Kendrick Lamar pulls a Walt Disney "Frozen" and re-writes Drake's legacy with "Euphoria" diss track
Google "Drake Euphoria" and see what comes up.
A week ago, if you searched “Drake Euphoria” on Google, it would have showed you his producer credits for one of the most popular Gen-Z shows in the last 5 years. Further launching the careers of actors like Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer and Zendaya. Drake’s producer credits was a huge accomplishment. Not only was he a child actor on one of the biggest millennial TV show franchises with Degrassi. But now, he had secured intragenerational success when it came to TV shows about high school.
That is, until a simmering pot of rap beef between him and Kendrick Lamar hit a boiling point this week. Kendrick Lamar put out a 6-minute plus diss track on Drake called, “Euphoria”. I didn’t understand the title at first and asked my boyfriend why he named it that. My boyfriend quickly replied, “Because Drake produced Euphoria.” BOOM! It all clicked in my mind.
Kendrick is a genius. As my comments point out, don’t mess with a Gemini. The sign that represents communication and the internet. Not only was this diss track a dig at Drake’s looks, career and identity but by naming the song, “Euphoria”, it will forever mess with Drake’s legacy. Now when you search “Drake Euphoria”, the results are no longer about his producer credits on the hit show but rather link to one of messiest and most viral diss tracks of all-time with Drake as the subject of interest.
The reference to Walt Disney “Frozen” refers to one of the most popular Google SEO theories on the internet. I personally don’t believe it but the theory is that lots of people were Googling, “Walt Disney frozen” after rumors began circulating that he froze his body in case there was technology one day to bring people back to life. So Disney created the hit franchise, “Frozen”, as a way to redirect search results to a movie instead of Black Mirror-esque rumors about the company’s founder. The reason I don’t believe this theory is because I don’t think the rumor is that salacious. Disney has bigger fish to fry. But what it represents is fascinating to me. Public figures and companies’ all-consuming desire to redirect trending searches on Google and other social platforms in their favor.
To further my theory for why Kendrick named it “Euphoria”, I did an experiment and Googled: “Drake Euphoria” (no mention of Kendrick Lamar). The first articles that come up are all about Kendrick’s diss. No mention of the hit show “Euphoria” anywhere. I encourage you to fact check me and do the search yourself.
On YouTube, the first suggestion is a “Euphoria” by Kendrick Lamar lyric video with 3.7 million views and it was uploaded just two days ago.
Imagine Drake in 50-years, telling his grandkids about how he executive produced one of the most popular teen dramas for Gen-Z starring one of the top actresses of the century, Zendaya. They excitedly ask their grandpa for the title. He hesitantly mumbles, “…euphoria”. The kids Google, “Drake Euphoria” in search of pictures, articles and accolades about his involvement with the hit show. But now until forever, the top search results are one of the most brutal diss tracks in rap history directed at Drake from a friend turned enemy.
Kendrick Lamar is a sleeping giant. He is brilliant. He is a gemini. An enemy of Kendrick is an enemy of me. Growing up in LA, I have heard great things about Kendrick Lamar’s involvement in the community. But he would never brag or bring attention to his donations and commitment to the inner cities of LA. He doesn’t need to do tons of press opps and marketing gimmicks because his art speaks for itself.
There are many articles dissecting the layers of insults in the diss track. From Drake’s culture vulture ways and changing accents to Drake being signed to someone whose signed to someone whose signed to someone. The Genius lyrics dissection has received 5 million views in two days since the song’s release.
I will end this article with my favorite line from Kendrick’s song:
“Don’t tell lies about me and I won’t tell truths about you” OOF!