Over the weekend, Lupe Fiasco appeared on former battle rapper Breezy Nice’s YouTube page KoalaTeaReacts to discuss issues they’ve had in the past, when the discussion pivoted into a conversation about Kendrick Lamar.
The Chicago rapper has shared his opinion in the past about Lamar — opinions he thinks have been blown out of proportion by fans and the media — one of which is that he thinks he’s the better rapper.
“I find it crazy that you can’t even say that you think that you are a better rapper than Kendrick Lamar,” he said in astonishment before conceding that the Compton rapper is better in other areas.
“I’m not talking about album, I’m not talking about making songs, I’m not talking about being an artist. All the things that I’ve said all these years: He’s a better artist than me, he makes better albums, he has a better team, he has better beat selection, he has better production, right? He has all these better things, right? When it comes down to lyricism, when it comes down to these lyrics and putting these bar-for-bar-for-bar? No. Everything else? For sure. 100 percent.”
However, what’s been causing chatter in rap social media circles is that he said he can name “hundreds” of rappers better than Dot. This is because Lupe has said that battle rappers are better lyricists than mainstream rappers and can name a bunch that are better than most, including Kendrick. “I said it was hundreds and I’ll name ’em, and we could list them,” he doubled down. “We gonna just start listing n—as and then let’s see how long that list get before we start naming one n—a with a record deal? As the better rapper? Stop.”
Back in 2014, he made headlines after he claimed King Los, Logic and Cassidy were better rappers than Kendrick during an appearance on Hot 97. Fast forward to 2018, Fiasco took to Twitter and criticized the “Control” verse. “The only issue that the world thinks I have with K. Dot and I actually do is that I think his ‘Control’ verse was wack and super overhyped to be a verse claiming you are the best rapper,” he quote-tweeted a troll at the time who suggested Kendrick’s “Look Out for Detox” is better than every Lupe song ever. “It was very weird. I was told it was just bait, but still.”
He later apologized a couple of months later and said he’ll never talk about someone else’s career again. “Maybe I should have just left it alone. Even though my impetus was the ‘Control’ verse,” he said. “I mean you put yourself out there like that. So, you opened yourself up to critique, but even that still, I should have just shut my f—ing mouth. I apologize for even engaging and talking about n—as’ careers, I’ll never do that sh– again.”
You can watch the full convo below.
