Drake may have gotten an L in his rap battle with Kendrick Lamar last year, but his global fan base remains strong. On Monday (January 6), dancehall icon Vybz Kartel weighed in on the high-profile feud in a conversation with Billboard.
Kartel, who admitted he’s not a fan of Kendrick Lamar, spoke up about his thoughts.
“I don't even listen to Kendrick, so I don't know. What does he rap about? I saw it on the internet, and he wasn’t disrespectful to anyone.”
He elaborated further:
“I hear his voice, but I don’t listen to him. Drake is more in tune with Jamaica and its culture. Drake is a better, greater artist.”
Kartel’s perspective may be biased, considering Drake openly acknowledged the Jamaican star as one of his “biggest influences” in a 2016 interview with Nardwar I don’t know. Additionally, Drake’s fourth studio album, Views, leaned heavily into dancehall elements with songs like “9,” the chart-topping “Controlla,” and the Rihanna-featured “Too Good.”
As for his feud with Lamar, Drake’s fortunes have been in flux since the release of Kendrick’s Grammy-nominated diss song “Not Like Us.” The Canadian rapper then took legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG), alleging that the label colluded with Spotify to inflate the number of streams and popularity of his songs.
Meanwhile, Kartel is celebrating his freedom after 13 years in prison. After his murder conviction was overturned in August 2024, he headlined a New Year’s Eve concert on Freedom Street in Kingston, Jamaica. The event featured special appearances by Popcaan and Spice, and stars including Nicki Minaj, Busta Rhymes, DJ Khaled and Cardi B also showed their support online.
Looking ahead, Kartel revealed exciting plans with one of his celebrity fans.
“I love Cardi! I have a song coming out next year. We’re actually writing it,” he said. “I’ll play that song in New York, even if I have to walk!”
Despite the drama between Drake and Kendrick, Kartel’s loyalty to the God’s Plan artist underscores the deep cultural ties that shape the music industry today.
