DeMar DeRozan Reveals His Stance On Drake And How Kendrick Lamar's "The Pop Out" Was Bigger Than Just Beef

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Cleveland Cavaliers v Toronto Raptors - Game Three
TORONTO, ON - MAY 21: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on May 21, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
DeMar DeRozan is still cool with the Toronto rapper.

DeMar DeRozan spoke at length about his relationship with both Drake and Kendrick Lamar during an interview with The Sacramento Bee published on Wednesday. The Compton native, who spent years in Toronto playing for the Raptors, returned to his hometown for Lamar's The Pop Out - Ken & Friends, last month. The appearance quickly sparked rumors that he and Drake had a falling out. He's since clarified this isn't the case. Instead, he says the concert was far more important than just the beef.

“It was fun to be a part of (‘Not Like Us’),” he said. “For that moment, it was so much bigger than what people look at it as a beef between (Lamar) and Drake. It brought our whole city together in a different type of light where there wasn’t no issues, no violence. Everybody was coming together in a peaceful manner and that was the beauty out of those moments.”

Kendrick Lamar Performs At "The Pop Out - Ken & Friends"

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 19: Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during The Pop Out – Ken & Friends Presented by pgLang and Free Lunch at The Kia Forum on June 19, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch)

As for his feelings towards Drake, he added: “Drake’s still my man, still my man, none of it changed. It’s so easy to get overlooked and look at it for what it looks like, but at the end of the day it’s music, entertainment. Two of the biggest rappers in the world went at it from a competitive standpoint and they battled it out. That’s what you want to see as a fan: Kobe (Bryant) playing (Michael) Jordan 1-on-1 and see who wins, see the trash talking, and whoever wins out of that, you’re still going to have the debate, so that’s all that is.”

DeRozan joined the Sacramento Kings after a sign-and-trade deal that also involved the San Antonio Spurs, earlier this month. He'll be turning 35 years old in August. Be on the lookout for further updates on DeMar DeRozan as well as Drake and Kendrick Lamar on HotNewHipHop.

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About The Author
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.
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