American record producer Metro Boomin has weighed in on the ongoing feud between rap icons Kendrick Lamar and Drake, describing it as healthy competition yet acknowledged that the modern internet culture has made it seem worse than it actually is.
Speaking at the Forbes Under 30 Summit on Monday, September 23, Metro Boomin expressed his perspective on overall rap beefs, particularly the Lamar-Drake feud, and reflected on how these rivalries have evolved over time, as per a Billboard report.
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“I think the competition is great for the game. Hip-hop has always been a competitive genre. When it’s just about music, it’s not as serious as everybody makes it out to be. There’s always ego involved in hip-hop. You’re supposed to feel like you’re the best.”
Boomin also stated that while competition has always been central to the genre, the rivalry between major artists like Lamar and Drake is more complicated today due to the modern social media-driven environment with fans and the media creating their own narratives in music dynamics.
“When two of the top guys in the game both feel like they’re the best, you get these showdowns. We’ve seen it before with Jay-Z and Nas. But now, stan culture makes it different,” Boomin explained. “Back in the day, when Jay-Z and Nas went at it, people could be fans of both. Now, it feels like you have to pick a side, and the internet just amplifies that”, he said.
Ultimately, Boomin sees the feud as part of the natural progression of hip-hop and believes that competition is necessary to elevate the genre to the very best level.
“At the end of the day, it’s just entertainment,” he said. “I have love and respect for all the artists I work with, and I just want to see everyone do their best and help move the culture forward. We’re all here to contribute and uplift hip-hop.”
Although it may sound as a complete blood bath between their opposing fans on social media, Boomin has revealed he enjoys the competition and rivalry between the two, and will be hoping it pushes these rap icons to make even more songs to meet the expectations of many and continuously place hip-hop at the top as one of the world’s favorite genres in music.
