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T NAMES IN HIP-HOP.

KENDRICK LAMAR AND DRAKE.

THEY HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN A RAP BATTLE THAT HAS CAPTURED GLOBAL ATTENTION AND IS HAVING A BIG IMPACT ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

THAT IS THE FOCUS TONIGHT FOR OUR ALTS AND CULTURE SERIES, CANVAS.

KENDRICK LAMAR IS A RAPPER FROM COMPTON WHO GAINED NOTORIETY IN 2012 WITH HIS ALBUM GOOD KID MAD CITY.

HE HAS SINCE WON 17 GRAMMIES AND A PULITZER PRIZE FOR HIS MUSIC.

AND DRAKE WHO WAS BORN IN CANADA HAS COMMERCIALLY DOMINATED THE U.S. RAP MARKET FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.

WITH THEIR T NUMBER ONE ALBUMS IN FIVE GRAMMIES.

THE ONES COLLABORATORS TURNED ENEMIES HAVE FIRED EACH OTHER THROUGH THEIR LYRICS IN MULTIPLE NEW SONGS.

>> THEIR FEUD HAS TOUCHED ON WEIGHTY THEMES.

FROM RACIAL IDENTITY TO THE AUTHENTICITY AS ARTISTS TO THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN AND MINORS, WITH SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS ABOUT UNDERAGED RELATIONSHIPS AND DOMESTIC ABUSE.

AND FANS HAVE BEEN FASCINATED BY THE RAP BATTLE.

BOTH ARTISTS MADE THE BILLBOARD TOP 10 THIS WEEK WITH KENDRICK LAMAR'S "NOT LIKE US" DEBUTING AT NUMBER ONE.

FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FEUD AND THE IMPLICATIONS, I'M JOINED BY SIDNEY MADDEN, WHO COVERS MUSIC FOR NPR.

IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU, IF YOU CAN BRING US UP TO SPEED.

WHAT IS BEHIND THIS BEEF?

HOW DID WE GET HERE.

>> THIS BEEF BETWEEN KENDRICK AND DRAKE HAS BEEN SIMMERING FOR OVER A DECADE.

THESE ARE TWO PEOPLE CONSIDERED AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME IN HIP-HOP, CONSIDERED TO BE ON THE MOUNT RUSHMORE OF HIP HOP'S CURRENT RAP ACTS.

EVEN THOUGH THEY BOTH CAME UP AROUND THE SAME TIME IN 2011 AND 2012, HIP-HOP FANS HAVE NOTICED THEY HAVE NOT REALLY WORKED TOGETHER FOR THAT LONG A TIME.

AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE PART OF THE BIG THREE, WHICH IS DRAKE, J. COLE, ANNA KENDRICK, KENDRICK BROUGHT THE OVER BOILING BEEF TO AN OVERFLOW WHERE HE SAID IN MARCH IT IS NOT BIG THREE, IT IS JUST BIG ME.

THAT SAID EVERYTHING INTO MOTION FOR THE TWO RAPPERS EXCHANGING DISS TRACKS.

OVER 40 MINUTES OF MUSIC IN TOTAL.

>> WE HEARD A FEW LINES FROM THOSE TRACKS OF WHAT WE COULD PLAY.

THERE IS A LOT WE COULD NOT PLAY.

WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY TO EACH OTHER, THAT VERY PERSONAL, VERY INTENSE, VERY TROUBLING IN SOME CASES.

THERE WAS AN OPINION PIECE IN THE GUARDIAN WHERE A WRITER SAID "IN THE COURSE OF THE NASTY BACK-AND-FORTH, THEY HAVE MADE WOMEN, WOMEN WHO ARE POSSIBLY SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE, HARASSMENT, OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE OF THEIR VIOLENT MUDSLINGING."

WHAT IS THAT ABOUT AND WHY DID IT GO THERE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THIS BEEF HAS BEEN UNPRECEDENTED IN SO MANY WAYS.

