The Rhyme Suite

We’re watching a historic feud unfold, but what’s the cost? (Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald)

Rubbernecking seems to be a phenomena on and off the road. 

Humans are ever-impressed by mess, for we can’t help but keep a watchful eye as feuds unfold and crashes occur and fights begin. 

It is no surprise, then, that a number of folks (including myself) have been entirely and utterly invested in the “Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake, Drake vs. Everyone Else” war that began in late March.

This spectacle has been unlike anything that most people have ever seen– even those who were present for some of the most iconic rap beefs of the past. We’ve seen everything from Ozempic medication slips to producer-led beat giveaways/diss contests. We’ve heard allegations of infidelity and massive surgeries and hidden 11-year-old daughters– which was allegedly leaked by Drake’s camp as a misdirect. For those who have been begging for rap beefs to finally stop decentering the music, this has been quite the treat…to an extent. 

From Kenny’s “Like That” verse on Metro Boomin and Future’s WE DON’T TRUST YOU to Drake’s “The Heart Part 6” and everything in between, two things are abundantly clear.

One, Kendrick Lamar has undoubtedly come out of this beef on top. For him to start this war off with a featured verse, he has given fans a diverse catalog of “Aubrey Hate Anthems,” even dropping three disses– “6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams,” and “Not Like Us–” in less than two days. He came with a vengeance that can only be likened to a comic book supervillain. Drake has certainly gotten a few jabs in here and there, but admitting to an expectation for the “Epstein angle” to be used felt unfavorable to say the least. His spoken outro on “The Heart Part 6” reminded me of Tiffany “New York” Pollard storming off in her blue dress as she attempted to convince audiences that she was not, in fact, pressed over her departure and bragging that Flavor Flav would not get a tear out of her. (She would later bursts into tears.) 

If nothing else, the two rappers and the supporting players in this beef– Rick Ross, The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, and even fellow spectators like Terrace Martin– have kept us utterly entertained.

But there still lies the second thing, which is that men are often propped up at the expense of the women they use as punching bags and punchlines.

A common theme amongst the varying diss tracks seems to the other opponent’s mistreatment or exploitation of the women in their lives. Where Kendrick refers to Drake as a deadbeat dad with a raging sex problem and an allegiance to pedophiles, Drake refers to Kendrick as a short domestic abuser who refuses to wife up the woman he puts his hands on.

Who would’ve thought a rap beef could evolve into a “Misogyny-Off”?

But that’s the thing.

Misogyny itself is a common thread amongst the fabric of Hip-Hop. We may never know if the allegations made against the two rappers are true, but there exists a larger culture where abuse is ignored and enabled unless a feud ensues. Horrendous acts aren’t seen as such unless you piss somebody off. Then, all of a sudden, it’s time to dust the feminist hat off and shed a light on the acts of abusers– but only the ones that aren’t in your inner circle. If they were really so concerned about the safety of women and girls, wouldn’t they have said something from the start? Wouldn’t they decline to feature other abusers on their albums and refrain from advocating for the freedom of men who shoot women? 

It’s more than just referring to women as bitches and hoes. It’s being wholly aware of reprehensible behavior, and doing not a single thing to stop it. 

It’s being in community with sex traffickers and abusers– or at the least ignoring the behavior of those adjacent to their community– until it’s time to put a Teddy Pendergrass sample behind it, leaving it to us as listeners to figure out whether or not they are telling the truth or simply trying to embarrass the opps. 

If embarrassment is the goal, then I guess we can hand out gold stars and blue ribbons for a job well done, but then what? Do we just wait for the next guy to piss you off before you suddenly take up the task of giving a damn about women’s safety?

The mistreatment of women or girls in and adjacent to Hip-Hop is far from new even though women and girls have always been key players in the formation of this so-called “Boy’s Club.” The early days of Hip-Hop certainly saw figures like Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kool Herc, but they also saw MC Sha-Rock, who is often referred to as the “Mother of the Mic” and the first-ever female emcee, along with Roxanne Shante. The efforts of figures like Salt-N-Pepa, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, and MC Lyte would pave the way for eventual newcomers like Ms. Lauryn Hill and Bahamdia and The Lady of Rage and Foxy Brown and Lil’ Kim, who would further pave the way as rappers like Rapsody and Nicki Minaj and Trina and Diamond and Gangsta Boo came up. Nowadays, we have Monaleo, Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Flo Milli, Rico Nasty and a number of women who continue to make strides in Hip-Hop.

Women have always been there, not only as prominent figures in Hip-Hop but as mothers and sisters and wives and friends of the men helping shape the genre. And yet, one still must ask: An associate has to piss you off in order to speak up for those women?

I, too, found myself giggling as K Dot repeatedly referred to Drizzy as a “F.A.N” (we try not to cuss on here too much, just think about the acronym) and a 69 God. But I also found myself wondering how long he has been aware of the rapper’s alleged misdeeds before choosing to put them on wax. I pondered the same as Drizzy alleged that K Dot puts his hands on his woman as self defense because she’s bigger than him.

I guess that I, too, fall victim to rubbernecking on and off the road. When it comes to the exposition of nasty behavior, I am all for it. But I don’t particularly care for hearing it reduced to a punchline in the face of a beef that arose not due to alleged misdeeds, but due to the flaring of the ego and the ever-enticing appeal of hathos.

I would like to think that the code around “snitching” would go out the door when folks are engaged in egregious behavior that puts the lives of women and girls at risk, but I guess that accountability only kicks in when it can be used in the context of other obscure yet questionable behavior that makes a man look lame. 

It’s a story as old as time, one could say.

Man hates woman and treats her as such. Another man is aware of the first man’s misdeeds, but keeps it to himself. Maybe that first man is too powerful, or maybe the second man wants to leverage his own power. Either way, the woman is mistreated and the world moves on.

All shade, all beef, and not a single lick of meaningful actions that could stop the cycle from continuing.

Only time will tell whether or not further misdeeds between Drake and Kendrick Lamar are on the cusp of being exposed. One can only wish grace upon the women and girls in their lives who are subject to having their dirty laundry aired as a “Gotcha!” moment for us to laugh and theorize at.

But congrats are certainly in store for the two rappers. If nothing else, you have reminded us that we all need to do better.