Who Put up “Hip-Hop is a competitive sport” Billboards? Is This Related to Kendrick Lamar and Drake Beef?

Published 03/26/2024, 9:12 PM EDT

Hip-hop is no stranger to drama where beefs keep coming up every now and then. It is a lyrical battleground where artists vie to sculpt the sharpest verses and lay down the sickest tracks. Much like sports, they thrive on trying to outdo each other, even though they still hold each other in high regard. And it has been quite some time since fans have had a proper rap feud. But then, out of the blue, after years of beating around the bush, the two most popular rappers of all time finally bit the bullet. 

Kendrick Lamar recently dropped the bomb and dissed Drake. And this time he did not mince words on Instagram Live or tweets- he went straight for the jugular with his bars. As soon as the beef heated up, billboards preaching "Hip-Hop is a competitive sport" started popping up across America. But who put them up?

Multi-billion corporation allegedly capitalizing on Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef

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Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef has been brewing for over a decade, from pals to friendly competition, and then to outright dissing. Recently, Kendrick Lamar may have taken shots at Drake and J. Cole in a new song, ‘Like That’, from Future and Metro Boomin’s album, 'We Don’t Trust You'. Right after that, the music streaming giant, Spotify, jumped in with billboards stating, “Hip-hop is a competitive sport', leaving the internet in two minds. 

The quote could either mean Spotify's cashing in on the feud between the two rappers, or it might be about promoting the 'Like That' song, which kicks off the Rap Caviar playlist. However, it is important to note that these are just guesses, drawn from what fans are saying all over the internet. But it is not only Drake and Lamar caught up in this alleged rap feud. The icon Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, also got dragged into this supposed beef.

Amidst Metro Boomin and Future’s Takeover, Kanye West Claims a Major Win With Ty Dolla $ign for 'Vultures'

There is a theory floating around suggesting that Lamar might have dissed Ye too, not just Drake, their mutual rival. 

Kanye West got allegedly dragged into the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef

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Kanye West seems to somehow find himself in the middle of feuds, even when he is not directly involved. While Kendrick Lamar did not name-drop Kanye West in his verse, he did use the same sample from Ye's 2022 collab with The Game, 'Eazy'. But so far, the artist has not addressed it, suggesting it might just be a coincidence. However, apart from Lamar, Kanye West himself has thrown some shade at Drake too, not too long ago.

Drake has not been holding back either. Earlier this month, he took to his Instagram story and went all in to stoke the digital feud with a hilarious parody clip. He joked, "F**k Ty. F**k Nelly. F**k 50. I’m like, what do you say f**k me for?”. With all these jabs flying back and forth between the legendary rappers, it is clear that, indeed, "Hip-Hop is a competitive sport".

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Did Kendrick Lamar Diss Kanye West Alongside Drake and J. Cole on His Latest Track?

What do you think about Spotify’s billboards amidst the ongoing feud between Drake and Lamar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Hriddhi Maitra

936 articles

Hriddhi Maitra is a Hollywood News reporter at Netflix Junkie. An enthusiastic movie buff, Hriddhi found her true calling when she worked as a Cinema Content Writer at My Cinema Story while analyzing movies objectively, and offering constructive feedback. Coming from a background where she worked in different niches like finance, food, travel, medicines, automobile, and entertainment, we can safely say she is a jack of all trades.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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