Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria" One Year Later: How He Hijacked The Drake Narrative

As a society, we've been inundated by hate-watching, especially in the vast landscape of media. Sure, many of us tend to consume things that align with our morals and ethics, but that also extends to watching people we disagree with get dunked on or pummeled in public settings. Consider the recent viral debate on The Joe Rogan Podcast between neoconservative and "anti-woke" critic Douglas Murray and comedian-turned-libertarian commentator Dave Smith. Depending on whom you ask, Murray either dismantled Smith effortlessly or Smith exposed glaring flaws in Murray's arguments. Each side will tell you their guy won, but many who ended up randomly seeing clips of the debate based their conclusion, not on fact per se, but on whose narratives felt more convincing. 




We've seen this same dynamic unfold in rap beefs for decades, from Jay-Z vs. Nas to the Roxanne Wars, where the supposed victors were determined on artistic merit just as much as salacious claims that may or may not have any validity. Ultimately, it's a game of narrative. Hip-hop's core function is storytelling. Since its inception, MCs have created portraits of their neighborhoods and environments that echo the disparity and marginalization that many face. But hip-hop is now a multi-billion-dollar industry, and that aspect of storytelling might not be as prevalent as it was in the past-or at least, as linear. Still, the essence of rap beefs hasn't changed much. Outside of major labels cashing out over the downfall of an artist, diss songs largely rely on providing a compelling enough narrative that could dwindle their opponent's chances of a W. 




The outcome of the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud embodies this concept to a T. And with today marking the one-year anniversary of "Euphoria," it feels like we've lived a lifetime of a never-ending debate, fueled by accusations of major label interference, lawsuits, and allegations of favoritism in the music industry.

This beef largely captured scholar Walter Fisher's narrative paradigm theory, which argues that humans are more persuaded by stories that feel coherent and emotionally truthful than by raw facts or logic. And that basically captures the impact of "Euphoria." Although Kendrick didn't share any new information or tread anything particularly novel, his ability to recycle arguments that littered the timeline over the years and package them into a fiery six-minute verbal assault drastically changed the dynamic of what would occur in the days that followed. Kendrick-and his fans-would tell you that his argument was largely based on raw facts and logic, but Drake's base would likely say the same. Yet only one of these individuals managed to score a chart-topping hit based on wild, yet-to-be-proven allegations against the other.




Read More: Haley Joel Osment Defends Kendrick Lamar After Confusing "Euphoria" Bar




As much as "Not Like Us" was the nail in the coffin, "Euphoria" laid a foundation for Kendrick Lamar's onslaught against Drizzy. The direct responses to "Taylor Made Freestyle" and "Push Ups" were appropriate-if only in the context of battle rap-but it wasn't difficult to see how many people latched onto the scathing critique of Drake's psyche. For years, people have waited for Drake's downfall. He became his own rival and began flooding the world with more music than people would actually care to pay attention to. As much as Certified Lover Boy and For All The Dogs have earned some sort of retrospective appreciation, neither album truly feels like anything that pushed or defined the genre in any way and are largely memorable for their singles instead of a cohesive experience. In fact, both largely felt like recycled concepts from his past and attempts to fit in with the new kids-everyone saw it, yet no one with a massive influence really had the audacity to question it the way Kendrick did.

That's why "Euphoria" was so effective in the first place, especially as it became a "warning shot" rather than a full-blown denigration of Drake's stature. And who would've thought a warning shot would be so dastardly? Embracing the title of hip-hop's playboy became a weak point in Drake's story arc, and breaking it down took little effort. The title alone shone a spotlight on the rumors and allegations of grooming; the YNW Melly bar cleared the "Big 3" conversation. His Canadianness turned on him-from someone whose appreciation for the craft signaled hip-hop's global appeal on the biggest platform as he took the torch from Lil Wayne, to someone the world now accused of cosplaying as a Black American. Then there was the fact that the King of Toronto's throne got rattled a bit from within his own city. All it took was one local Chinese restaurant getting a shout-out to turn into a tourist landmark, which also happened to create a menu special in honor of Compton's own. Quite frankly, this hardly scratches the surface of everything that "Euphoria" unpacked, so we can only imagine what that supposed 19-minute version sounds like. But even with those arguments in his back pocket, nothing really resonated more with the judges of this battle than when Kendrick made it clear just how big of a hater he is:

"I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress /
I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct /
We hate the bitches you fuck 'cause they confuse themself with real women /
And notice I said 'we,' it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin'."

"Euphoria" wasn't the killshot by any means ("Meet the Grahams" holds more weight in that category), but it effectively changed the narrative. Within a few moments, it appeared that the majority of hip-hop-and even non-hip-hop heads-started to raise their eyebrows at Drake. Kendrick effectively neutralized Drake's superpowers. That's just it though-"Euphoria" was especially potent, but not due to any earth-shattering reveal. It was Kendrick's ability to tell a story that felt true. The familiar rumors and criticisms became validated after years of unspoken tension surrounding Drake's persona. It didn't matter if every jab was fact-checked beforehand (although in the wake of the UMG lawsuit, that might not be the case today); the power came from how coherently it all fit into a version of Drake that hip-hop culture had already begun to believe. In this way, Kendrick didn't just throw shots at his opponent-he reframed reality, and people believed him.




The aforementioned bars from Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria" crystallize the Narrative Paradigm in real time. His personal grievances became the anchor of a storytelling effort that felt collective, emotionally resonant, and, more importantly, believable. This is ultimately Fisher's theory in action: Kendrick built a narrative with high fidelity, as audiences already felt suspect about a persona that seemed both curated and disconnected, with a strong probability based on real-world rumors and perceptions. Ultimately, it positioned Kendrick as the voice of a broader cultural truth at a time when the commodification of hip-hop became all too saturated. How effective it is a year later might be up for debate among streamers and randoms who paid for a blue check mark on Elon's app. But let's be honest-the psychological warfare of the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef has clearly left an indelible mark on the former's reputation that is now been cemented in court documents.




Read More: Kendrick Lamar Urges Drake To Give Him Back Tupac's Ring In "Euphoria" Lyric Remix
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