Young Money’s Drake hits newsstands nationwide Monday (September 2nd) on the cover of Billboard where he discusses topics ranging from Kendrick Lamar name-dropping him on “Control” and his relationship with Kanye West.
“It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That’s all it was. I know good and well that Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.” (Billboard)
The Toronto native also explains how a gap in communicating with new father Kanye West sparked a perceived feud.
“Me and ‘Ye just fell into this thing where we hadn’t actually talked to each other in so long that all this stuff got built up. Sometimes you just have to find the opportunity to tell someone that you really like and respect them. After that, everything can move forward.” Though they haven’t worked together since his first album in 2010, Drake says he’s looking forward to getting in the studio with West sooner rather than later. “Hopefully we give the world what they want, because I know they want it,” he says. “I know me and ‘Ye could do some crazy sh*t together.” (Billboard)
Kendrick denied wanting to spark a West Coast versus East Coast rivalry from the track earlier this week.
“I feel as though there are certain cats that are going to take it to the next level and make it a rivalry thing. That’s old school homie. Nobody’s trying to do that. We’re black men out here trying to uplift the culture. My first sold-out show was in New York. I always looked at that place as a place that respected my lyrics and respected the culture and the birthplace of it. I think the ones that really took it out of context was the people we know want to grab an opportunity just off the fact of the hype of the record, rapping — a lot of people think it’s about talent. That’s where they get it wrong, I’m saying I’m the most hungry. I respect the legends of the game. I respect people that have done it before me, people that lost their lives over this. Because of what they laid down, I’m going to try to go that much harder and embrace it and live it. That’s the point of the whole verse and what I was trying to convey behind that verse. All the ignorance behind it, kill that noise. It’ll never be like that again, with two coasts rivals. Not on my behalf.” (Hot 97)
