame, trap beat, halfway decent hook, probably a feature, autotune probably somewhere in the song... BORING !     I feel like Kendrick had to remind people what real rap songs – thought out rap songs, sounded like again.   Some thoughts on some of the lyrics:   I don’t have a whole lot because there are many deep dives out there but some lyrics that caught my attention.   “Try cease and desist on the "Like That" record? Ho, what? You ain't like that record?”   The audacity of Drake to sit there and accuse Kendrick of sending a Cease and Desist for “Taylor Made Freestyle”- I’m sorry I’m laughing as I type this – like…how dare this fuckin’ dude?! As Kendrick said, “he’s a master manipulator and habitual liar, too.” This dude produced not one bit of proof but Metro Boomin’ sure did for “Like That” and I wouldn’t be surprised if this case Aubrey has for UMG makes it to trial, this evidence will come out.   Now that I mention the case with UMG… who is the most likely person sending cease and desists? You’re right Drake, “cease and desist are for hoes” so I guess you were talking about yourself.   Remember, Aubrey. Discovery.   That's ho shit, I got a son to raise, but I can see you don't know nothin' 'bout that Wakin' him up, know nothin' 'bout that Then tell him to pray, know nothin' 'bout that Then givin' him tools to walk through life like day by day, know nothin' 'bout that Teachin' him morals, integrity, discipline, listen, man, you don't know nothin' 'bout that Speakin' the truth and consider what God's considerin', you don't know nothin' 'bout that       Kendrick was so slick here. SOOO Slick! I think Kendrick played with how he pronounced his words, and it makes this whole part of this section of the lyrics have a double meaning. “You don’t know nothin’ ‘bout that” what I also hear is “You don’t know nothin' ‘bout DOT” . Listen to how Kendrick sings this part.   Kendrick essentially tells Drake he knows nothing about how to raise a child and be a good example in his life. However, in between telling Drake what he doesn’t know about being a good father, Kendrick is also telling him he doesn’t know a fuckin’ thing about HIM .   Or it could be a combination of Kendrick and Dot that Drake doesn’t know, and he doesn’t. The Boy had to go on social media and half ass listen to “Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers” to find anything on Kendrick. Google searched for information on Dot and all he got was the R. Kelly/Spotify shit. Sad as hell.     What I learned is niggas don't like the West Coast And I'm fine with it, I'll push the line with it...     Yes, Kendrick, you’re right about this 100%. I am going to speak for the East Coast, mainly New York. Yes, it’s true that New Yorkers do listen to West Coast music. A lot. Not always with the homies, though. Growing up I always heard all hip-hop music no matter what the region was, blaring and/or out of the projects/apartments/homes, etc.   However, New York is ridiculous when it comes to other rappers being from anywhere other than the 5 boroughs. There is almost a sense that New Yorkers feel like hip-hop belongs to them and only them which is, again, ridiculous. If anyone dares say that someone from another state or region is the best rapper, to them, it’s not true and it almost can’t happen because New York is the state that birthed this thing called “hip-hop”, therefore, anyone being better than someone from New York is bullshit and there must be some sort of conspiracy, etc. For the most part, it just doesn’t happen. My god, fuckin’ New Yorkers didn’t even want to acknowledge New Jersey! Go find the latest interview with Redman on “Sway In The Morning”, where he talks about his beginnings in rap and how it went for him in New York. The bias of New Yorkers with hip-hop is sad and I dislike it immensely.   Hey New York! It makes us look weak! We’re supposed to be the ones looking at everyone in other regions/states, nodding like, “Yeah, that’s influence.” We should be proud of how many people love this art form and look to us as the originators. But, instead, there’s a jealousy that the West, specifically California, has mostly taken the art form and has rivaled the East Coast, specifically New York, with the very sound they originated with their own style and have been insanely successful with it. We know damn well that’s really where our annoyance lies. The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac. You're missed. Credit: Biography   Some say it’s because of the 2Pac and Biggie beef. Because ‘Pac “switched” sides and started to represent West Coast.   Here’s the thing: Tupac knew where he came from and never forgot it. He always said he had love for the East Coast, for New York. He was born there. HOWEVER, the sheer amount of negative shit he’s gone through in NYC is crazy. I can understand why he felt the way he felt. Quad Studios attempted murder was what pushed him over the edge. How the fuck would you feel if this happened to you? For some, you would be looking at your birthplace sideways for a while.   