Rapper Jay-Z has weighed in on the fallout between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, while also addressing sexual assault allegations he faced in 2025 and their impact on him.
Speaking to GQ senior editor Frazier Tharpe, the Empire State of Mind hitmaker reflected on the feud more than a year after Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us, which targeted Drake during the 2025 Super Bowl period.
As the figure responsible for selecting Super Bowl performers, Jay-Z suggested the public spat may have crossed a line.
“Now, people who like Kendrick hate Drake, no matter what he makes. It’s like an attack on his character. I don’t know if I love that. I don’t know if it’s helpful to our growth where the fallout lands, especially on social media,” he said.
While acknowledging that battling is a core part of hip-hop culture, alongside breakdancing, graffiti and DJing, the 56-year-old criticised how the feud spilled into personal territory, especially involving family members.
“It’s too far. It’s bringing people’s kids in it. I don’t like that,” he said, adding that social media has amplified the impact of such disputes. “Back then you had the battle, it was fun, then you moved on. Right now, I don’t know if it could stand it with the technology that we have.”
Drake, 39, has an eight-year-old son, Adonis, with French artist Sophie Brussaux, while Lamar, 38, has two children with his partner Whitney Alford.
Jay-Z argued that rap battles lose their value when they begin to harm real lives, warning the culture risks regressing when conflicts damage families or reputations.
“I love the idea that we got so much music in such a short period of time. Just everything around it was like, ‘Man, this is taking us a couple steps back… I don’t know if battling needs to be part of the culture anymore,” he said.
On selecting Lamar for the Super Bowl, Jay-Z defended his decision, saying it was based on merit.
“I chose the guy that was having a monster year. I think it was the right choice. What do I care about them two guys battling?” he said.
He also addressed a sexual assault allegation made by an unnamed woman, which was later dismissed in 2025. The claim initially targeted Sean “Diddy” Combs before being amended to include him. Both men denied the allegations.
“I was angry. I haven’t been that angry in a long time,” Jay-Z said, calling for caution when making such claims.