Since the furor over Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s “Control” first erupted, the A-list rappers mentioned on the combative track have been relatively quiet regarding Lamar. While rappers like Joell Ortiz and Papoose have responded, aside from B.o.B., most of the major names haven’t recorded response tracks. Young Money superstar Drake was asked about being mentioned in Kendrick’s verse, and while Drizzy downplayed any animosity, he also made it clear that he wouldn’t be backing down from any kind of challenge.
“I didn’t really have anything to say about it. It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me,” Drake revealed in an interview with Billboard. “That’s all it was.”
“I know good and well that Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform,” Drake added. “So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.”
In a recent interview with Hot 97, Lamar made it clear that he wasn’t attempting to spark any violent feud or animosity with his verse. Some rappers took exception to the Compton, Calif. native declaring himself the “King of New York” on the track.
“I feel as though there are certain cats that are going to take it to the next level and make it a rivalry thing. That’s old school homie. Nobody’s trying to do that,” Kendrick said. “We’re black men out here trying to uplift the culture. My first sold-out show was in New York. I always looked at that place as a place that respected my lyrics and respected the culture and the birthplace of it. I think the ones that really took it out of context was the people we know want to grab an opportunity just off the fact of the hype of the record, rapping — a lot of people think it’s about talent. That’s where they get it wrong, I’m saying I’m the most hungry. I respect the legends of the game. I respect people that have done it before me, people that lost their lives over this. Because of what they laid down, I’m going to try to go that much harder and embrace it and live it. That’s the point of the whole verse and what I was trying to convey behind that verse. All the ignorance behind it, kill that noise. It’ll never be like that again, with two coasts rivals. Not on my behalf.”