I digress. The narrative of the Biggie/Pac shit – I don’t buy it. The West Coast had insane talent and that was hard to swallow for New Yorkers. Because no one can be better than New York and that is unheard of. And that, is pure shite. Talent is talent and if it meant the best lyricist was from fuckin’ Council Bluffs, Iowa, then so be it. Where a person is from should never fuckin’ dictate who is better or what sound is better. Music is fuckin’ music. Art is art. Love it, enjoy it and shut the fuck up.   And this is why I’m disappointed that not too many MC’s/OG’s in the hip-hop game came out and had an opinion on someone who was being lyrical, bringing it back to the 90’s and before.   Emasculation.   Common, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Xzibit, Nas are some of the few people who have spoken positively about Kendrick in this battle. To now see some of the older rappers from the 80’s and 90’s putting out albums, almost like “Oh shit! It’s safe to come out and be lyrical again!” It’s wonderful to see but, from these older rappers, I get a sense that they wanted to remind the West Coast – and the world, who the true masterminds and originators of this art form is rather than it be a celebration of the man who stopped the Owl from continuing this shite-y course of lazy music – and a celebration of lyricism is loved again.   Btw, New York, I am blaming you for what happened to hip-hop in the early 2000’s up until Kendrick had the balls to say, “ Enough is enough ”. The beginning of New York’s stranglehold in music started slipping with Puff Daddy.   Shiny fuckin’ suits and sampling in the production that was so friggin’ obvious it makes you clench your teeth. Lazy work equals millions of dollars made at the expense of true lyricists such as Biggie and Craig Mack. Yes, Biggie made those songs what they were, but Puff and his team didn’t do much with their samples. It was the sample, maybe speed it up or slow it down some, and then put a beat over it right quick and - Voila!   I couldn’t wait for Biggie to leave Puffy so he could work with a real producer who could really curate and work around his high level of lyricism, charisma, creativity and power. At least Tupac was able to work with whom he wanted. Big, not so much. It hurts so much that we will never be able to hear/see that. Forever under Puff’s rule… and production.   Because of this design made by Puffy, this started to follow suit. Not much brain power to make a pop/rap hit. Once Biggie passed, music changed. Biggie and Pac’s passing put hip-hop in a bit of a depression, even though Jay-Z, DMX, and a few others were banging out hits. Something was always missing that should never have been missing and Big and Pac has since been always mentioned in music. They left a huge fuckin’ hole that has never been fully filled and might never happen. Anyways, New York okayed Puffy’s behavior and allowed that man to rule hip-hop for far too long, enough that he became a friggin’ billionaire.   Not just Puffy I have to blame. A lot of rappers started pivoting from hip-hop to pursue other endeavors such as acting. There’s not one issue with that. However, when you nearly abandon hip-hop, what the hell do you think other regions/states are going to do?! Just sit there and twiddle their thumbs and wait for New Yorkers/East Coast to come back around to their art form?! No. Other talented and not-so-talented mofo’s came out to play. All inspired by New York.   One last thing – y’all cosigned Drake (Insert fuckin’ Funk Master No Flex. No FUCKIN’ WAY any man or woman who isn’t half-white would get a pass for using a PHONE to FREESTYLE!!! Absolutely no respect for anyone who thought this was okay. People like Funk would not be okay with Kendrick or other rappers he could care less about freestyling using a phone. THAT’S NOT FREESTYLING!!!) Y’all take up for that. Which is insane to me. Y’all would rather say Drake is better because he isn’t a threat. Y’all know full and well that fucker doesn’t touch Kendrick in lyricism and creativity. Easy to like a non-threatening mofo than one who could challenge y’all. That’s lame and weak and unlike the New York I grew up in or thought that I grew up in.   So, with that said, East Coast and/or New York, thank Kendrick for putting confidence and competitive spirit back in you, again.     I be at New Ho King eatin' fried rice with a dip sauce and blammy, crodie Tell me you're cheesin', fam We can do this right now on the camera, crodie     Kendrick had a double entendre with the New Ho King reference. Just like what I pointed out in my “Family Ties” post, I think, allegedly that Dot’s fam and/or Dot may have been threatened. “Dip Sauce” in urban slang could mean stylish. May mean nothing but “Blammy” is a gun. Hmmm. Dot appears to be with the shits, and I will walk away and say nothing more on this one. Draw your own conclusions.   