Livestreaming from the front row of the event at Las Vegas’ BleuLive Theater, the streaming star reacted with visible disbelief as the Detroit rapper’s name was announced.

The category featured some of today’s most celebrated artists—Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, and Future. Cenat, known for championing current talent, was clearly pulling for one of them. When Eminem took the trophy, Cenat voiced what many younger fans may have been thinking.

“Let’s be real, I f*** with Slim Shady,” he told viewers. “He’s tough. But come on. Let’s be real.” His reaction wasn’t about disrespect. It reflected a generational tension in rap: legacy versus relevance.

Eminem’s win came just weeks after Billboard ranked him the fifth greatest rapper of all time. He placed above The Notorious B.I.G., Lil Wayne, André 3000, Snoop Dogg, and even Drake. Only Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, and Tupac outranked him. Billboard praised Eminem’s relentless battle-born style and lyrical agility, noting how he “wielded the mic like a weapon.”

His stats back it up. Eminem holds 15 Grammy Awards, 10 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, and three Diamond-certified singles: “Lose Yourself,” “Not Afraid,” and “Love the Way You Lie.” His technical ability remains unmatched—he rapped 225 words in 30 seconds on “Godzilla,” earning a Guinness World Record.

Mentored by Dr. Dre, Eminem turned his outsider status into superstardom. His blend of humor, violence, and emotional vulnerability helped redefine hip-hop’s boundaries. But his AMAs win stirred debate. Cenat’s reaction captured a growing sentiment: Is the culture honoring what hip-hop was—or what it is becoming?

As Eminem continues collecting accolades, younger artists and fans are pushing for broader recognition of current innovators. Kai Cenat’s moment on stream wasn’t just a gripe—it was a call to reflect on who the spotlight serves, and why.

He was nominated in six total categories, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. But it was Billie Eilish who came out on top in all three. The surprises didn’t stop there. In a move that shocked fans, Eminem walked away with both, winning Favorite Hip Hop Artist and Favorite Hip Hop Album, beating out Kendrick in both categories.

Lamar also had a shot at Collaboration of the Year alongside SZA, but the honor went to Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga for their chart-topping track “Die With A Smile.” That song also beat out “Not Like Us” for Favorite Music Video, adding to Kendrick’s list of near-wins.

Still, award show losses haven’t slowed Lamar’s momentum. His Grand National Tour is smashing records. A recent stop in Seattle pulled in a massive $14.8 million, setting a new all-time high for a rap concert. That show drew nearly 61,000 fans, making it the most attended performance of the tour so far.

Kendrick broke his own record. A previous stop at Dallas’s AT&T Stadium brought in $11.8 million, which had already made him the highest-grossing Black man in history for a single live show. He surpassed The Weeknd’s 2022 mark of $9.8 million at SoFi Stadium.

And on the charts, he’s still king. “Not Like Us” recently became the first rap song in history to spend a full year on the Billboard Hot 100. Win or lose at the American Music Awards, Kendrick continues to make history.

Although it was released in May 2024, “Not Like Us” is still setting new records. The song’s latest accolade is that it broke the record for being the longest rap song to chart on the Billboard 100, according to the NFR Podcast.

Produced by Mustard, “Not Like Us” has spent several weeks at the number one spot, and it spent almost a full year in the Top 10. Currently, “Not Like Us” is in the  23 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Additionally, “Not Like Us” the longest-running number one hit on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, surpassing Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”. 

Previously, “Not Like Us” won five Grammy Awards at the 2025 ceremony, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The song also won Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. This marks a significant win for hip-hop, as only one other rap song

If that’s not impressive enough,  Lamar broke his own record (again) for the highest-grossing show ever by a rapper, raking in $ 14.81 M. In total, 60, 941 total tickets were sold at the show featuring SZA  at Lumen Field in Seattle.

In their review of the show, the Seattle Times described the performance as a “grand-scale presentation of vintage hip-hop storytelling from the Pulitzer Prize winner before a spellbound crowd the size of Bothell.”

