Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Apple 1 Music host Ebro Darden during a press conference for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Media Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ebro blames Drake for today’s rap music issues.

Radio host Ebro Darden recently shared his thoughts on Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance, particularly its connection to Drake. On February 9, Lamar delivered a 13-minute set featuring several songs, including “Not Like Us,” widely seen as a direct shot at Drake. During the February 11 episode of Ebro in the Morning on Hot 97, Darden and his co-hosts analyzed the performance, pushing back against claims that it was entirely about Drake. Darden argued that Lamar’s message ran deeper, with the 6 God serving as a “proxy” for something larger. He acknowledged the personal nature of their feud but insisted Drake wasn’t the central figure. “Drake is not that important,” Darden said. “The reason he’s involved is because he represents a sickness in the game. It could have been any artist.”

He elaborated, saying Drake symbolizes an industry focused on chart domination rather than artistic depth. Unlike Lamar, he argued, Drake avoids self-reflection and reinvention. “People love Drake. We love his music. But he’s not willing to rip his soul from the bottom, do ayahuasca, and look himself in the mirror the way Kendrick has prescribed,” Darden said. “It’s about what the game does to someone who tries to dominate it. That’s the real story.”

Ebro Darden & Drake Beef

Co-host Peter Rosenberg added that Lamar’s set also spoke to broader themes, including racial dynamics in America. Darden agreed, emphasizing the layered meanings in Lamar’s performance. He pointed out that Drake’s career has been built on adapting different styles to maintain mainstream success, while Lamar has remained committed to his own artistic vision. “Drake’s focus has always been money, chart dominance, and incorporating different styles into his own,” Darden said. “That strategy worked, but it came at a cost. Meanwhile, Kendrick paid a price for staying true to his path.”

Darden contrasted their artistic approaches, describing Drake’s transformation from a suburban teen to someone portraying a street-hardened persona. “He went from being a kid living with his mom to having mob ties and bullet holes in his sweatshirt,” he said. “Kendrick, on the other hand, stayed grounded in his origins and what truly matters to him.” His remarks underscored a fundamental divide between two of hip-hop’s biggest stars—one prioritizing commercial appeal, the other committed to authenticity.