Jay-Z is concerned technology and “negative stuff” are ruining the fun of rap battles — especially the highly publicized Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud.
The “99 Problems” emcee admitted he loves the “excitement” and “sparring” that comes with rap beefs, but now, there’s too much negativity that comes with it “that you almost wish it didn’t happen.”
“People that like Kendrick hate Drake, no matter what he makes,” Jay, born Shawn Carter, told GQ in a newly released cover story. “It’s like an attack on his character. I don’t know if I love that. I don’t know if it’s helpful to our growth where the fallout lands, especially on social media.”
The 25-time Grammy winner believes the “stans armies” aided in making the rappers’ beef become a bigger issue.
“It’s too far. It’s bringing people’s kids in it. I don’t like that,” Jay said.
“I sound like the old guy wagging his finger, but I think we can achieve the same thing, as far as sparring with music, with collaborations more so than breaking the whole thing apart,” the “Empire State of Mind” emcee, 56, added.
“It could stand it before because there was no social media. You had the battle and it was fun and then you moved on. Right now, I don’t know if it could stand it with the technology that we have.”
The billionaire hip-hop mogul said social media has aided in tearing down people’s lives during rap battles and may not need to be part of the culture anymore.
“I don’t know if it’s worth it at this point. I love the idea that we got so much music in such a short period of time,” he told GQ.
“Just everything around it was like, ‘Man, this is taking us a couple steps back.’ We’ve just grown so much that — I guess I’m going to say it — I don’t know if battling needs to be part of the culture anymore,” Jay added.
“We grew from breakdancing. We love graffiti. Before, the MC’s job was to bring attention to the DJ … I want to hear what the rapper is saying. Now the last pillar is battling, and these are all the things that come with it. I hate that I have this point of view on it. I do. Because I know what it sounds like. It’s just how I feel about it.”
Jay also shut down claims that he was part of a “conspiracy to undermine” Drake by choosing Lamar to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show last year.
“I chose the guy that was having a monster year. I think it was the right choice. What do I care about them two guys battling? What’s that got to do with me? Have at it,” he said.
“They drag everybody in it, like everyone’s part of this conspiracy to undermine Drake, I guess. But, it’s like, what the f–k? I’m f–king Jay-Z! [Laughs.] All due respect to him. I’m f–king Hov. Respectfully. It doesn’t make any sense,” he added.
Lamar, 38, and Drake, born Aubrey Graham, dominated headlines in 2024 with their rap beef.
Though the feud had been slowly brewing for years, the “Humble” rapper reignited the drama by dissing the “Hotline Bling” hitmaker, 39, and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin’s hit “Like That.”
“F–k sneak dissin’, first-person shooter / I hope they came with three switches,” he rapped, adding, “Motherf–k the big three / N—a, it’s just big me.” (Cole, 41, mentioned himself, Lamar and Drake as being the “big three” on the October 2023 song “First Person Shooter.”)
Lamar also shaded then threw shade at Drake’s “For All the Dogs” project, rapping: “For all your dogs gettin’ buried / That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see ‘Pet Sematary.’”
Both the “Degrassi” alum and Lamar exchanged a war of words on several diss tracks.
On “Family Matters,” Drake accused the California native of beating his longtime fiancée, Whitney Alford, sleeping with other women and being a fake activist.
Meanwhile, Lamar hit back with “Not Like Us,” which would arguably become the biggest song of 2024.
On the track, the “All the Stars” rapper accused Drake of being a “pedophile” who preyed on young girls. (Drake denied the claims.)
“Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any bitch that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your little sister from him.” (Drake was rumored to have been dating rapper Latto’s younger sister, Brooklyn Nicole, who was 22, in 2024.)
“Not Like Us” dominated the 2025 Grammys, winning the coveted awards for record of the year, song of the year, best rap performance, best rap song and best music video.
Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), alleging the label defamed him by suggesting he had sexual relations with minors and used bots to make the song viral. (In October 2025, a judge dismissed the case, ruling the song’s lyrics were non-actionable opinion.)
To put a nail in the coffin, Lamar took the stage during halftime of the 2025 Super Bowl to perform a mashup of his hit songs such as “Squabble Up,” “Humble,” “DNA,” “Euphoria” and “Not Like Us.”
Before kicking off the Mustard-produced diss track, Lamar joked, “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.”
In January 2026, Drake’s legal team filed an appeal, arguing that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent for interpreting rap lyrics as protected opinion rather than potential libel.
Read the full article here