Although Kendrick is the main target, Joey takes aim at TDE rapper Ray Vaughn with some razor-sharp lines: “The way you let Dot dick sit in your mouth / This that same dick linkin’ I was talkin’ about… I bet you ain’t even got his number / It’s funny how the thirst is bein’ disguised as hunger.”

Joey’s recent run of disses toward West Coast artists began with “The Ruler’s Back” in January. In that track, he delivered jabs like: “Too much West Coast dick lickin’… ‘Cause if we’re talking bar for bar, really it’s slim pickings.” That song sparked immediate responses from Ray Vaughn, Daylyt, and Ab-Soul, who addressed the situation during a cypher, saying: “Lyt was heavy and Ray definitely stepped… Just be lucky that Soul ain’t stepping in.”

Joey later fired back in a no-holds-barred verse: “First off, I could never hate the West Coast / But since n-ggas comin’ for Joe, fuck it then, let’s go… These bars could put bad boys on death row / Kinda crazy how Suge and Puff in jail, though.”

With punchlines aimed at both coasts and no signs of backing down, Joey Bada$$ is positioning himself as a top-tier contender. His message is clear: he’s not just here for the talk—he’s here to prove he belongs at the top of the rap food chain.

In a cryptic but targeted post, West referenced Kendrick’s past collaboration with Taylor Swift, suggesting the Compton rapper compromised his integrity by aligning with mainstream pop aesthetics. “I know that Kendrick did not like Taylor Swift dancing to the A minor line,” West wrote. “How is that ‘culture’?”

The comment appears to reference Swift’s choreography during one of her performances, perhaps aimed at the revamped version of “Bad Blood.” Kendrick originally appeared on the 2015 remix of the song, which helped cement Swift’s crossover into hip-hop-adjacent pop. He later re-recorded his vocals for Swift’s re-release as part of her ongoing battle for control of her masters.

West’s dig is twofold: it questions Lamar’s place as a so-called defender of the culture while revisiting his own long-standing feud with Swift, a saga dating back to the 2009 MTV VMAs. But it’s also personal. Both Lamar and Swift represent distinct industry paths that Ye has clashed with—one steeped in artistic restraint, the other in pop supremacy.

Drake entered the fray last year, referencing Kendrick’s loyalty to Swift during their high-profile feud. On his diss track “Push Ups,” Drake mocked Lamar’s rumored rush to record vocals for Swift’s re-release:

“Then we need a verse for the Swifties / Top say drop, you better drop and give ‘em 50.” The line frames Kendrick as a pawn of his label boss, Top Dawg, and hints that Swift’s fandom holds more sway over Lamar’s moves than the streets.

Kanye’s latest remarks play into a broader narrative he’s been pushing—one where Kendrick is positioned as a polished, industry-anointed figure rather than a rebellious voice of the people. While Kendrick remains largely silent, West continues to fire shots, stoking tensions not just between artists, but between clashing visions of Black artistry, authenticity, and commercial power.

As usual, Ye’s criticism reveals more about his own worldview than the artists he targets. But in choosing to question Lamar’s credibility through his link to Taylor Swift, Kanye has once again stirred the pot—blurring the lines between personal grievance and public critique.

Building on their commercial success, Lamar and SZA have secured a landmark achievement on the Billboard Hot 100. Their collaborative single, “Luther,” has claimed the No. 1 spot for 11 consecutive weeks—matching the historic 1997 reign of Diddy and Faith Evans’ “I’ll Be Missing You,” a benchmark for male-female duets. With this run, “Luther” becomes the longest-leading No. 1 hit of either artist’s career.

Kendrick Lamar Breaks Records and Headlines Spilt Milk Festival Return

Kendrick launched his Grand National Tour in Minneapolis last month with a landmark performance that shattered records, bringing in more than $9.1 million on opening night. With over 47,000 fans in attendance and an average ticket price of $192.70, the show surpassed Eminem’s 2019 Melbourne concert to become the highest-grossing rap show ever. It also marked the first time a hip-hop concert crossed the $9 million mark—setting a new bar for the genre’s commercial power.

Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the return of Australia’s Spilt Milk festival this December, making its comeback after a year-long hiatus. The festival will take place during the peak of the Australian summer, making stops in Ballarat/Wadawurrung, Perth/Whadjuk, Canberra/Ngunnawal, and the Gold Coast/Kombumerri. Alongside Lamar, the lineup features Top Dawg Entertainment stars Doechii and ScHoolboy Q, as well as breakout talents like Euphoria actor Dominic Fike, viral sensation Nessa Barrett, and rising artist d4vd.

“Spilt Milk” opens on December 6, with its final performance scheduled for December 14. With his continued redefinition of the live music experience and chart-topping success, fans are eagerly awaiting what he will do next.

On the premiere episode of Joe and Jada, his new podcast series that he co-hosts with fellow rap legend Jadakiss, Joe shared his thoughts on Kendrick’s unprecedented run of success.

Jada started the conversation by stating he was amazed that it’s been a year since Kendrick took on Drake.

 “One year since the Kendrick and Drake discrepancy. What they like to call it ‘beef’ in the media world,” Jada replied. “Thank God nothing really happened to anybody, physically. Personally, I thought it was about four or five months ago. I can’t believe it’s already been a year.”

“How is it a year?” Joe said. “But what I can tell you is, boy, that Kendrick Lamar gets some spins on LA radio…”

Jadakiss noted that every L.A. artist gets spins on the local radio, but Joe argued that Kendrick’s run was the greatest that he’s ever seen.

“I was there last week. I’ve never seen nothing like that: Every single song, ‘Turn his TV off…’ What?” he continued. “It’s a fact. Kendrick Lamar gets played nine out of every 10 songs in L.A. right now. Not even Snoop Dogg, not even Tupac Shakur — nobody from L.A. has dominated the paint like this guy… If you’re from L.A., you probably think there’s only one guy on Earth, Kendrick Lamar. I’m just keeping it a buck with you,” Joe said.

While Jadakiss acknowledged that K-Dot and “a helluva career,” he said that today’s rap beefs were “getting out of hand.”

“It’s always good as long as it stays on wax,” Jada said. “Now, when it first started, somebody say something about you, you gotta go to the studio, you gotta immediately work on getting one back at there… Now, as the technology evolved, it turns into movie skits, animations, retrieving fake information… It got a little wacky for me. I like it to be beats and rhymes, and keep it like that. Once it got out of my pay grade, it’s a little bit of disinterest to me… I just wanna see rhymes and song and hip-hop shit.”

A rep for Metro Boomin voiced to TMZ that they never cleared the rights to the sample and instead compensated Rodney $50,000. The representative added that Rodney’s lawsuit should be directed solely at Barry White’s estate—not the artists—as any delay in royalty payments may stem from the estate’s ties to Epic Records. The Barry White Estate has yet to respond to the legal motion.

Rodney O’ Was Surprised to Learn Kendrick Was on the Track

Last year, Rodney O’ discussed his view on the sample’s clearance. In an interview with Vibe, he said, “It is crazy because the song was big when it came out and for it to be even bigger now all these years later, it’s crazy. I heard the song, I knew it was good, but when it comes out and the world hears it how you hear it and react to it the way you reacted to it, that’s confirmation.” “Every song that I’ve cleared, they’ve sent it to me prior and I’ve been able to check it out. A lot of people have used the same sample in the past, but when I heard [‘Like That’], I was like ‘they totally demolished it.’”

Additionally, his claims of not completely hearing the song are presumably true. He stated, “Somebody called me the day before it came out and said, ‘Hey man, I got some news for you…I actually heard Kendrick is on that record.’” “And I was like, “No, Kendrick ain’t on that record because I have it. Songs now they’ll be two minutes and 30 seconds, so when I heard it, I’m like, ‘That’s the whole song.’ So I said, ‘He might be on a remix or something like that,’ that’s what I’m thinking.”

In her opening number, Quinta Brunson leaned into her personal take on height with a witty musical bit, joined by pop singer Sabrina Carpenter and SNL’s Marcelo Hernandez. Framed as a cheeky nod to size representation, the performance spotlighted figures like 4-foot-8 gymnast Simone Biles and 5-foot-7 actor Tom Holland. The segment struck a breezy tone while underscoring a pointed message: talent isn’t measured in inches.

