Final poll: Did Kendrick Lamar or Drake win the great rap war of 2024?
A couple of weeks ago, we asked hip-hop fans about the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake right after the Mr. Morale rapper released “euphoria” – his first solo diss track of the feud.
As some commentators rightly pointed out, these findings became out of date very quickly, with both MCs launching a series of lyrical attacks in the days after our survey was published. Lamar’s volleys included “6:16 in LA”, “meet the grahams”, and “Not Like Us”, while Drake replied with “Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6”.
So we polled hip-hop fans again. And if the contest is truly over, our results suggest that Kendrick Lamar has won.
Some 33% of hip-hop fans say that Pulitzer Kenny is beating BBL Drizzy, with just 21% giving Drake the edge. For Lamar, this represents a seven-point increase on our poll from 1-2 May, when 26% said he was winning; for Drake, it’s a smaller 3-point increase on the 18% who said he was on top earlier this month.
When we last asked about the beef, 32% were following it closely. With “Not Like Us”, “euphoria”, “Like That”, and “Family Matters” now in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 as of our 10-14 May poll, this has since jumped to 54%. Among the keenest beef-watchers, 48% say the Compton rapper is winning, with just 33% saying the same of Drake. This hasn’t changed since our last survey.
63% of fans who are closely following the beef say it’s been good for hip-hop
Most fans who have been closely following the feud also think the beef has been positive for hip-hop (63% vs. 10%). And while some commentators have raised concerns about the serious allegations each rapper has made during their war of words, this group don’t generally think either MC has crossed the line.
“Like That” and “Not Like Us” are the best of the beef, according to US hip-hop fans
We asked hip-hop fans who had heard a range of diss tracks released during the feud which ones they liked or disliked. So who had the best bars of the beef?
The most popular tracks all involve Kendrick Lamar. His earliest salvo – a verse on “Like That” in which he disavowed the idea that he was in a “Big Three” with Drake and J. Cole – came joint-first, with two-thirds of 66% of fans saying they enjoyed the song. It shares the honor with Lamar’s most recent track, “Not Like Us” (66%).
“Euphoria”, in which he accused Drake of being a “master manipulator” and rapped that he hated the way he walked, talked, and dressed, came in third (62%), with the dark, piano-driven “meet the grahams” close behind (61%). “6:16 in LA”, released between “Euphoria” and “Family Matters”, was Lamar’s least successful track of the feud in terms of popularity, but 58% of fans still like it.
Drake’s songs are all viewed less favorably by hip-hop fans. In fact, J. Cole’s “7 Minute Drill” – which 58% like – slightly outperformed any of them, despite being removed from streaming services shortly after release, as did Rick Ross’s “Champagne Moments” (56%) and Kanye West’s “Like That” remix (56%).
The Toronto artist’s best-performing song of the feud was “Family Matters” (55%), followed by “The Heart Part 6” (54%), “Push Ups” (53%), and “Taylor Made” (53%).
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Methodology
YouGov Surveys: Serviced provide quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 10-14 May 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 2,334 adults (981 of whom were hip hop fans) (aged 18+ years) in the US, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.