Rakim Says Kendrick-Drake Battle Showed the Difference Between 'Real' and 'Mainstream' Hip-Hop

Rakim is sharing his thoughts on how Kendrick Lamar and Drake's battle revitalized hip-hop.

During a new interview with Billboard, the legendary rapper praised Kendrick and Drizzy for not letting mainstream success decide the winner of their battle this spring.

"I think that it was important, because these brothers are at the top of the game, and revered hip-hop," he told Complex alum Angel Diaz. "You know, a lot of people in that position won’t accept no challenge, because they got too much to lose. So, it was dope that these brothers put the mainstream success down and said, 'Yeah, let’s do it.'"

Rakim continued by crediting the Kendrick and Drake beef with showing the difference between "real" and "mainstream" hip-hop.

"The battle put a lot of things in perspective — because it showed the difference between real hip-hop and mainstream hip-hop," he explained. "Younger artists now know that there’s a difference. A lot of them didn’t even understand that. They just listened to the majority, not knowing that a lot of people don’t categorize what they were hearing as real hip-hop. The battle was very needed for the genre. I tip my hat to them brothers. Let’s just hope that it stays to the music."

Granted, not every old-school rapper believes the Kendrick and Drake battle has had a positive impact on the genre, with Questlove claiming the feud displayed why
"hip-hop is truly dead" and Ice-T dismissing the entire beef as "male gossip."

"Nobody Won The War," Quest wrote on Instagram back in May. "This wasn't about skill. This was a wrestling match level mudslinging and takedown by any means necessary --- women & children (& actual facts) be damned. Same audience wanting blood will soon put up 'rip' posts like they weren't part of the problem. Hip Hop Is Truly Dead."