Kendrick Lamar Returns: Headlining Spilt Milk Festival and Setting Tour Record

In a move that marks his return to the stage after a year away, Lamar will headline Australia’s Spilt Milk festival this December, with stops planned across Ballarat/Wadawurrung, Perth/Whadjuk, Canberra/Ngunnawal, and the Gold Coast/Kombumerri—aligning his comeback with the heart of Australia’s summer. Sharing the bill are Top Dawg Entertainment standouts Doechii and ScHoolboy Q, alongside chart-friendly names like Dominic Fike and Nessa Barrett, with rising newcomer d4dv also in the mix. The festival kicks off December 6 and wraps with its closing night on December 14.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Kendrick Lamar has been making headlines with his Grand National Tour, co-headlined with SZA. On the tour’s opening night in Minneapolis, he broke the previous record for the highest-grossing rap concert, which was previously held by Eminem. The concert generated an impressive $9.1 million in revenue, attracting over 47,000 attendees, with an average ticket price of $192.70, as reported by Touring Data.

This notable accomplishment not only secures Lamar’s place in history for the highest-grossing hip-hop concert ever, surpassing Eminem‘s 2019 Melbourne performance, but it also marks the first rap concert to exceed the $9 million mark. The Minneapolis show further established a new attendance record for both Kendrick Lamar and SZA outside of festival settings.

The Compton-born rapper will lead its upcoming eyewear campaign, slated to launch Tuesday, April 22, marking a rare collaboration between the brand and a male figure. Lamar joins a short list of men to represent Chanel, standing alongside G-Dragon and Timothée Chalamet in that exclusive circle.

“Chanel has a timeless legacy, and that’s something I can stand behind,” Lamar told The Business of Fashion. “Since they don’t design menswear, I knew eyewear would be the lane.” That understated practicality speaks to his quiet confidence—he enters luxury not by force but by fit.

The campaign, reportedly shot by photographer Karim Sadli, expands Chanel’s push to spotlight eyewear as a statement, not an accessory. “We believe in the power of eyewear. It defines the Chanel silhouette. It’s an extension of our codes,” said Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion.

Lamar’s relationship with Chanel didn’t begin with this campaign. At the 2023 Met Gala, he skipped the red carpet but made an impression inside the museum, appearing in a Chanel leather bomber and an MLB cap for the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” exhibition. That same year, he sat front row at Chanel’s Fall-Winter 2023 Haute Couture show during Paris Fashion Week, flanked by Charlotte Casiraghi, Vanessa Paradis, and Lupita Nyong’o. His outfit that day—a white tweed jacket, logo-covered jeans, and a plain tee—balanced minimalism with intention.

Earlier this year, Lamar’s creative company pgLang, co-founded with longtime collaborator Dave Free, partnered with Chanel to produce a short black-and-white film, The Button. Featuring Naomi Campbell, Margaret Qualley, and Anna Mouglalis, the story explored themes of memory and legacy. Just days after the short premiered, Lamar attended Chanel’s Spring-Summer 2024 Haute Couture show wearing a tweed jacket, baggy jeans, and a jeweled cap—still unmistakably Chanel, but stripped of branding excess.

“Chanel is timeless,” Kendrick Lamar said during the event. “That’s something we value too—integrity, lasting impact, and creating with purpose for the next generation.”

A recent editorial shoot with Senegalese photographer Malick Bodian echoed those sentiments. Lamar wore a variation of his fashion week look, trading the jeweled hat for a beanie and swapping sneakers for loafers. The understated styling allowed his presence to speak louder than any logo.

Top Dawg Entertainment president Punch even chimed in with some light teasing after the photos dropped, poking fun at Lamar’s softened expression. “I think I’m cute on there, man. Couldn’t resist,” Lamar joked.

As Chanel steps into a new era of creative partnerships, Kendrick Lamar’s addition signals a fresh chapter—where art, identity, and legacy intersect without compromise.