Vybz Kartel Recognizes Drake as More Culturally Aligned Amid Rivalry with Kendrick Lamar

Vybz Kartel has weighed in on the ongoing discussion about Drake and Kendrick Lamar, per Billboard, and he’s Team Drizzy.

Drake has long been under scrutiny for allegedly borrowing sounds and styles from other artists, particularly Jamaican Patois around 2016. The tension escalated when Kendrick Lamar labeled Drake “a fucking colonizer” of Atlanta rap in his track “Not Like Us,” a remark that contributed to Lamar’s triumph in their ongoing feud, which reached its peak in 2024.

However, renowned dancehall artist Vybz Kartel is not on board with the appropriation narrative. In a recent Billboard cover story, he dismissed Lamar’s criticisms and praised Drake for his influence on Jamaican music, stating, “Drake is more in tune with Jamaica and the culture.”

When asked about the feud, Kartel was straightforward. “I’m not a fan of Kendrick. I don’t even listen to Kendrick, so I wouldn’t know. What does he rap? I saw it on the Internet, but no disrespect to the dude, I hear him, but I don’t listen to him,” he shared with Billboard. “Drake is a better and bigger artist.”

Kartel is currently working on a new album, although he hasn’t mentioned Drake as a potential collaborator. He did reveal, however, that he has a song in the pipeline with Cardi B. “We got a song coming out [in 2025],” he said about the collaboration with the Bronx rapper. “We are actually in the process of writing it.”

In August 2024, Vybz Kartel was released from prison after serving 13 years due to the overturning of a murder conviction. He celebrated his freedom by headlining a New Year’s Eve concert at Freedom Street in Kingston, Jamaica, featuring special guests like Popcaan, Busta Rhymes, Spice, and others.