"Hip-Hop is truly dead" - Questlove passes hard-hitting verdict on the Kendrick Lamar and Drake diss battle

Musician Ahmir K. Thompson aka Questlove posted his honest judgment on Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s rap feud. The Roots drummer took to Instagram on May 7 and wrote:

“Nobody Won The War.”

Thompson thinks the diss battle was not a showcase of skills but rather something similar to a wrestling match, where the opponents kept hitting each other with scandalous and malicious allegations with the intent to scar the other’s reputation.

Kendrick and Drake have brought up their children, parents and partners in their long-running rap beef. They dropped diss tracks back-and-forth since April 30 responding to each other's scathing claims made on each of their verses.

As their exchange seems to have simmered down a bit over last weekend, Questlove weighed in on the matter. He criticized both the rappers as well as those who had been keen on seeing who would ultimately take the crown in the diss battle. Thompson condemned some fans for being enthused about Drake and Kendrick's feud to the point of glorifying their behavior. He wrote:

"Hip Hop Is Truly Dead."

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Questlove gets candid about his verdict on Drake-Kendrick rap broil

Thompson expressed his strong disapproval of the way Kendrick and Drake made serious accusations against each other's families. The Canadian rapper claimed in "Family Matters" that one of Kendrick's children was fathered by his longtime manager Dave Free. This claim was a direct hint at infidelity in the Compton rapper's relationship with his fiancée of over 9 years, Whitney Alford.

Drake also accused Kendrick of being physically abusive to Alford.

Kendrick Lamar responded with "Meet the Grahams", accusing the latter of hiding an 11-year-old daughter from public knowledge. He also claimed Drake engages with minors — an allegation the "6 God" rapper denied in a later track.

Questlove condemned both of them for digging into each other's personal lives and hurling jabs at one another without providing concrete proof. He wrote:

"This was a wrestling match level mudslinging and takedown by any means necessary — women & children (& actual facts) be damned."

The drummer then called out some audience for wishing to see actual blood in the rap beef, who would soon put up "R.I.P" posts if someone died due to this. Thompson wrote:

"Same audience wanting blood will soon put up ‘rip’ posts like they weren’t part of the problem."

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Some fans disagreed with Questlove's opinion on Kendrick Lamar and Drake's diss battle

The drummer turned off comments on his Instagram post. However, several X users reacted to Questlove's verdict. A few called him out for criticizing Drake and Kendrick's beef but stayed quiet when Megan Thee Stallion was negatively alluded to on other rappers' tracks. Some users counter-questioned the drummer if Hip Hop was alive when he invited Sexxy Red to perform during one of The Roots' 2024 shows.

Netizens react to the Roots drummer's take on Kendrick-Drake rap battle. (Image via X/@AD_Commit)

Netizens react to the Roots drummer's take on Kendrick-Drake rap battle. (Image via X/@NYdelight)

Netizens react to the Roots drummer's take on Kendrick-Drake rap battle. (Image via X/@yourboyeddie)

Netizens react to the Roots drummer's take on Kendrick-Drake rap battle. (Image via X/@FACTUALOPINION0)

Some people acknowledged Thompson's artistry and recognized him as a brilliant drummer, but said he should not have commented on this matter. They claimed Hip Hop has always been competitive.