What does the 'Control' verse say? TDE President Punch claims that's what began Kendrick Lamar vs Drake beef

In an April 2025 interview with Curtis King, TDE president Punch pinpointed Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s 2013 track Control as the moment that first stirred tensions with Drake. He explained that Lamar intended the lines as friendly competition but noted that naming peers led to unexpected reactions. Punch said,

“I can give you my perspective, and yeah, that’s where it started.”

Punch clarified it was never meant as a personal attack. He added that some artists took the bars personally, and that misunderstanding laid the groundwork for future friction. This origin story challenges the idea that the Drake–Kendrick rivalry began only during their 2024 diss exchanges.

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Punch explains why he believes the ‘Control’ verse started the beef

Punch remarked that Lamar’s goal was to raise the bar for everyone rather than insult individuals. He described Lamar’s approach as “a competition thing, not an ‘I hate you’ thing,” highlighting a spirit of mutual challenge.

According to Punch, reactions varied; Pusha T publicly acknowledged the verse, Meek Mill shook Lamar’s hand, and J. Cole responded with his lyrics. Drake, however, was reported to have taken the mention more seriously, discussing it in interviews and appearing visibly upset.

Punch said, “To me, I know it was friendly competition… It’s still love,”

He insisted he held no personal grudge against Drake.

“I respect Drake’s talent and skill as a songwriter,” he said, highlighting his lack of malice.

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Lamar’s competitive intent with the Control lyrics

On August 14, 2013, Lamar delivered a guest verse that named rappers including Drake, J. Cole, Pusha T, Meek Mill, and A$AP Rocky.

He declared, “I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you,”

This was framed as a push for lyrical excellence rather than a personal vendetta. The verse quickly went viral and sparked debate about the line between artistic rivalry and personal attack. In November 2014, Lamar told Dazed, “I got no beef with Drake,” emphasising that he never intended the bars to become a feud.

He later told The Breakfast Club, “It wasn’t no issue from the jump… I can’t see myself going bar for bar with Drake”.

Observers note that this blend of respect and competition is a hallmark of hip‑hop culture.

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Drake and Lamar recall their early reactions to those bars

In a Billboard interview weeks after Control, Drake called the verse “an ambitious thought” and said,

“I know good and well that [Lamar]’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform”.

On Elliott Wilson’s #CRWN, he added,

“I saw him five days later at the VMAs and it was all love… If it’s really ‘fuck everybody’ then it needs to be ‘fuck everybody’… It can’t just be halfway”.

Despite speculation, Drake denied targeting Lamar on his track The Language. Lamar’s later remarks echoed this calm stance; with both artists stressing that there was no genuine animosity at the outset. These early exchanges laid a foundation of respect even as they fueled public curiosity.

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Punch’s comments place the seed of the Kendrick Lamar–Drake rivalry firmly in 2013, when a competitive verse was misread as a personal slight. What began as an exercise in artistic one‑upmanship gradually evolved into a more public back‑and‑forth over the years.

Fans and critics revisit Control not just as a standout verse but as the opening move in a decade‑long dialogue between two of hip‑hop’s most prominent voices.

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