Dot challenging Drake to battle on camera is excellent on all fuckin’ fronts. Drake would lose miserably, because from what we saw, that man cannot freestyle on command. Using a phone is not freestyling. Even the BS songs he has released with part of the title having “freestyle” in it is annoying and lame. I swear the definition of “Freestyling” has changed since the 90’s. The fact that anyone in the hip-hop community has allowed Drake to run with these shite-y titles because he became “successful” is ludicrous. Anyways, K-Dot knows Drake wouldn’t accept that challenge and he sure did not when Euphoria was released and heard what Dot said to him. He’s not writing those lyrics he’s been known for all these years. You know what? I find this lyric of the song to be very overlooked in some ways, especially when some of the bigger platforms like Joe Budden Podcast (who seems to side with Drake even if they were seen dancing to NLU and singing Dot’s praises on the battle but continue to nitpick every freakin’ fuckin’ thing Kendrick does but not necessarily Drake. The bar is low for Drake on that podcast so if he does one thing right, Kendrick will have to do about 5 more things better to get equal respect. Disgusting. They should rewatch their own episodes. You can like Drake for being a decent actor and knowing how to “pen” pop songs, not as a rapper/lyricist but don’t sit there, as a forum to the “culture” and be lazy and hypocritical and not do real research on subjects you speak of. The moodiest podcast ever…) who seem to ignore a lot of what Dot said on the record and this line, for me, is what I feel Joe would’ve been perfect to have an opinion on Drake’s ability to battle Kendrick on camera – shit, or even in person! Nope, not what we got. Just lazy reporting with no research. Just people walking in and writing on the board what’s trending and interesting for the day insert eyeroll .   I almost wish that they did battle on camera. Drake’s “L’” would’ve been much worse. MUCH WORSE, although his “L” is horrifying enough.     “We don't wanna hear you say "nigga" no more…”     Finally, the last line on Euphoria that people mention in passing. People think this line is only directed at Drake. I don’t think it is. This was a shot at Kanye as well.   The way Dot sung this line was directly taken from Kanye’s song, “Get ‘Em High” from his album “College Dropout”. Dot used Ye’s own melody/cadence, which was super dope… but not for what people think, especially those who are active fans of Kanye. Kendrick didn’t say this line in this way to pay homage to Ye. In fact, it was the opposite.     The body language from these two said a lot...   Kanye’s three-faced ass decided to jump into the battle, saying, “I got you, Dot!” (I’m laughing my ass off as I write this… I’m sorry) on “Like That (Remix)” which was mediocre at best. Yes, his best line was towards J. Cole but he added nothing to the sauce, really. (I will soon begin writing my blog post on J. Cole as well – stay tuned for that) I don’t think Ye thought Kendrick would come out being so insanely successful in the battle. I think he knew Dot would win but the display, the strategy – what Dot did is the word I will keep saying on this post – Ye fell victim to emasculation. It didn’t matter that he is a successful musician in his own right. What Dot did was simply masterful and spun most of the rap world into little jealous children.   And yes, Ye became a jealous child. J. Cole is also added to this mix. For him to make that record, “7 Minute Drill”, being the first one to put out a full-length song – Cole purged all his envy into that song. Everything he felt about Kendrick Lamar underneath it all came flying out. Then wanted to backtrack and “apologize” and then still send the man more subliminals… me with an eagle eye stare at Cole.   I digress. Kendrick said what he said at the end of the song because, simply, Ye has displayed how much he doesn’t care about his people – more so black women, but he so badly wants to be accepted by any other race than his own. The incredible amount of harmful shit he has said about black people, supporting a cock-bag like Trump who cares only for himself and definitely doesn’t care about people of color – Ye went out of his way to distance himself from people of color but only uses us when he wants to whine and complain about “the man” doing something to him and because we are such a forgiving people we go and back this idiot. (Listen, I can support a person’s right to their political beliefs, and I do. However, when they lean so far away into Hell to the point they care not for the very people who support you, that look like you, I have a problem with that. Some people are Republican purely because they have economic beliefs, and so on but not because they dislike people of color. Read up on different types of Conservatives. I sure the fuck ain’t one) Kendrick sent that scathing stray, “We don't wanna hear you say "nigga" no more…” because he sure the fuck doesn’t want THAT man to be using a word that he TRULY means it when he says it with the hard “ER”. Kendrick, to me, showed that he was tired of Ye and his bullshit.   