Let’s be real: Nobody saw it coming on a random Tuesday. When Kendrick Lamar dropped euphoria, he didn't just release a song; he set the entire internet on fire. It was 6 minutes and 24 seconds of pure, unadulterated loathing.
We’ve all seen the memes. We’ve heard the "I hate the way that you walk" segment played a thousand times on TikTok. But honestly? Most people are missing the actual depth tucked inside those euphoria lyrics kendrick lamar gifted us. This wasn't just a "you're a bad rapper" diss. It was a surgical dismantling of a man’s entire identity.
The Phony Behind the Curtain
The track starts weird. You hear that reversed audio? Most casual listeners skipped right past it. If you play it forward, it’s a clip from the 1978 film The Wiz. Richard Pryor—playing the Wizard—says, "Everything they say about me is true. I’m a phony."
That is Kendrick’s thesis statement.
He isn't just saying Drake is a bad person. He’s arguing that the "Drake" we see is a manufactured character. Think about it. He calls him a "scam artist" instead of a rap artist. He’s poking at the acting background, the Degrassi days, and the idea that everything Drake does is a "calculated" move that isn't actually that calculated.
Why the Title "Euphoria" Actually Matters
A lot of folks think the title is just a nod to the HBO show Drake executive produces. It is, but it’s deeper. The show Euphoria is famous (or infamous) for its hyper-sexualized portrayal of teenagers.
Kendrick is being incredibly messy here.
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By naming the track after the show, he’s subtly bringing up those long-standing, cringeworthy rumors about Drake’s interactions with younger celebrities like Millie Bobby Brown. He doesn’t have to say it directly yet—that comes later in the beef—but the seed is planted right in the title.
He also uses the dictionary definition of euphoria. The feeling of well-being. He’s basically saying he’s in a state of bliss while he’s destroying Drake’s reputation. That’s cold.
The "Big Three" is Dead
Remember J. Cole’s "First Person Shooter"? He tried to be nice. He called himself, Drake, and Kendrick the "Big Three."
Kendrick hated that.
In the euphoria lyrics kendrick lamar specifically targets the "kissing and hugging on stage" behavior. He calls out J. Cole and Drake for being too friendly. To Kendrick, rap is a contact sport. You aren't supposed to be best friends with your competition. He even brings up YNW Melly—a rapper famously accused of killing his own friends—as a metaphor for what he’s willing to do to his "peers" in the industry.
The Section Everyone Quotes (And Why It’s Genius)
"I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress..."
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It sounds like a playground insult, right? It’s not.
This is a direct homage to DMX. Back in 2012, DMX did an interview where he listed out exactly why he didn't like Drake. He hated his voice, his hair, his walk—everything. Kendrick is channeling that "Old Head" energy. He’s saying his dislike isn't about a specific event; it’s a visceral, soul-level rejection of who Drake is as a human being.
The Ghostwriting and the "Abs"
Kendrick doesn't hold back on the industry secrets either. He brings up the "abs" rumors. For years, the internet has joked that Drake got Hi-Def Lipo to get a six-pack. Kendrick tells him to let his "core audience stomach that."
It’s a double entendre.
- Stomach the lie of the fake abs.
- Stomach the fact that your "core" isn't real.
Then he hits the ghostwriting. He flips Drake's "20-on-1" claim. Drake tried to say everyone was ganging up on him. Kendrick says no, it’s "1-on-20" because he’s fighting Drake plus the twenty songwriters Drake supposedly uses.
The "Joel Osteen" Confusion
There was a lot of debate about the line: "Am I battlin' ghost or AI? N—a feelin' like Joel Osteen." People thought he messed up the name. They thought he meant Haley Joel Osment, the kid from The Sixth Sense who sees "ghosts."
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He didn't mess up.
It’s a "quintuple entendre" (which Drake literally asked for in his previous diss).
- Haley Joel Osment: The Sixth Sense / Ghosts (Ghostwriters).
- Joel Osteen: The mega-pastor who was accused of shutting his doors during a hurricane (being "fake" or "not for the people").
- AI: Drake used AI Tupac. Kendrick is asking if he's fighting a real person or a program.
What This Means for the Culture
Euphoria changed the stakes. Before this, the beef felt like a light sparring match. After this, it became a "Battle for the Soul of Hip-Hop." Kendrick positioned himself as the gatekeeper of Black culture and Drake as the "colonizer" (a word he used later in Not Like Us).
He’s questioning Drake’s use of the N-word. He’s questioning his parenting. He’s questioning his very "Blackness" by saying he doesn't have a "FUBU collection." It’s mean. It’s personal. And it’s incredibly effective.
If you’re trying to really understand the euphoria lyrics kendrick lamar wrote, you have to look at them as a psychological profile. Kendrick spent years watching from the sidelines, taking notes, and then he let it all out at once.
Your Next Steps
If you want to go even deeper into the Kendrick vs. Drake rabbit hole, you should:
- Listen to "The Wiz" Soundtrack: Find the Richard Pryor clip. It sets the mood for the entire song.
- Watch the DMX Breakfast Club Interview (2012): You’ll see exactly where Kendrick got the inspiration for the "I hate the way you walk" verse.
- Check the Credits: Look at the songwriters on Drake’s Her Loss or For All The Dogs. Kendrick mentions "BEAM" and others for a reason.
- Read the Lyrics While Listening: Use a site like Genius, but don't take every annotation as gospel. Some of the best meanings are the ones you feel in the rhythm of the beat switches.
The beef didn't end with this song, but euphoria was the moment we realized Kendrick wasn't playing around. He wasn't looking for a "win" on the charts; he was looking to end a career.