Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Ceasars Superdome. Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
During his recent interview with Curtiss King, TDE Punch also recalled the original version of Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria,” and more.
During a recent interview with Curtiss King, Terrence “Punch” Henderson discussed Kendrick Lamar and Drake, providing fans with some exclusive insight into their viral battle.
At one point in the interview, for example, he was asked about the Compton rapper’s verse on “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin. According to him, he heard about it from Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith first, and later called Kendrick to check in.
“[The energy] had been bubbling for a while. We had been pretty close-mouthed about it […] He played the record for Top [Dawg]. I talked to Top and he told me a little bit about the record so I hit Dot like, ‘It’s going down?’ He said, ‘Yeah, we’ll see what’s up.’ [He was] laughing,” Punch recalled.
TDE Punch & Kendrick Lamar
“People think that this is so serious but it’s funny,” he continued. “This n***a is from Compton, California, bro. Where he grew up, it’s serious over there — you getting shot at, you getting home invasions, you getting gang wars. We’re talking about music, bruh, so it’s funny! So I hear the record and I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s up. It’s go time now, baby.’”
This isn’t the only part of the battle Punch reflected on, however. He also looked back on the original version of Kendrick’s Drake diss “Euphoria,” revealing that it used to be longer and far more intense. Ultimately, he says he was able to talk the artist out of some of his more explosive and damaging disses before he unleashed the final version.
“I don’t know the length, but there was definitely a version that was longer than what the world got. There was a lot of stuff that didn’t make it on there,” he said. “There was just some things in there that I didn’t think would have been beneficial in the long run to put in there. So I gave him my input on that and he took some of those things out.”