Kendrick Lamar’s Drake Diss Track ‘Euphoria’ Explained

Kendrick Lamar has sparked controversy in the hip-hop world with the release of his six-minute track “Euphoria,” which takes aim at Drake and is filled with intriguing hidden messages. Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” Contains Plenty of Easter Eggs

Kendrick Lamar’s Unique Timing

At 8:24 a.m. Pacific Time (11:24 a.m. Eastern Time), Kendrick Lamar released a song named “Euphoria”. The numbers 8 and 24 were intentionally chosen as a subtle tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, as they were his jersey numbers during his career. Kendrick Lamar held Kobe Bryant in the highest admiration.

The Reversed Voice of Richard Pryor 

In the 1978 film “The Wiz,” the opening backward voice is that of Richard Pryor. When played forward, it says, “Everything about me is true.” It is interesting to note that the late music icon Michael Jackson also stars in the movie as the Scarecrow, accompanying Dorothy on her journey to meet the Wiz to get a brain. It is possible that Kendrick is suggesting that Drake lacks intelligence in his song “Push Ups,” where he refers to himself as Prince and Drake as MJ.The Double Meaning Behind Euphoria”

The cover art for Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” is a nod to the HBO series that Drake serves as an executive producer for. Additionally, the term “Euphoria” could be interpreted as Kendrick’s excitement for his diss track, which counters Drake’s suggestion on “Taylor Made Freestyle” that Kendrick wasn’t as enthusiastic about battling him. However, this is not the case.

“Crodie” Toronto Slang

The term “Crodie” is a crip-influenced variation of “Brodie,” a slang term for a friend. Its popularity extends beyond gang affiliations, as non-affiliated people and rappers have also adopted the slang.

Drake Paid $350,000 to a Woman Claiming Sexual Assault on His 2017 Tour

It is believed that Kendrick Lamar’s lyric, “Have you ever paid five-hundred thou’ like to an open case?” is a reference to Drake’s settlement of $350,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault during his 2017 Boy Meets World tour in the UK. Although Drake was never formally charged with any offence, he settled the case out of court in November 2018.

Kendrick Lamar Mocks Drake for Purchasing Tupac Shakur’s Crown Ring at Sotheby’s Auction.

Regarding Drake’s acquisition of Tupac Shakur’s crown ring for $1 million from Sotheby’s, Kendrick’s line, “Somebody had told me that you got a ring, on God, I’m ready to double the wage/I’d rather do that than let a Canadian n***a make ‘Pac turn in his grave,” expresses his disapproval. Kenny believes that Drizzy is not deserving to own such a prized possession, suggesting that he would rather pay twice the amount to prevent Drake from having such a valuable item.

Tommy Hilfiger’s Rocky Relationship With Hip-Hop

One of Kendrick’s most biting lines comes at the beginning of the song where he questions Drake’s racial identity. “You’rе not a rap artist, you’re a scam artist with the hopes of being accepted/Tommy Hilfiger stood out, but FUBU never had been your collection.”

In this verse, the former TDE artist may be alluding to the strained relationship between fashion icon, Tommy Hilfiger, and the hip-hop culture. In 1996, the brand faced a boycott following unsubstantiated rumours that Tommy Hilfiger appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and expressed that he did not want Black people to wear his clothing. The accusation was peculiar, given that Hilfiger had previously featured Black artists like Usher and the late singer Aaliyah prominently in his print campaigns. The rumour turned out to be false, but the boycott prompted many Black consumers to switch to Black-owned brands like FUBU and Walker Wear. Hilfiger later appeared on Oprah’s show in 2007 and officially denied the rumour.

On “Euphoria,” Kenny questioned the Toronto rhymer’s biracial background and his proximity to Black culture. In one particular line, Kendrick urged Drake to stop using the N-word in his music. “We don’t wanna hear you say ‘n***a’ no more/We don’t wanna hear you say “n***a” no more,” he rapped at the end of the song.