The world of hip hop - and pop culture at large, really - has been embroiled in what Rolling Stone has dubbed “The Great Rap War,” with Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar and Drake trading scathing diss tracks about each other for the better part of a month. Now, after being referenced on one of those diss tracks, WWE’s Shawn Michaels has thrown down the gauntlet by inviting both artists onto NXT to settle their beef.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s ongoing rap beef has been slow cooking like a long-term-booked WWE storyline, leaving fans waiting for either artist to release a new volley of insults at each other in diss track drops on their respective social media pages. Lamar's latest track, Not Like Us - while serving as a victory lap of sorts for the LA-based rapper - also referenced Michaels' finishing move, saying “Sweet Chin Music and I won't pass the aux, ayy.” This prompted the WWE Hall of Famer to take to his X/Twitter account and invite the pair to throw down on his wrestling show, NXT.
“A little Sweet Chin Music goes a long way,” Shawn Michaels wrote in a tweet. “Kendrick Lamar, you and Drake are formally invited to WWE NXT to settle this thing. I’m even offering my services to mediate.”
A little Sweet Chin Music goes a long way.@kendricklamar, you and @Drake are formally invited to #WWENXT to settle this thing. I’m even offering my services to mediate. https://t.co/tN02NLq36X
— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) May 6, 2024
While Shawn’s invitation is likely to be rejected by both rappers, it would probably be in Drake’s best interest to enlist backup given Michaels' kayfabe hatred of Canadians. It should be noted that Michaels is famously known for feuding with Canadian wrestler and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Brett “the Hitman” Hart. This bit of well-known wrestling trivia probably played a major part in Lamar mentioning Michaels' move in the first place. Michaels' feud with Hart also resulted in the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" which saw Michaels defeat Hart for the world championship in dubious fashion.
All that being said, Michaels' soft pitching of Kendrick vs. Drake in a WWE ring makes sense when you consider WWE fans have already taken to social media to share wrestling memes and videos of the two artists duking it out in WWE 2K24 throughout their month-long feud. To entertain Michaels' fantasy NXT booking even further, Drake vs. Kendrick would spell trouble for the Toronto rapper considering his beef with Kendrick also involves fellow recording artists-turned-WWE figures who’ve aligned themselves with Lamar, like The Weeknd and Snoop Dogg.
Kendrick Lamar vs Drake on WWE 2K24 : pic.twitter.com/kXyafotcMt
— V. ✨? (@HaangEmHiigh) May 6, 2024
And before you ask, this feud wouldn’t fare well on the WWE rival show AEW either because Rick Ross — another rapper entangled in the war against Drake — is closely affiliated with AEW champion Swerve Strickland. Suffice it to say, this celebrity rap match, while perfect for the world of professional wrestling, would have more run-ins than Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 no matter where it takes place.
Thumbnail credit: Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
