Popular rapper Chance the Rapper has weighed in on the famous Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef. He recently revealed that the back and forth actually played a pivotal role in raising public awareness about bots and paid engagement on social media.
Speaking during an interview, the lyricist said that negative or positive sentiments have been botted for many years, and conversations wouldn’t have been had about it if Drake and Kendrick had not fallen out.
He stated that real discussions about paid media and botting are very necessary nowadays, and the conversation should not be restricted to botted views.
“The Kendrick and Drake beef was the first time that the general public started to have real discussions about paid media and botting. Not just botting views, but botting negative or positive sentiment,” he said.
Chance the Rapper further noted that the controversy between both rappers didn’t just dominate charts and headlines; it also exposed how social media could be manipulated to influence public opinion.
He concluded by saying that the sudden scrutiny about the authenticity of online interactions and hype was a welcome development.
While the Drake-Lamar rivalry was mainly artistic, Chance the Rapper’s reaction underscores a broader trend in the music industry that manufactures social media metrics.
It is further proof that streaming numbers, trending topics and fan sentiment aren’t always organic and should not be believed at all times.
