Ovrkast. has gotten some big looks over the years by producing for Drake, which has led many Kendrick Lamar fans to dismiss him outright. After all, it's not like he hasn't a fan of Kendrick's work, and he thinks Stans have gotten too comfortable with making people "pick sides" between people they don't really know.
That's what the East Oakland rapper and producer told HOT 97 during a recently published interview for his excellent new album STRIKING. At one point, the Mornings With Mero crew talked about his recent Drizzy placement, ICEMAN's "Make Them Pay." Furthermore, this led to a conversation about the parasocial and combative dynamics of a post-battle hip-hop ecosystem. It begins at around the 20:30-minute mark of the YouTube video below.
"People are under spells," Ovrkast. remarked. "Extremely parasocial. It's bad... Everything is split in two now... People be like, 'How do you feel?' N***a, I don't know none of these n***as. For real. I'm deada** the producer, gang... N***as don't like Kendrick no more or don't like Drake no more. You stopped completely? What happened? [...] Both [fanbases] was very vitriolic in that whole thing. Y'all n***as need to be employed. All of y'all need jobs right now. Having an opinion is fine. But when you start to make it some other s**t... It becomes the moral high ground thing... If we get down to morals in the music industry..."
Read More: The Grammys Has A Hip-Hop Problem
Ovrkast. On Drake & Kendrick Lamar
For the most part, the Drake and Kendrick Lamar saga is over, as much as we continue to write about it and fans continue to argue about it. At the end of the day, it's an extension of two fanbases and artists that never seemed to like each other to begin with. But Ovrkast.'s point is more about how folks who would've enjoyed both artists are being pushed to hate on the other so passionately.
Sadly, Ovrkast. has bigger issues to handle than what his take on a rap battle is. Furthermore, his dismissal of the conversation should come as no surprise. While some fans continue to debate, he's all about the music and his growth, and thinks these parasocial dynamics muddy the waters. Interestingly, at an earlier point of this HOT 97 appearance, the 28-year-old said he "got a pass" during the beef stuff because he just made really good material with the OVO mogul. It goes to show quality should always overshadow narrative.
