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The rap world never stays still for long. Every era has its turning points, the cultural shifts that force everyone to pick a side. Years from now, when hip hop historians start revisiting the genre’s most seismic battles, the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar saga is going to demand a serious footnote.
It’s been over a year since Kendrick’s verse on “Like That” lit the fuse, sparking not just a lyrical war but a proxy battle of allegiance. Suddenly, artists were being watched closely: who’s riding with Dot, and who’s holding it down for Drizzy? Out of all the names thrown into the mix, the most surprising might’ve been Travis Scott.
Early on, Travis seemed to be leaning toward Kendrick ’s side. During Rolling Loud last spring, he hyped up Future and Metro to drop “Like That,” the very record that ignited the beef. At the time it seemed like a plain-and-simple co-sign.
But in true La Flame fashion, his stance hasn’t been so easy to pin down. By the summer, Travis was showing love to Drizzy’s work—posting lyrics from “What Did I Miss?” with a celebratory “Lessss goooo” and praising “NOKIA,” Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s joint track off $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. He even tuned into Drake’s Anita Max Win tour via FaceTime.
Still, not everyone’s convinced Travis has crossed over to Team OVO. Fans point to his ties with Cash XO (who’s aligned with The Weeknd, one of Drake’s longest-standing rivals) and to a cryptic visual moment during Drake’s “MELTDOWN” performance—a song that just so happens to feature Travis. Depending on who you ask, Travis is likely just playing both sides.
Meanwhile, Drake doesn’t seem too pressed. He’s got his eyes on Iceman, his upcoming ninth studio album, already teasing three singles that have gotten mixed reactions. After taking a pretty heavy hit in the court of public opinion during his clash with Kendrick, Drizzy’s making it clear he’s back to business and focused on the music.
But here’s where things get really interesting: Travis and Kendrick just shared a historic win together. Their 2016 hit “goosebumps” was recently certified 17x platinum by the RIAA, officially selling over 17 million units in the U.S. That makes it the highest-certified rap single ever—surpassing Drake’s own “God’s Plan,” which previously held the record at 16x platinum.
The milestone also ties “goosebumps” with heavyweights like Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road,” Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive,” and Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” as some of the most-certified songs across all genres.
To say that the effects are still being felt in the hip hop community feels like an understatement, and this is just one subset in the chaotic hip hop wormhole that doesn’t seem nearly as patched up as we may think.
