Kendrick Lamar's perceived victory in the Drake beef, capped off with a "Not Like Us" music video, has many fans rearranging their top battle rappers list. Now that Kendrick officially has a lyrical showdown under his belt -– in fact, the biggest since Jay-Z and Nas -– we can compare him to some other mic-killers in the hip-hop world. Of course, there's one name that people might immediately go to when it comes to technical proficiency, disrespectful disses, and a pretty unchallenged track record, and that's none other than Detroit's own Eminem. While most of his opponents aren't at his level, he does have an impressive history with battle rap and a whole lot of experience.
To be fair, so does Kendrick Lamar when it comes to his previous stints as a battle rapper way earlier in his career. Also, there are plenty of other names to consider in this debate: Pusha T, the aforementioned Esco and Hov, Lupe Fiasco, and legends in their prime like Tupac Shakur and Ice Cube. But Eminem is probably the most popular and prominent example of this. Some fans think that Slim Shady's experience will get him the upper hand, whereas others posit that K.Dot proved he could go as far as he wanted to with pretty much anyone, and has the strategic approaches to do so.
Eminem Fans Are Doubtful That Kendrick Lamar Could Beat Him In A Rap Battle, And Others Disagree
In fact, there's a chance (albeit a very, very small one) that we might actually see this hypothetical battle take place one day. We doubt it, though. After all, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar are two Dr. Dre proteges, former collaborators, and 2022 Super Bowl halftime show performers: we know there's no beef. Yet Marshall Mathers was talking a whole lot of smack about being the best MC on his new single "Tobey." Many thought that he was dissing Jay-Z, but Royce Da 5'9" shut this rumor down. If Kendrick and Em are really up to the challenge with these new proclamations on both sides, check out some more fan debates below for what could be the result.
More Fans Debate Slim Shady Versus K.Dot
Meanwhile, we know that Eminem has very high praise for Kendrick Lamar, and vice versa. As such, if they actually do spar lyrically, we know that it wouldn't be a beef-driven situation, just a "friendly fade." Still, considering the weight of their diss material and their prowess as artists, it would be an amazing feat to witness and a fantastic display. Maybe they should consider another collaboration and push each other to their limits, instead.