"The crown is heavy": A textual analysis of masculine ritual aggression in the Kendrick v. Drake Hip Hop beef

Abstract

Using a textual analysis to examine the Kendrick Lamar - Drake beef as a case study of ritualized aggression in Hip Hop, this essay analyzes how artists perform, negotiate, and challenge racialized and socially privileged masculine forms. This research analyzes diss tracks, media discourse, and audience interactions to make meaning of the racial and gender politics present in the Kendrick v. Drake rivalry. The study interprets Kendrick's performance of Black masculinity as adhering to hegemonic expressions typical in Hip Hop, emphasizing cultural authority and lyrical dominance. Kendrick's approach contrasts against Drake's hybrid forms of masculinity that subvert established aesthetics, while strategically incorporating machismo displays. Ultimately, this essay advances that ritual aggression through Hip Hop beef – as seen in the case of Kendrick v. Drake – is a practice whereby audiences validate performances of contemporary Black masculinities, privileging select identifying portrayals over others.