While Kendrick Lamar’s latest track “Euphoria” may have raised eyebrows among some Toronto natives, one local business owner is reaping unexpected benefits from the Compton rapper’s mention.
In the scathing diss track, Lamar raps: “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie.” New Ho King, a Chinese restaurant nestled in Toronto’s Chinatown district, has become a focal point of attention following Kendrick’s name-drop. Known as a popular after-hours spot since its establishment in 1975, the restaurant has seen a surge in customers and glowing five-star reviews from fans of the hip-hop icon.
Johnny Lu, the proprietor of New Ho King, spoke to CityNews about the newfound attention his restaurant has garnered. “This morning a lot of people texted me saying that’s your restaurant? I say, ‘Yes.’ They say, ‘Look at the song,’” Lu shared. “He said good food and friend rice get more and more rice, the chef’s gonna be busy! I see, Kendrick’s a good guy. Oh my God!”
CityNews interviewed residents who, inspired by Kendrick’s shoutout, made special trips to New Ho King to sample the famed fried rice dish. “I came all the way from Markham just to see this fried rice,” one fan enthused. “Kendrick Lamar, man. You gotta pay respect to K. Dot, man. Ever since he dropped the diss track I was like, ‘I gotta visit this place.’”
While some fans interpreted Kendrick’s lyric as a playful jab at Drake using local Toronto slang, others speculated a deeper connection to Drake’s 2009 armed robbery incident in the city. One fan pointed out the possible reference: “‘Dip sauce & blammy, crodie’ Sizzlac escaped (dipped) with the gun (blammy) he used to rob Drake.”
Drake had previously spoken about the robbery in a 2010 interview with GQ, describing it as a “set-up.” The incident was also hinted at in Drake’s lyrics on “From Florida With Love” from his album Dark Lane Demo Tapes.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” serves as a fiery response to Drake’s “Push Ups,” intensifying the ongoing rap feud between the two artists. As fans eagerly await Drake’s next move, the spotlight continues to shine on New Ho King, a humble eatery that found itself unexpectedly thrust into the limelight thanks to a rap lyric.
