"This is real hip-hop": When LeBron James shouted out Kendrick Lamar for his incredible 'Control' verse challenging Drake, J. Cole

Long before the feud involving Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole boiled over this year, it seemed LeBron James had already picked a side. In fact, the NBA superstar might have inadvertently chosen a side long before outright diss tracks like 'Push Ups', 'Family Matters' or 'Not Like Us' ever dropped.

Back in 2013, Lamar specifically called out several rappers including Drake and J. Cole in the song 'Control'. While it didn't result in an all-out rap war like it did this year, it treated fans to several tracks where these parties dissed each other subtly.

'Control' opened the way for some competition between rappers and LeBron voiced his support for Lamar on X, then known as Twitter.

"This is real hip hop at his best!" Tweeted LeBron. "@kendricklamar boxed em into a corner. We going crazy over here people!!"

After posting that tweet, LeBron James continued to enjoy music from both Kendrick Lamar and Drake. He occasionally posted Instagram Stories vibing to both artists and at one point, joined Drake on stage during a performance of 'Sicko Mode'.

However, it seems LeBron officially picked his side when he was seen having a grand time at a Kendrick Lamar concert just before the 2024 Paris Olympics. In that concert, he was seen vibing to the 'Not Like Us' track which is a targeted diss on Drake.

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LeBron James and Steph Curry have a discussion over Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us'

Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' continues to be played over and over just about everywhere. As a result, it appears that Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has gotten tired of it.

During one of the USA Men's National Basketball team practices leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lamar's scathing diss track was played. During that time, Steph expressed how sick he was of hearing it.

The Warriors star said, "It's not the only song in America," in the presence of Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid and LeBron James.

LeBron responded to Curry by telling him that he 'loved' this particular track and that he's been listening to it "all summer."

Drake, who is known as a huge NBA fan, has been seen courtside at many NBA games, including Playoff games. While he is from Canada, the rapper has often been seen supporting stars even if they don't play for the Toronto Raptors.

The Canadian rapper's close proximity to these stars is perhaps what prompted Lamar to give a specific warning to LeBron James and Steph Curry. In Lamar's track 'Meet the Grahams', he specifically tells these two award-winning NBA players to keep their families away from Drake.