The headline-making feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which began in the fall and has since sparked commentary from rap legends like Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg, is a positive development, according to rapper and actor Ice Cube. However, he has one important caveat.
During an appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaq, host Shaquille O’Neal asked Ice Cube — who is no stranger to diss tracks — for his take on the rappers’ quarrel. Ice Cube responded, “I approve of the beef.”
Also Read: Snoop Dogg Praises Drake And Kendrick Lamar For Elevating Rap With Their Beef
“I always approve of rap battles. That’s the essence of the game,” he said, emphasising that this practice dates back to the early days of hip-hop with artists like Busy Bee and Kool Moe D. Beef between artists, and even record labels, is just “part of the game,” as long as it remains in the realm of music and doesn’t turn physical.
“As long as it doesn’t get physical, ‘cause that’s not rap. When it gets physical, that’s just street crime,” Ice Cube said. “So as long as it stays on wax, it’s a beautiful thing.” Imagining himself in Kendrick Lamar’s position, he added, “If I was Kendrick, I’d stay cocked and loaded, you know, ready for whatever’s coming.”
Ice Cube elaborated further, “But it’s interesting. To me, it always pumps energy into the music, ‘cause it takes it back to the essence and so long as it doesn’t get violent it’s fun. The minute it gets violent, it ain’t rap no more,” he stressed. Last month, as Drake and Lamar’s public back-and-forth cooled, another hip-hop icon, Snoop Dogg, also shared his thoughts on the feud during an interview.
“Well, the only thing I want to say about that whole scenario is that I want to give both of them a shout-out for raising the bar as far as lyrics, as far as song-making and writing,” Snoop Dogg said. “Because the writing has been upped since the confrontation or whatever you call it, whatever they went through. Those are my nephews. I’m not in the middle of it,” Snoop added, noting his support for both musicians. “That’s personal business, not my business.”
-Sushmita Sarkar