On Tuesday (July 9), Ab-Soul sparked discussion about Drake’s potential for a comeback following his lyrical showdown with Kendrick Lamar. The Top Dawg Entertainment rapper offered his perspective via Twitter, suggesting that the “One Dance” hitmaker’s resurgence is possible but hinges on one crucial factor.
“If Drake is the MC I imagine he can be, redemption is not off the table,” Ab-Soul posted. He also set clear boundaries regarding comparisons between the Toronto rapper and other members of Black Hippy, which include Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock. The HERBERT creator continued, “But before my rant gets out of context. He could never [f**k with the] gang [and them] on [some] rap s**t. That was never a question.”
“If this is taken as an antic of any sort and not ISM. Well… get off if you [are] mad then. Dead homies,” read another tweet from Ab-Soul. “PS: ‘Where [are] the true artists at? If it ain’t a good picture you draw, don’t bring it to the architect.’”
The Southern California native made a cameo in Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video on July 4 alongside the likes of Punch, Mustard, YG, and Roddy Ricch, among other West Coast figures. The video has 38 million YouTube views to date, and according to TMZ, it provided a 40 percent increase in sales for Tam’s Burgers, one of the featured landmarks.
Lamar once mentioned Tam’s in a 2012 interview with Complex: “Everybody loves In-N-Out, but it’s a very clean-cut burger. Tam’s is street-sloppy, burgers and shakes. It’s a chain, but it’s still hood.”
Funnily enough, it’s not the first restaurant the Compton lyricist gave a boost to during his feud with Drake. April’s “euphoria” included a name-drop of Toronto-based Chinese food spot New Ho King: “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie.”