One thing that hip-hop fans and the legendary RZA have in common is that they fervently kept up with the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef last year. During his recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to promote the very last tour, "The Final Chamber," from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, the host asked him about the battle. Funnily enough, the New York icon clarified the Wu was "nothing to f**k with" when reflecting on his own, very minimal beef history. However, regarding the K.Dot and Drizzy showdown specifically, he compared it to a recent Hollywood blockbuster.
"That was like Godzilla versus King Kong," the RZA joked before getting into his thoughts on the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle. "It's valuable in hip-hop. Because hip-hop is a sport. It's a sport where we challenge MCs, we challenge the DJs, we challenge the breakdancers, we challenge who can make the best graffiti tag. It's good for the sport when there's confrontation, it's healthy. As long as it stays on the record and stays in the music, and it doesn't spill over to the streets where somebody gets hurt."
Wu-Tang Clan HOT 97 Ban
What's more is that this is not the first time that RZA has spoken on Kendrick Lamar and Drake. "The battle, bar for bar, was something that was just not good advice on Drake's camp," he told Complex. Basically, the rapper and producer characterized the Compton MC as a "natural lyricist," whereas his Toronto nemesis is a "trained lyricist." This is part of why Kendrick secured the upper hand in his view, although he also gave the 6ix God his flowers for his cultural contributions and his role within hip-hop.
Most importantly during that Complex conversation, the RZA celebrated Kendrick Lamar and Drake's active status and success above all, and hopes that they can eventually bury the hatchet... As unlikely as that sounds. Elsewhere on this press run, he spoke on how Wu-Tang Clan's HOT 97 ban hurt the culture, although he seems to have made his peace with Funkmaster Flex over it. Hopefully the next big rap battle emphasizes these cultural priorities over salacious boasting.
