Drake Takes ‘Control’: ‘Kendrick’s Not Murdering Me’

There has been much discussion about Kendrick Lamar’s infamous verse from Big Sean’s track “Control.” Kendrick called out all the top rappers of the new generation and atop his list was Drake. The artists whom Kendrick addressed haven’t given much response, and so far only rappers who were not mentioned have released rebuttal songs. But finally, in a recent interview with Billboard, Drizzy weighed in on Kendrick’s “Control” verse.

According to billboard.com:

“‘I didn’t really have anything to say about it,’ Drake says of the verse, which has so far inspired responses from A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, former Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson and others. ‘It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That’s all it was. I know good and well that Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.'”

Drake sounds pretty confident in his interpretation of Kendrick’s verse. The Toronto native’s comments are pretty savvy. On one hand, Drake is saying he understands Kendrick sentiments that rap is a competitive sport and that he wants to compete. On the other hand, Drake is also saying Kendrick is not on his level and needs to get there before they can even have the discussion.

Kendrick also broke his silence on the “Control” verse this week in a Power 106 LA interview saying, ”I didn’t know there would be so much speculation, I just want to rap.”

Drake’s new album, “Nothing Was The Same“ is scheduled to be released on Sept. 24. The Young Money rapper is reportedly still working on the finishing touches of the album, so time will tell if there will be any response to “Control.”

Subscribe To The ABS Newsletter — Get our stories in your inbox.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Latest from Atlanta Black Star

Back to top