Questlove Says “Hip Hop Is Really Dead” Amid Drake and Kendrick Lamar

With a security guard hospitalized, their children dragged into the fight, and rap fans foaming at the mouth, Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s altercation may have gotten a little out of hand.

At least that’s how roots drummer, Oscar winner and well-known hip-hop shaman Questlove sees it.

Questlove took to Instagram to vent his disappointment over the ongoing feud, which has spawned a series of scathing, downright explosive diss tracks in recent days.

“No one won the war,” Questlove wrote. “This wasn’t about ability. This was a wrestling-level match that involved mudslinging and knockdowns by any means necessary – women and children (and actual facts) be damned.”

The Rap Battle began with each host following each other’s skills, careers, alleged ghostwriters, and typical Rap Battle stuff. But Lamar got very personal on April 30’s “Euphoria,” disparaging Drake’s parenting skills and making accusations of cultural appropriation. This was followed on May 3 by “6:16 in LA,” in which Lamar claims he has birthmarks in Drake’s inner circle.

Later that day, Drake quickly responded with “family matters” and criticized Lamar’s relationship with his fiancée Whitney Alford. He claimed the Compton native was a domestic abuser and that one of his children was not his.

Then Lamar hit back even faster (about 20 minutes later) with “Meet the Grahams,” dragging the Toronto rapper’s son, mother and even a supposedly secret 11-year-old daughter into the mix while also laying claim to the Band had Degrassi Alum also runs a sex trafficking ring from his mansion.

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The Pulitzer Prize winner then released “Not Like Us” and accused Drake of being a pedophile. Drake responded to these allegations with “The Heart Part 6,” in which he denied any sexual misconduct and revealed that he set up the secret daughter story to get Lamar to rhyme about it.

While many fans witnessed the drama, Questlove is dismayed by the collateral damage caused to the rappers’ innocent bystanders.

“The same audience that wants blood will soon be posting ‘RIP’ posts as if it’s not part of the problem,” he added. “Hip hop really is dead.”

News of hip-hop’s death has been greatly exaggerated before, but this conflict between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has certainly taken its toll. There has been silence in both camps since the weekend, with most rap pundits siding with Lamar as the winner. But you have to ask yourself, at what cost?