Kendrick VS Drake The Beef PT2: The Control Verse That Shook Hip-Hop | Control & BET Cypher

Today we continue our deep dive into the rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

This episode is Part 2 of our Kendrick vs Drake timeline series, where we explore the moments that began turning tension between the two artists into one of the biggest rivalries in modern hip-hop.

The story begins with one of the most talked-about verses in modern rap history: Kendrick Lamar’s appearance on Control by Big Sean.

Although the song is officially credited to Big Sean and also features Jay Electronica, Kendrick Lamar’s verse quickly became the center of attention when it was leaked.

In his verse, Kendrick calls out numerous rappers by name, including Drake and many of his peers, while making it clear that he views hip-hop as a competitive sport and that he intends to be the best rapper of his generation.

In this episode, we listen to Kendrick Lamar’s full verse from “Control” and break down the meaning behind several of the lines. We discuss the tradition within hip-hop of competitive lyricism and how rappers have historically challenged one another through their music.

After listening to the verse, we watch reactions from several artists who were mentioned in Kendrick’s lyrics. Many of those rappers responded positively to being included in the verse, saying that Kendrick’s challenge brought excitement and competitive energy back into the genre.

Some artists even said they would have been disappointed if Kendrick had not mentioned them.

However, one reaction stood out.

While many rappers embraced the competitive nature of the verse, Drake publicly expressed frustration about the situation and suggested in interviews that the verse felt more like a personal attack than friendly competition.

The episode explores this difference in reaction and discusses why Kendrick’s verse may have been interpreted differently by different artists.

Next, we move forward in the timeline to Drake’s 2013 album Nothing Was the Same, which includes the song The Language. The opening lines of “The Language” are widely believed to contain a direct response to Kendrick Lamar following the Control verse.

From there, we move to another major moment in the story: Kendrick Lamar’s appearance at the BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher. During this cypher, Kendrick delivers another aggressive verse that many fans believe contains subliminal shots aimed at Drake.

We listen to Kendrick’s portion of the cypher and break down the lyrics, discussing which lines appear to be general competitive bars and which lines may contain specific references to Drake or members of his team.

Following the cypher, the episode explores the next phase of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake rivalry: a period that fans often refer to as the “Cold War.”

During this time, both artists were believed to be sending subliminal shots at one another through interviews, lyrics, and collaborations, although neither artist directly confirmed most of these references.

The hosts explain why this era of indirect competition played an important role in building tension between the two artists without leading to an immediate direct battle. The episode also briefly explores other events happening around both artists during this time, including new collaborations, growing industry rivalries, and the expanding network of rap feuds involving artists connected to both camps.

Finally, the discussion turns to a long-running debate within hip-hop culture: freestyling.

The hosts discuss the difference between:

• true off-the-top freestyle rapping

• written verses performed in freestyle settings

• artists reading prewritten lyrics during “freestyle” performances

This conversation is sparked by a widely circulated video showing Drake performing what is labeled as a freestyle while reading lyrics from a phone.

The hosts debate whether this still qualifies as a freestyle and invite viewers to share their opinions on the topic. The episode ends by setting up the next chapter in the timeline.

In the next episode, we will explore another major rap feud involving Drake and Pusha T, including the diss track The Story of Adidon, which became one of the most devastating moments in rap battle history.

We also continue our parallel series covering the rivalry between Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

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CHAPTERS:

HEADING BACK TO 2014 - 0:00

INTRO TO BIG SEAN - 02:00

KENDRICK'S CONTROL VERSE - 03:54

LETS BREAK IT DOWN - 05:39

HIP HOP IS COMPETITIVE - 08:00

RAPPERS REACT - 10:27

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT - 13:30

BET CYPHER LISTEN THROUGH - 17:00

BREAKING DOWN THE 1ST HALF - 19:37

2ND HALF BREAKDOWN - 21:21

THE COLD WAR BEGINS - 25:11

ENTER TAYLOR SWIFT - 26:35

DRAKE GETS BATTLE TESTED - 27:19

DRAKE INHERITS BEEF - 29:05

DRAKE'S BLACKBERRY FREESTYLE - 31:05

TAYLOR VS KANYE PT 2 - 33:00

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