What does Pyrrhic victory mean? Pitchfork article calling Kendrick Vs Drake rap feud a 'miserable spectacle' leaves internet divided

Pitchfork writer Alphonse Pierre has declared Kendrick Lamar the winner of his rap battle with Drake. However, Pierre called the Compton rapper’s victory ‘Pyrrhic’, referring to a win that is achieved at a great cost, ultimately leaving the question of whether the win was even worth it.

In the article’s headline, the writer called Drizzy and Lamar’s diss battle “the most miserable spectacle” in the history of raps.

Pierre implied Drake’s Hip Hop career might be over for good. He added the kind of allegations both rappers brought against one another through their back-and-forth diss tracks, are blurring the lines between fact and fiction. The writer further insinuated rappers to be liars and concluded Drake fell from grace. He congratulated Kendrick Lamar on his supposed win but said it felt worthless.

As the writer posted the link to his article on X, people shared their thoughts in the comments. Some agreed with Pierre's perspective, while others called his opinion contradictory and disagreed with the rap beef being a "miserable spectacle".

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"Full of contradictions and hypocrisies" - Pitchfork article on Kendrick-Drake diss feud

Lamar and Drizzy’s week-long feud has seemingly come to a pause for the time being. The two rappers dropped back-and-forth diss tracks aimed at each other over the last two weeks. They made some personal attacks during the process, making jarring claims about one another.

Drake accused Lamar of beating his fiancée Whitney Alford. He added that K.Dot’s manager Dave Free is the biological father to one of the couple’s two children. Lamar, on the other hand, accused the Canadian-born of keeping illicit physical relations with underage women.

Pitchfork calling Kendrick Lamar’s win in this diss battle ‘pyrrhic’ is likely because Drake’s allegations against the Compton rapper have raised several questions about his family.

The Pitchfork writer Alphonse Pierre acknowledged that rap battles are all about digging dirt and airing each other’s dirty laundry. He added that often during these feuds, rappers say whatever they can to expose some truth that both parties might not believe themselves. But they would rather air them to put their fans on a pedestal where they either start doubting the artists or keep having faith in them. Pierre called it “twisted, demented fun”.

He continued that Lamar and Drizzy’s beef resulted in a kind of disinformation campaign that turned this beef into quite a messy conflict. It ended up confusing their fans on what to believe and what not to believe. The writer said even though the feud is not essentially ugly, what should be noted is that one cannot look away or keep themselves from being curious. Pierre wrote:

“All eyes are on Drake and Kendrick as they crash and burn, and, for what? Entertainment? Competition? Ego? Boredom? What it’s turned into doesn’t even sound like rap beef anymore, but the death knell of an entire era.”

Pitchfork admitted the internet flared up with the continuous diss track release from Lamar and Drake. He described the verses as some of the most uncomfortable, bizarre, evil, and overwhelming tracks. Pierre added:

“Full of contradictions and hypocrisies. Full of legitimately funny, or maybe, just shocking moments when Drake calls Kendrick’s pro-Blackness a sham and Kendrick calls Drake a degenerate deadbeat. Full of gotcha accusations with no party bearing the burden of proof, allegations that are so serious they will hang over their legacies forever.”

The writer analyzed certain lines from some of the tracks. He elaborated on how the accusations brought up by the rappers tried to destroy the way their fans perceived them.

Alphonse Pierre claimed Drake and Lamar’s rap beef felt beyond the general lack of morality and guilty conscience displayed by rappers. He implied it should be ethically difficult for both Drizzy and Kendrick Lamar to move on from this.