The aftermath of Drake vs Kendrick is annoying me

What’s poppin’ y’all?

One of the worst things about the aftermath of this Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef is how it’s turned into a stan war—people obsessively comparing every aspect of their commercial relevance. And while it’s impressive that Kendrick is even being mentioned in the same breath as Drake (since he’s never really operated on the same commercial level), the latest battleground is tour sales.

The narrative now? "Kendrick couldn't sell a tour alone, so he brought SZA." Meanwhile, Drake has toured with the Migos at their peak, and most recently 21 Savage, where Drake clearly did more for 21 than vice versa. But suddenly, Drake is the one getting heat for ticket sales in New Zealand—a country of just 5 million people.

Let’s put this in perspective:

• Drake performed multiple nights in New York City, a city of 8 million people. e had shows at both Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center. Yet, people are forcing this fake narrative that he’s struggling to sell tickets.

It gets worse—we even saw fake news spread that PG Lang merch was banned at a Drake concert in Australia. It came from NFR Podcast, a usually reliable source, which is why I fell for it too. But this kind of misinformation is only fueling more unnecessary drama and encouraging people to spread fake stories for clout.

If people want to compare Drake and Kendrick, at least do it with the music—not tour sales. Because if we’re keeping it real, Drake wins that every time. He’s toured more frequently, consistently sells out, and has always been one of the biggest live acts in hip-hop. Before Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick hadn’t toured in years.

And let’s be real—this isn’t just a hip-hop thing. If we start comparing tour numbers, Harry Styles fans could point out that he did 15 nights at Madison Square Garden during his Love On Tour in 2022. Are we going to start comparing him to rappers now too? So if the debate is about who puts on a better show, let’s ask unbiased people and settle it the right way.

Let me know what y’all think. Are the tour comparisons valid, or is this just stan wars gone too far?

— Yassine

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