So, it came as no surprise that Kanye started talking shit about Kendrick. I wasn’t surprised at all.     IN CONCLUSION     We are all seeing it. The insane, high-level standards they have for Kendrick like he isn’t a human being first, and then try to say, “Well he criticized this person and that” not realizing that he isn’t the only fuckin’ artist who has criticized and/or have opinions about other artists. Hell, we got mutherfuckers who’ve been out here pushing drugs on their own people, rap about it then have all the goddamn opinions in the world about other artists and their lifestyles. But – OH NO – Kendrick can’t have opinions because he’s “Mr. Morale” and “Mr. Alright” and “Mr. Loyalty” and “Mr. Good Fuckin’ Kid”. GET A LIFE!!! The jealousy is sad and pathetic and, unless K-Dot did some shit to these people – rappers, music producers, etc – come out and say it then! But no, I doubt that will happen. It already would have been done.   Kendrick doesn’t need to acknowledge/work with every mutherfucker in the rap industry, past or present, so that y’all can feel important. I feel like that’s part of the reason some folks in the industry are salty. Kendrick has already paid respect to the “OGs” in the game. Many times. Seeking validation from a grown man is unfortunate and I suggest these same individuals who are going through this particular symptom should listen to “Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers”. Dot has some medicine he’s already prescribed in that album. DO yourself a favor and listen. If it were someone not as lyrical as Kendrick that slayed Drake, the outpouring for for that person would have been momentous and hugely substantial because "it won't be no threat."   In the end, Euphoria, this 6 minute plus giant of a song had people in their feelings and emasculated many, many men... Comment, share, and/or subscribe and thanks for reading. If you like what I've created, spoke about, etc and would like to contribute to my CashApp click the box below. I appreciate you, immensely.

You can watch the video instead and support my new YouTube Channel! Hello to all the "thinkers" out there! Thank you for stopping by and reading my first post here and taking the time out and to read. I really wanted to give us all the space to get back to reading and writing again, a break in streaming and YouTube videos. I hope this is becomes that space for you all! I appreciate you! Ok, sorry for interrupting... Did we miss some things said and/or shown in the music videos and/or songs released by K-Dot? Or am I one of the only people who had noticed these things and few has spoken about any of them? First up is "TOP5" being mentioned on Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar's award winning song "Family Ties". I may now have a better understanding as to why this song is even titled "Family Ties". Guess who this is... It's safe to assume fans think "Family Ties" title is directly about the familial relationship of K-Dot and Baby Keem. I do think it ties into Dot's "affiliations" in LA, California (I wouldn't be surprised in Illinois as well). No need to elaborate on that. Kendrick, I felt, wanted to remind certain individuals of this fact. He also wanted to inform these individuals he was aware of a certain individual that was in his "backyard" so to speak. That individual is Top5. Now that this guy has revealed himself in such an embarrassing way, I am assuming many things that makes sense to me but I can be wrong. Top5 said very publicly who he was on DJ Akademics platform, knows Drake and apparently does "work" for him (Read between the lines) Drake has also helped him out by paying for his legal fees, according to Top5. It's possible that Top5 was sent... to put it mildly... "deal" with the "problem" that is Kendrick at some point before Family Ties came to fruition. Anyways, why would this be happening? Most of us have no idea but I bet Drake and Kendrick knows for sure. Let's look at the lyrics: (These are the ORIGINAL lyrics seen on Genius's website and not the updated ones we hear now) [Chorus: Baby Keem] Jump in that— (Hah, hah), summon that bitch Jump in that— (Hah, hah), jump in that fire (Hah), jump in that bitch Hittin' that fire (Hah), jump in that whip (Hah), thumb in that bitch Cum in that bitch (Ho), drummin' that— (Hah, hah) Drummin' that bitch (Huh, say, huh) [Verse 1: Baby Keem] I keep playin' with the dead (With the dead) Family ties, with the burdens in my head (They in my head) I keep tabs on the ones that mean no good (They mean