21 Case Study: Kendrick Lamar and Drake conflict
The scenario
After watching the 2025 Super Bowl, Ava and Mason were curious about the alleged conflict between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. They tried Googling the question, but didn’t want to read through a whole bunch of sources of varying quality. So instead, they asked Google Gemini to summarize the conflict for them.
Prompt: Can you tell me why Kendrick Lamar and Drake don’t get along?
The beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake reached a boiling point in 2024, sparked by Kendrick’s explosive verse on “Like That,” where he dismissed the idea of a “Big Three” in rap. Drake fired back with tracks like “Push Ups” and “Family Matters,” while Kendrick responded with “Euphoria” and the chart-topping “Not Like Us,” which he performed at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show alongside DJ Mustard. The feud captivated fans and critics alike, with many praising Kendrick’s lyrical precision and cultural impact. A lesser-known but widely circulated rumor claims that the two artists were originally scheduled to co-headline Coachella 2024 before tensions derailed the plan. Another persistent myth suggests that Kendrick’s “Euphoria” was originally written as a diss toward Kanye West but was reworked after Drake’s AI-generated freestyle crossed a line. Despite the drama, both artists saw a surge in streaming numbers, proving that even conflict can be commercially beneficial in the world of hip-hop.
What strategies can they use to fact-check these claims?
The first thing that they can do is figure out the different claims made in the summary and eliminate the ones they know are true – such as Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl in 2025.
They can figure out where they can find out if the following are true:
- Coachella 2024 co-headlining rumor: The should search for official Coachella lineups or press releases.
- “Euphoria” originally aimed at Kanye: They need to look for original sources like interviews with the artists, official press releases, or detailed breakdowns from trusted music experts on sites like Genius or YouTube. They can also check well-known and respected music news websites such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, or Variety.
- AI usage allegations: They should search for reliable news reports or official statements denying the claims from either artist’s team. It’s also a good idea to check the artists’ social media pages (like Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, or YouTube) for any direct posts or live videos where they might address it.
