Kurupt was in the trenches. He was part of Death Row Records when the East and West Coast were going at it in the 1990s. He knows what real animosity looks like, so his perspective on the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle is welcome. It is, after all, the biggest battle since Biggie and 'Pac exchanged blows. Kurupt kept it West Coast with which rapper he prefers, but he also issued a warning to both parties, assuming they plan to keep things going.
Kurupt went on the Bootleg Kev Show on May 7 to discuss the battle. Fans got to watch as Tha Dogg Pound rapper heard Lamar's "Not Like Us" for the first time, and he was a fan. "It really was banging, though," he said. He also quoted Dot's bar about Drake striking an "A minor" cord. The rapper quickly switched gears, however, and talked about the downside of having two major rap artists taking shots at each other. "This is why this is not healthy, my n**ga," he told the podcast host. "Anything can happen. Drake could fall and break his toe and 'Oh that's what you get for f*cking with Kendrick.' Don't do that."
Kurupt Tells Drake And K. Dot To "Fight" Or End It
Kurupt was then informed about the shooting that took place outside of Drake's Toronto mansion. This led to him doubling down on his previous statement. As far as he's concerned, a rap battle is not worth the danger that Drake and Lamar may be putting themselves in. "This sh*t's real, cuz," he noted. "Life is precious, my n**ga. So if y'all ain’t gonna fight, stop it…"
Kurupt advised both Drake and Lamar to keep it on record, and cited Murda Mook and himself as prime examples. "This ain't funny," he added. "When I went to war, I wanted to fight. It was real! When 'Pac and Biggie was into it, it was real. This sh*t ain't real." There's noting to tie the shooting at Drake's mansion with the rapper's current battle, but the timing does have fans suspicious. The shooting did, however, get in the way of another diss release, according to DJ Akademiks.