no good) They all act when I tap back in the hood Amino acids for the kids Raised around the fire, alcoholics on the ledge Racin' to the lobby, Ricky Bobby on yo' body, oh I keep gang beside me, whole autopsy on the Audi , yo What I get from this (and I could wrong) Keem is ready to do damage on a mutherfucker that fucks with his family and his people, when he needs to get shit poppin' off, is with the shits or in simpler terms, is going to have his back. Also, they are always watching. [Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar] I thought you'd known better I been duckin' the pandemic, I been duckin' the social gimmicks I been duckin' the overnight activists, yeah I'm not a trending topic, I'm a prophet I answer to Metatron and Gabriel (Ah, ah, ah) Bitch, ain't no discrepancies I am a legacy, I come from the '70s The Al Green offspring, guns and the melody The big shot, wrist on cryotherapy Soon as I press that button Nigga better get right like the ambulance comin' Us two ain't alike, he ain't been through nothin' Dave Free got at least one B in the oven I'm trippin', I'm juggin', my mental is— Amazing, brother I think Drake never took Kendrick seriously when it came to who he was affiliated with or maybe affiliated with and/or... how many people in his 'hood truly care about and look out for him. So, allegedly, Drake tests him. I need not say more on the first line on Verse 3. Kendrick knows things. He knows a lot about Drake's misdeeds. This 3rd verse alludes to that, specifically the "that button". And because Drake may have done something that Dot may never forgive him for, he is letting him know he is aware of who he sent and also knows a few things about him, with an insult to add with it, which is something he later states in "Meet The Grahams" when he says "he ain't been through nothin' ", which is very diminishing to say the least. But why should Dot care at this point? Even if Drake had issues sans money problems, it wouldn't matter. This man, to Dot, is horrible and has done horrible things that are unforgivable. I found it interesting how his voice switched when he spoke on his mental state on Verse 3. He gave nothing away, with his voice going flat and nearly uninterested. Unreadable (Very Gemini). I think that was the point and it was a point well made. I do find it interesting that people are still trying to sort of connect the dots on this but not many people have referred to this song and when I've seen it people are still saying Dot is referring to "Top 5 rappers" in the Hip Hop game. They mention Top5 but not the connection to why Kendrick would mention "Top 5" in the first place or maybe they have and just can't utter the same damning words I refuse to utter myself. In my opinion, Dot didn't just come out of nowhere and decided, with Baby Keem to title a song called "Family Ties" and if you re-read the lyrics, it seems a little clearer to me he isn't speaking about smoking on anyone's "Top 5 rappers". Besides... didn't Drake move out of California? I also don't think it's a coincidence that Drake named his supposed nuke of a diss track, "Family Matters" because he "casually" mentioned Kendrick's family and business associate(s). To me it's a response to “Like That", "Euphoria" and "6:16 in L.A." in addition to "Family Ties" with Baby Keem. The music video for "Family Matters" was telling as well and some may think it is a stretch but... this man loaded a faux "good kid m.A.A.d. city" van, crushed, in what appears to be a mortuary fridge. All part of the beef, I thought... until “Meet The Grahams.” I digress. Maybe because of what had transpired sometime between 2017-2022 , the result is what we see on the cover of Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers . I won't post the picture here because I want people to go to that album and pay close attention to the visuals and then find subsequent photos that were released in 2024, ironically, after the beef, photos we didn't get to see from the photographer Renell Medrano, who had an art exhibition called "Lambon" in October 2024. Now listen to the album and/or read the lyrics very carefully. I digress. K-Dot showed on Family Ties that this was the beginning of showing how he was going to handle Drake in 2024. The many sides of the Dot. Oh, and if this is what I think it might presumably be, Kendrick Lamar has every right to be angry and protective of his family. Oh and btw, Kendrick was right, MM&TBS is a classic and will be for those who didn't believe in it in the first place. Comment, share, and/or subscribe and thanks for reading. Disclaimer: (Um, oh yeah, so these are my thoughts and opinions, and these thoughts and opinions are ALLEGED so, if you think this weighs more than 300lbs, I can't hold you.) Entertain purposes only. If you like what I've created, spoke about, etc and would like to contribute click the box below. I appreciate you, immensely.

