Kanye West Claims He’s the Only Man Who Can Beat Kendrick Lamar in a Rap Battle

Kanye West is known for his bold statements, and during a recent interview on The Download podcast with Justin Laboy, the rap icon declared himself the only person capable of defeating Kendrick Lamar in a rap battle.

“If you rap against Kendrick, you will lose,” Ye confidently stated. “This man does this. You know on Street Fighter, you get like a Chun-Li, you get a certain kick, and no matter what, you can’t beat that thing.” Referring to rapper Joe Budden’s earlier advice about avoiding Kendrick in a battle, Kanye added: “If you rap against Kendrick Lamar, it’s a difficult task, but perhaps there’s something — I’m a psycho genius so it could be…”

Laboy jumped in to echo Kanye’s sentiment: “There you have it: do not rap against Kendrick Lamar.” Kanye doubled down: “Unless you’re a psycho genius like me.”

Kanye’s Take on Kendrick vs. Drake
The interview also saw Kanye reflect on Kendrick Lamar’s high-profile feud with Drake, which escalated into a lyrical battle last year. Ye admitted he was surprised by Kendrick’s victory, joking: “Man, you killed my nemesis! Where’s the movies if it ain’t no Drake?” He compared Drake’s temporary defeat to a superhero storyline: “Or at least he took him down for a little bit. You know in superhero films where one of the characters, like Wolverine or something, just goes away for a couple films?”

Despite the setback, Kanye expressed confidence in Drake’s resilience. When asked if Kendrick had “killed” Drizzy, Ye responded: “Yeah, for now. You can’t ever count out Steph Curry. That man might get 200 points in one song.”

Kanye’s History in the Battle Arena
While praising Kendrick’s rap dominance, Kanye reminded listeners of his own battle rap credentials. Last year, he entered the fray with shots at Drake on a remix of Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick’s hit single “Like That.” Kanye’s verse included stinging lines like:
“Where’s Lucian? Serve your master, n-gga / You caught a little bag for your masters, didn’t ya? / Lifetime deal, I feel bad for n-ggas / Y’all so outta sight, outta mind / I can’t even think of a Drake line.”

The verse also took a swipe at J. Cole, Drake’s collaborator on “First Person Shooter,” with Kanye quipping: “Play J. Cole, get the pussy dry.”

Kanye’s Praise for Kendrick’s Grammy Wins
In addition to his battle rap commentary, Kanye celebrated Kendrick Lamar’s victories at this year’s Grammy Awards, where the Compton rapper took home five trophies. Following the ceremony, Kanye shared a photo of Kendrick holding his awards on Instagram with the caption: “Gemini season [goat emoji].”

With his self-proclaimed “psycho genius” status and his admiration for Kendrick’s artistry, Kanye’s remarks continue to stir conversation about the rap game’s fiercest competitors. Whether or not the world will ever witness a Kanye vs. Kendrick battle remains to be seen, but Ye has certainly added fuel to the ongoing debates among hip-hop fans.