The Game is weighing in on the lasting impact of the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud, and he's not convinced hip-hop is better off because of it.
Reacting to ongoing conversations about the genre's current state, the Compton rapper shared a message suggesting that while the high-profile clash may have driven engagement, it ultimately came at a cost to the music itself.
"Y'all ain't appreciate one of the greatest now the absence & silence has the art form down 50%," he wrote on Instagram, pointing to what he sees as a noticeable drop in quality and output following the battle.
The post was shared alongside commentary from Isaac Hayes III, who argued that the feud shifted hip-hop away from its traditional commercial dominance. In that message, Hayes claimed, "The Kendrick Drake beef killed commercial rap music," adding that it "turned hip hop into an engagement art form, not a chart performing one."
He continued, "Everyone showed up, debated, replayed, picked sides, ran the numbers up. Meanwhile, the Billboard Hot 100 kept moving. The beef fed the masses and killed the charts. So I see why labels are cutting back. Black folks would rather tear down artists from both sides when collaboration is what drives expansion."
The Game's reaction echoes a broader sentiment among some artists and fans who believe the intense focus on rivalry, discourse, and online metrics has overshadowed collaboration and long-term artistry. Jay-Z recently chimed in on the matter in his interview with GQ, stating all the negative energy that came from the beef was "too much."
"We love the excitement and I love the sparring, but in this day and age there's so much negative stuff that comes with it that you almost wish it didn't happen," said Jay. "Now, people that like Kendrick hate Drake, no matter what he makes. 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. … It's too far. It's bringing people's kids in it. I don't like that."