? - By XXXTentacion You can also watch/listen to the video and support my YouTube Channel! Trigger Warning : This will go into some graphic information about deceased person(s) and the nature of their passing. Keep them in your thoughts, always. What's up, thinkers? This blog piece was definitely heavy to put together. Not because of the research but learning a little more about XXXTentacion, someone whose music I didn't particularly listen to. However, I really hope I did some sort of justice with this by acknowledging some of what Kendrick is allegedly conveying in his imagery and lyrics to the world for XXXTentacion. Alright, everyone. Read it through carefully! It will all make sense at the end! The pop star named Drake had a problem with XXXTentacion. XXXTentacion was talented, had his own lane and style. XXXTentacion was Jamaican-American. It’s alleged pop star Drake stole his flow from XXXTentacion – a song named “Look At Me”, while XXXTentacion was incarcerated. This was in January 2017 . In March 2017 , XXXTentacion had made a comment about Drake’s mom looking cute and how she can get it and put a photo of himself over Drake’s father – an old family photo of the Grahams – which was posted on Twitter. Of course, little Aubrey had people speaking for him between this time in March and June 2017 and threats and fights (physical for the latter) that ensued toward XXXTentacion. X embarked on his first and last tour in May called “ The Revenge Tour ”. In August of 2017 , XXXTentacion released an album called “ 17 ”, which Kendrick Lamar praised on Twitter and was on his “5th” play of the album. In October 2017 , XXXTentacion stated he wasn’t releasing any new music citing he was, “ tired of being mentally abused ”. In November 2017 , XXXTentacion was attacked and stabbed and accused Migos of doing it. Later he posts footage of the attack on Twitter. XXXTentacion apologized to the Migos for accusing them of the incident, thinking it was them due to the pendants worn by the perpetrators. In January 2018 , XXXTentacion started “ Helping Hand ” on YouTube, where he was handing out PS4’s in his hometown in Florida and encouraging people to start doing good deeds and if they do, they will receive personal rewards like tickets, free shows, etc. Also in January 2018 , XXXTentacion previewed a song titled “ Beverly Hills ” on Instagram, but it was later changed to “ Floor 555 ”. Very clear it’s about Aubrey. Interestingly enough, “ Not Like Us ” music video is exactly 5:55 minutes in length. 555 does have a meaning and XXXTentacion may have been sensing/seeing something. "Not Like Us" music video with 5:55 video length - Credit: Kendrick Lamar/Dave Free & pgLang In February 2018 , Drake goes ahead and drops the “ God’s Plan ” video. In the video he is visiting XXXTentacion’s home state of Florida handing out money and gifts to people – which was obvious he was completely copying the “ Helping Hand ” challenge XXXTentacion created but doing it in a way that many would consider it a much larger and flashier scale. (and completely self-indulgent, self-serving way that benefits his ego and mocking XXXTentacion) Later in the month XXXTentacion posts a photo of someone that looked like Drake with what appeared to look like jizz on their face. DJ Akademiks warned XXXTentacion he “might provoke a dangerous reaction from Drake”. Two stories from XXXTentacion were posted by XXXTentacion stating that Drake would be responsible if he was killed. Then he walked back that statement by apologizing and saying his account was hacked. In June , Since Spotify enacted the “Hateful Conduct Policy”, which would have removed music by XXXTentacion, TDE put Spotify on notice that if they decided to remove XXXTentacion’s music, they would remove their artist’s catalogues from their streaming service. Later that month , fuck ass Drake releases “ I’m Upset ” music video. Ironically this music video was directed by Karena Evans who also directed “ Luther ” by Kendrick Lamar featuring Sza . Karena also directed “ God’s Plan ”. Btw, the music video for “ I’m Upset ” seems super vanilla and full of optics. Degrassi all in it. This music video was released on June 14th, 2018 . On June 18th, 2018 , XXXTentacion was murdered in his home state. A day after Kendrick Lamar’s birthday. His girlfriend was pregnant with their first child. At the end of June, Drake’s album, “ Scorpion ” was released. Named his album “ Scorpion ” and it might be his undoing Kendrick references this album quite a bit, and for good reason. “ Good Credit ” by Playboi Carti featuring K-Dot also references Scorpion. Drake is saying very damaging shit… the kind of shit that makes someone look at him like he had something to do with “it”. Allegedly. But, hey, this is the