In the past few months, the tension between the two acclaimed hip-hop artists has hit the roof, as both Kendrick Lamar and Drake shared several diss tracks taking digs at each other. But according to popular belief, it’s Lamar who ended up getting the better of the God Plan‘s artist, and it’s reasonable to see why, as he has been spitting fire with each of his releases.
But long before the duo clashed through mics, former U.S. president Barack Obama predicted the end result of a potential rap battle between them eight years back.
Barack Obama Leaned Towards Kendrick Lamar Following His Lyrics
Apart from serving as the 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama is notable for his pop culture acumen and has been praised over the years for it. So when asked about his stance on a rap battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar during an interview with Adande Thorne in 2016, the former president leaned towards the Euphoria artist.
While Obama admitted that the One Dance artist is a great entertainer, according to him, it’s Lamar who takes the upper hand when it comes to lyrics, which has been the case during their 2024 beef.
He said:
Gotta go with Kendrick. I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer but Kendrick, his lyrics.
Further gushing about Lamar, the former president stated that his album To Pimp a Butterfly, which earned the rapper seven nods at the Grammys, was the best of 2015.
(Lamar’s) last album was outstanding. The best album I think of last year.
Moreover, Lamar also defeated Drake and several other rappers to win the Best Male Hip Hop Artist accolade at this year’s BET Awards, further cementing his dominance in 2024.
Barack Obama Once Invited Kendrick Lamar to the Oval Office
Apart from commending Lamar for his work on To Pimp a Butterfly and betting on him as opposed to Drake, Obama also invited the Euphoria artist to the Oval Office back in 2016. According to former Senior Presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, Obama was apparently pretty sweet to Lamar, who was initially a little nervous.
She shared that the former president broke the ice by referring to his own position as the first-ever black President of the U.S.
Kendrick came and he visited the president, and you know what the president said to him? [Because] he was a little nervous – bless his heart, he’s really a very nice young man, and the president said, ‘Can you believe that we’re both sitting in this Oval Office?’
While according to most, it was Lamar who ended up securing the win over Drake, considering how many great tracks got released in the mix, it’s a win-win situation for hip-hop fans.
