The highly publicized dispute between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar is being ignored by many Americans, but those who are are considerably more favorable toward Lamar than they are toward Drake.

Methodology: Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel using sample matching. A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given prior to November 1, 2022, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (33% Democratic, 31% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3%.

Methodology: Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel using sample matching. A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given prior to November 1, 2022, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (33% Democratic, 31% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3%.

Per a poll done by YouGov and The Economist between May 12 and 14, 2024, fewer than half of adult Americans claim to have heard anything about the rappers’ conflict. Merely 12% of the US population claims to have heard “a lot” about this rivalry, compared to 32% who have heard “a little” and 56% who have heard “nothing at all.”

Black Americans and younger adults are more familiar with the dispute. Compared to 3% of individuals 65 and older, 28% of adults aged 18 to 29 had heard a lot about the dispute between Drake and Kendrick. Of African Americans, 35% have heard a lot about the feud, compared to 8% of white Americans.

Young adults and Black Americans are more likely to have heard about the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud

How much, if anything, have you heard in the news this week about the conflict between rap artists Kendrick Lamar and Drake? (%)

Kendrick Lamar is better-liked than Drake among people following their feud

Americans who haven’t paid attention to the feud hold similar views of both rappers. Many have no opinion about either rapper; those who do have an opinion about both are more likely to dislike each man than to like them.

But Americans who have heard about the feud hold more negative views of Drake and sharply more positive views of Kendrick than their counterparts who haven’t.

Kendrick Lamar is more popular than Drake, especially among people who have followed their feud

The Economist / YouGov poll has not previously asked Americans their view of Kendrick Lamar. But it did poll Drake’s favorability in August 2023, and this comparison shows Drake has become significantly less popular since then.

In August 2023, 36% of Americans viewed Drake favorably; that’s fallen to 25% in May 2024. The share viewing Drake unfavorably has risen from 25% to 38% over this same time.

Americans of all ages and all races hold more negative views of Drake now than in August 2023.

Drake has become broadly less popular since August

See the toplines and crosstabs from the Economist/YouGov poll conducted on May 12 – 14, 2024 among 1,830 U.S. adult citizens.

Methodology: Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel using sample matching. A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given prior to November 1, 2022, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (33% Democratic, 31% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3%.