DJ Hed & Mal Ignite Social Media After A Spirited Debate About The Drake & Kendrick Lamar Beef

Fri, May 2, 2025 at 2:13 PM

Recently, DJ Hed and Mal got together for a discussion about Kendrick Lamar and Drake's fiery feud on YouTube roughly a year after it reached its peak. Needless to say, this brought about some heated debate between the two of them, as well as among viewers. Social media users are out in full force sharing their thoughts on the debate, and backing whoever they believe came out on top.

At one point in the conversation, for example, Mal claimed that other rappers in the industry think Drake outdid Kendrick lyrically.

"Some of the rappers that you've played their records and respect, I've had conversations with them. They're like Kendrick may have got the strategy and the perception of him dropping right after 'Family Matters' [...] But if you just go and listen to bars as an MC and as a rapper, there's no way you think Kendrick [outrapped Drake]. I don't even think Kendrick was trying to really rap on 'Not Like Us.'"

Read More: DJ Hed Compares Drake & Kendrick Lamar To LeBron James & Nikola Jokic

Who is DJ Hed?

Some social media users believe Mal has a point. Others were quick to call him out, arguing that the Compton artist outdid Drake easily.

At another point in their debate, they talked about Drake using AI to replicate 2Pac's voice on "Taylor Made Freestyle." Mal argued that the Toronto performer wasn't trying to make a living replicating his likeness. He also claimed that the late rapper's estate getting it pulled down wasn't a big deal.

DJ Hed, who's from Carson, California and is known as a SiriusXM radio host and for working with acts like Kendrick and Lil Wayne, claimed that's considered disrespectful on the West Coast regardless. "It doesn't matter what the use case is," he explained. "You don't violate the elders or the OGs [...] The violation is using someone's sh*t without their permission."

This got X users worked up too. While some are siding with DJ Hed, others are looking back on times Kendrick has used technology to replicate the likeness of other late icons like Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant. "Mal's point is valid," one user writes. "Don't even bring up the Kendrick video, he's from the land it will always be looked at as respect because that's exactly what it was," someone else says.

If you legit watched DJ Hed and Mals closure shit and came away with Mal taking the dub you definitely the kinda person that can't accept when you're wrong/take no accountability
— T-R-E-V (@T_R_E_V_O_R_C_J) May 2, 2025

I was excited about Mal vs Dj Hed but after 20 mins in they could have kept it. If all Dj Hed is going to do is tip toe on what he knows, not give rebuttal & just laugh at Mal, wtf was the point????
— Normani (@jmd71421) May 2, 2025