same pop star, Drake a.k.a. Aubrey Graham who was against lyrics being used against artists and is now suing UMG for defamation regarding Kendrick Lamar’s, “ Not Like Us ” lyrics. He’s saying that people are perceiving that what Dot is saying about him is true, right? "I'm Upset" by Drake from Scorpion Although it was released a month before XXXTentacion’s passing, that seems to be very… on the nose. The single also has artwork that is like XXXTentacion profile pic. One would think this was purportedly planned. X was shot twice at a downward angle in his neck. He was shot 3 times. Conspiracy solved but never solved: John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the United States' 35th president for 3 years. He was the youngest president elected from Massachusetts, a Democrat. Behind the scenes he was considered a playboy – a man who had lots of affairs and he was full of personality. He was popular and considered, at that time, one of the most popular presidents ever. Ironically, he won a Pulitzer Prize in Biography for a book he wrote called “Profiles in Courage”. However, many years later it was confirmed it was ghost written. I digress. The one hotly debated subject is JFK’s demise. JFK and Jackie O, the first lady at the time, climbed aboard a midnight blue 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible limousine and their secret service, the governor and his wife, were in another motorcade. As they moved through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas at 12:30pm, 3 shots were fired . The bullet entered JFK’s upper back and exited his neck. The second bullet struck the back of his head. I won’t even post what was heard that Jackie O had said after the 2nd bullet struck… Lee Harvey Oswald was named the assassin and was killed 2 days later by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub operator. Lee said he was a “patsy” and didn’t kill JFK. Many witnesses attested he was there at the Texas School Book Depository where they say the shots were fired. However, there are many who think there were 2 shooters. After all, Lee Harvey Oswald was apparently not much of a skilled shooter even though he was a Marine. K-Dot's lyrics on "Good Credit" For some reason, they say, JFK’s autopsy was rushed by request of the family and the White House, so the doctors rushed it, and it wasn’t completed. Three years later, JFK’s brain was missing. It was supposed to be preserved. Allegedly the family transferred it to the National Archives. Some say it may have been because the gunshot wound entered from the front and not the back . Only those who know…know what really happened. Super Bowl Ad - Kendrick Lamar with Sza - Credit: NFL Sza in "Luther" music video - Credit: Kendrick Lamar/pgLang Dodger Blue/Peekaboo… So, what does this all mean? JFK's 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible XXXTentacion drove a BMW i8. JFK was in the Navy. Although he never flew a jet, a jet is still a symbol of the military and government. He flew seaplanes, though. And what is another name for BMW's? Credit: wuoltk As I stated earlier JFK was in a midnight blue Lincoln Continental Convertible the day he passed. And, you know, those guys who blocked off XXXTentacion vehicle on 6/18/18 on that fateful day were driving a Dodge Journey… that was blue . “ Peekaboo ” is track “9” and “ Dodger Blue ” is before it on the GNX album on track “8”. XXXTentacion made an album called " ? ” released in March 2018 . On that album there is a song called " Infinity (888) ” featuring Joey Bada$$ where XXXTentacion is clearly coming at Drake, but he also mentions… JFK . XXXTentacion's lyrics on "Infinity (888)" featuring Joey Bada$$ from the album, " ? " Why did you really leave L.A., Aubrey? JFK was assassinated on 11/22/63 . 61 years later Kendrick releases GNX. It wasn’t just sending the boy a message that it was going to just be “head shots for the year”. It's more than that. Deeper than that. Allegedly. Kendrick told the boy he hated the way he “sneak dissed” – where Drake does it where only the parties involved would know what he's talking about. The boy was surface level with it, like boiling milk with the film on top. Dot's providing a masterclass of psychological warfare… and only the boy would know what Dot, and everyone else who has jumped in sending sneak disses and subs, are talking about, only this is far more worse. They pulled up in a blue Dodge. 1 of them mentioned the boy. X thought JFK was the realest. Peekaboo. R.I.P. XXXTentacion. Comment, share, and/or subscribe and thanks for reading. Disclaimer: (So these are my thoughts and opinions, and these thoughts and opinions are ALLEGED  so, if you think this weighs more than 300lbs, I can't hold you.) Entertainment purposes only.

