August 12, 2013. That was the day the peace treaty in hip-hop officially died. Funkmaster Flex premiered a track on Hot 97 called "Control," and within minutes, the internet didn't care about Big Sean’s album or Jay Electronica’s elusive return. They only cared about one thing: Kendrick Lamar.
Honestly, it’s hard to explain to someone who wasn't there just how much that verse shifted the atmosphere. It wasn't just a good rap verse. It was a hostile takeover. Kendrick didn't just rap; he put the entire industry on notice. He called out 11 of his peers by name—friends, collaborators, and rivals alike—and told them he was trying to "murder" them.
Not literally, obviously. But musically? He wanted to make sure their "core fans never heard of" them again.
The Verse That Shook the World
"Control" was never even supposed to be a "Kendrick song." It was a Big Sean record intended for his sophomore album, Hall of Fame. Because of some legal headaches—specifically sample clearance issues—it got cut from the final tracklist. Big Sean decided to release it for free anyway.
Big mistake. Or maybe a genius one?
Kendrick’s 62-bar marathon was a masterclass in psychological warfare. He started by paying homage to the greats—Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Andre 3000—and then positioned himself right next to them. But the part that made everyone drop their phones was the list.
He specifically named:
- J. Cole
- Big K.R.I.T.
- Wale
- Pusha T
- Meek Mill
- A$AP Rocky
- Drake
- Big Sean
- Jay Electronica
- Tyler, The Creator
- Mac Miller
Imagine being Big Sean. You invite a guy onto your track, and he uses his guest spot to tell you—and ten other guys you probably text on the regular—that he's planning to end your career. It was bold. It was kind of rude. And it was exactly what the genre needed.
The "King of New York" Controversy
If the name-dropping was a spark, the "King of New York" line was a bucket of gasoline. Kendrick, a kid from Compton, California, stood on a track and declared: "I'm the King of New York / King of the Coast / One hand, I juggle them both."
The New York rap scene didn't take that well. At all.
You had legendary figures and newcomers alike scrambling to the booth. Everyone from Papoose to Joell Ortiz felt the need to defend the city’s honor. Even Lupe Fiasco hopped in with "SLR 2," though he seemed more annoyed than actually angry. The irony? Kendrick was quoting Kurupt, but in the heat of the moment, nobody cared about the reference. They just saw a West Coast rapper claiming a throne that didn't belong to him.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Beef
Looking back from 2026, it’s easy to see "Control" as the start of a massive feud, especially given how things eventually boiled over with Drake. But at the time, Kendrick was actually being... respectful?
He literally said, "I got love for you all." He wasn't saying these rappers were bad. He was saying they were the only ones worth competing with. It was a "sport" mentality. Kendrick grew up on the battle-heavy era of the 90s. He hated how "friendly" rap had become. To him, the fact that everyone was doing features with each other and acting like best friends on Instagram was making the music boring.
He wanted to see blood on the leaves, but only in the lyrical sense.
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The Aftermath and the "Drake Factor"
While most rappers took the challenge in stride—Pusha T tweeted that he heard Kendrick "loud and clear"—one person was visibly bothered. Drake.
In subsequent interviews with Billboard and Pitchfork, Drake called the verse "ambitious thought" and basically dismissed it as a gimmick. He didn't like being lumped into a list. That friction never really went away. If you trace the DNA of the massive 2024 blowout between Kendrick and Drake, you can find the first microscopic cracks right here in the "Control" fallout.
Why "Control" is a Ghost on Streaming
You've probably noticed it’s a pain to find this song on official platforms. You can't just pull up Hall of Fame on Spotify and hit play.
The song remains a "non-album track" because of those aforementioned sample clearances. It’s a bit of a tragedy, really. One of the most important moments in modern music history is relegated to YouTube rips and SoundCloud uploads. Big Sean has mentioned in the years since that he doesn't regret releasing it, but you can tell it’s a sore spot. He essentially gave Kendrick the platform to "Renegade" him on his own song.
Actionable Insights for Rap Fans
If you want to truly understand the "Control" era, don't just listen to Kendrick's verse. You have to look at the ripple effect. Here is how to actually consume this piece of history:
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- Listen to the "Big Three" Context: Listen to "Control" back-to-back with Drake’s "The Language" and J. Cole’s "TKO (Remix)." Those were the immediate, high-level responses that set the tone for the next decade of their careers.
- Check the Response Tracks: Seek out Big K.R.I.T.’s "Mt. Olympus." Most critics agree it was the best actual response because K.R.I.T. addressed the frustration of being a "lyrical" rapper that the industry ignores until a name-drop happens.
- Analyze the Omissions: Look at who Kendrick didn't mention. No Rick Ross. No Lil Wayne. No Kanye. By leaving them off, he was essentially saying they were in a different age bracket—he was defining the "New Class."
Kendrick Lamar’s "Control" verse wasn't just a song. It was a line in the sand. It reminded us that hip-hop is a competitive sport, and if you aren't playing to win, you're just taking up space. It changed the way rappers interacted for years, moving the game away from "forced" collaborations and back toward individual excellence. Even today, whenever a rapper gets too comfortable, fans start waiting for the next "Control" moment to wake everyone up.
Next Steps:
Go listen to "Mt. Olympus" by Big K.R.I.T. right after re-listening to "Control." It provides the perfect counter-perspective to Kendrick's "sport" argument and shows just how high the stakes were for the artists mentioned.