What many people jokingly called “Hatechella” last night had a bit more to it than that, but regardless, Kendrick Lamar and his “Pop Out” concert with what felt like the entire West Coast was a pretty scathing way to claim victory against Drake. The man opened with “Euphoria,” and it was clear from Ken’s very first note that this was going to be a nasty double-down against his opponent. While Drake hasn’t said much to indicate his thoughts on the matter (though there are hints), there are many fans on both sides currently speculating on what his reaction must’ve been like and what he did or is doing right now that could reflect that.
Furthermore, one of the main factors driving these Drake theories is that Kendrick Lamar had a lot of people in attendance that were not as obviously on Team K.Dot before, but certainly look like they are now. The biggest examples of this are a couple of NBA players. DeMar DeRozan (whom Kendrick rapped about leaving the Toronto Raptors on “Not Like Us”) and Russell Westbrook took the stage to dance to the diss, and LeBron James and James Harden were in attendance. “Lebron rapping along to ‘the other vaginal option’ gonna send Drake into a tailspin lmaooooo,” one fan wrote.
LeBron James At Kendrick Lamar’s Concert
Meanwhile, another big factor of many of these reactions, especially from the OVO camp, is how Kendrick Lamar and the West Coast should thank Drake for this. After all, a lot of people see this success as a direct result of using The Boy’s name for “clout,” as bizarre as it is to say one of the biggest rappers alive someone who needs any more of that. But there’s a lot of new things that Mr. Morale did in the beef’s aftermath, like speaking at Compton College and reuniting Black Hippy, that he might not have done if he didn’t have good reason to. Nevertheless, Kendrick also made it clear that this moment means much more to him than any feud, and that this is just capitalizing on one domino that fell and created momentum for much more.
Fans Theorize Drake & His Fans’ Reactions To “The Pop Out”
From what these reactions indicate, there’s no telling how Drake really feels about the Kendrick Lamar show right now. Maybe he’ll respond with some subliminal disses, IG Story shade, or another sort of clap-back or public address. His fans reacted quite comically to all this as well, in amicable and not-so-friendly ways alike. All of them are valid, though. After all, most of us don’t know what it’s like to have about 17,000 people diss you on repeat about eight or nine times throughout a celebration.
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output.
Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond.
Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C.
His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.