Bajan - American, Brooklyn-born music producer Welch Concannon is now beginning a path in expressing herself creatively via music production in her own style, creating various instrumentals from Hip-Hop, Avant Garde style music, to R&B, etc. Welchless Thinking... the name of her blog is unpredictable which may contain current, future and past events that will talk about music, books, movies, TV shows. Get everyone to start reading more, again. This blog can be a start. Music/Beats Check below new musical releases Interested in singing over one of my instrumentals? Contact me (located at the bottom of webpage) New Halloween themed EP is out now and it's called "DeadLuck". Available for purchase in Bandcamp (full EP) or purchase individual singles. Thanks for the support! A special shoutout to the person who buys my first EP will be posted on the site, their name! Some music made can be use for commercials, TV programs, movies, video games, etc. Follow my blog for latest music updates, music I'm a fan of, random thoughts that drift in and out of my mind, my travels, pop culture, etc. Still updating some things on the site. Don't be surprise by changes! Bio Welch Concannon is an up and coming music producer from BKLYN New York. Coming from the wild 1980's/1990's era, growing up in different areas of Brooklyn, New York and hanging in Manhattan's East and West Village in the 90's and early 2000's, I was heavily influenced by everything artistic. As a Bajan-American , growing up with West Indians but also hanging around all races and cultures, I've listened to all kinds of music and listened to music that wasn't played around me at all. I listen to music without bias, always. The music I provide will range from being innovative to relatable , thoughtful to exciting . It is and will be a never-ending rollercoaster of different genres and some music that may not fit in any category at all. As a music producer, this party is now getting started. News/Updates!!! November 17, 2025 Blog News : Hey everyone! Hope everyone is hanging in there. I started a YouTube Channel so if you don't want to read the blog, you can listen to me on there. I'm testing that out. I will still write my blogs until further notice. Stay tuned! Also, Part 2 of Family Ties blog is now up and GNX - Dodger Blue/peekaboo blog is up and it connects some K-dots. 11/17/25 - Adding to the above news I have already started adding YouTube videos to some of the pre-existing blogs. It will take some time to get all blogs to have audio/video. Music news : "DeadLuck - A Holloween EP " is now completed! Check out the preview below. Thanks for the support! Donations : Please consider donating if you can. I don't want to trouble anyone with ads. The link is at the bottom of the page. Thank you so much for your support always! Hang in there! Sending you all my thoughts and hugs! We need each other more than ever. Welch's Music Check out my newest release below. Contact YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? Reach out with any questions and I will get back to you as soon as possible. First Name Last Name Company Email Subject Message Submit Thanks for submitting!

Bajan-American, Brooklyn-born music producer Welch Concannon is now beginning a path in expressing herself creatively via music production in her own style, creating various instrumentals from Hip-Hop, Avant Garde style music, to R&B, etc. Welchless Thinking... the name of her blog is unpredictable which may contain current, future and past events that will talk about music, books, movies, TV shows. Get everyone to start reading more, again. This blog can be a start.