TWO ARTISTS AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME.

THEY ALSO EMPLOYED SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY IN NEW WAYS.

DRAKE USED AI GENERATED LYRICS TO PROD AND GOAD KENDRICK INTO ENGAGING WITH HIM.

HE ALSO USED LIVESTREAM IS TO PREMIER TRACKS.

IT CREATED A VERY PARTICIPATORY FEEDBACK LOOP ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

EVEN WITH THOSE CHANGES IN THE FORMAT AND THE ROLLOUT, SOME THINGS NEVER PAINT.

AND THE HARDEST HITS THEY TAKE AT EACH OTHER ARE THE MOST MISOGYNISTIC ONES.

IN HIS SONGS, DRAKE IS ACCUSING KENDRICK OF ABUSING HIS LONGTIME FIANCE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, KENDRICK IS ACCUSING DRAKE OF LONG-TERM GROOMING OF UNDERAGE GIRLS AND KEEPING PEOPLE IN HIS COMPANY AND HIS CAMP WHO HAVE BEEN ACCUSED AND FOUND GUILTY OF ASSAULT OF YOUNG WOMEN.

SO THIS MUDSLINGING IS REALLY SO MUCH MORE FOR BRUISING UP THEIR EGOS AND NOT RELIEVE THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF ANY POTENTIAL HARM THEY ARE DOING TO WOMEN IN THEIR LIVES.

>> PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FLOCKING TO IT, FOLLOWING EVERYTHING ANEW TRACK THAT COMES OUT.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT HAS CAPTURED PEOPLE THE WAY IT HAS?

>> I THINK EVEN -- I THINK IT HAS REALLY ENAMORED A LOT OF PEOPLE.

EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE NOT A DIEHARD HIP-HOP FAN, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF EITHER ONE OF THESE ARTISTS, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THE SPEED AND VELOCITY, THE RIGOR THAT THEY ARE GOING AT EACH OTHER, IS TRULY SOMETHING AMAZING.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN OFTEN IN THE HIP HOP RE NOT NOW.

YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS SIMILAR TO TWO POLITICAL FOES WHO HAVE BEEN THROWING SLIGHTS AT EACH OTHER ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR A LONG TIME.

LET'S SAY YEARS, AND THEY ARE FINALLY GETTING TO A PODIUM AND GOING FACE-TO-FACE.

OR TEAMS AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME FINALLY FACING OFF FOR THE SUPER BOWL.

AND A LONG-AWAITED BATTLE THAT IS NO HOLDS BARRED.

>> KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT REAGAN KENDRICK, WOULD YOU SAY THIS WHOLE THING IS ON BRAND FOR BOTH OF THEM?

IS IT THE KIND OF THING YOU EXPECTED TO SEE FROM THEM?

HOW DOES THIS AND?

>> I THINK IN TERMS OF BEING ON BRAND, THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE CONSIDERED THE BEST.

IT IS ABOUT PEACOCK IN, BUT ALSO ABOUT BLOODSPORT, CLAIMING THE NUMBER ONE SPOT.

SO EVERYONE WANTS TO BE THE BEST.

AND FOR A LONG TIME, KENDRICK AND DRAKE HAVE PUFFED UP THEIR CHEST IN THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE WAYS TO SAY I'M THE BEST.

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY ARE GOING HEAD TO HEAD.

SOMETHING SO LONG, SIMMERING, ANIMOSITY THAT HAS BEEN BUILDING UP.

THE SPECTACLE THAT CAME FROM IT IS VERY ON BRAND.

THE LONG-TERM LEGACY IS ONE THAT IS GOING TO QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF EACH ONE OF THESE RAPPERS AND WHO WINS, WHO DIDN'T.

AND THEIR FAN BASES WILL HAVE A LOT TO DEBATE ABOUT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

>> THAT IS SIDNEY MADDEN WHO COVERS MUSIC FOR NPR.

GOOD TO TALK TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU.