Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
Since the Compton native’s debut album Section.80 arrived alongside the Toronto lifer’s opus Take Care in 2011, the two rappers have been the subject of breathless comparisons from music fans. They collaborated, won awards, set records, and defined hip hop’s commercial might in the 2010s.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock over the last month, you doubtlessly know that the two icons have erupted in open warfare—trading increasingly sordid allegations in one of the most jaw-dropping rap feuds in history. Now, a sagacious minor league baseball team is seeking to take advantage of the beef’s publicity.
On Tuesday, the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades of the South Atlantic League announced “Beef Night” on May 16 against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws—a promotion commemorating the rivalry.
Fans can vote for which artist they prefer when they buy tickets—which are priced at $6 for Drake’s nickname for Toronto and $6.16 for Lamar’s track “6:16 in LA.” Additionally, if a fan’s chosen artist releases a song before the game, they receive a free burger.
While Los Angeles enjoys its day in the sun (most nonpartisan analysts agree Lamar is “winning” the feud), kudos to the rap haven of Fishkill, N.Y. for finding a way into a pop culture moment to remember.
