Kendrick Lamar has been on a calculated campaign to push Drake out of the music industry, and the broader Black American and Hollywood entertainment circles have largely embraced the idea that Drake is a culture vulture—someone who exploits Black culture without truly being “one of them.” This sentiment has only intensified with the massive success of Kendrick’s diss track Not Like Us, which has become an anthem for those who view Drake as an outsider.
However, Drake’s musical lineage tells a different story. Born Aubrey Graham, he comes from a family deeply rooted in Black music history. His paternal uncle, Larry Graham, was a pivotal member of Sly and the Family Stone before founding Graham Central Station, where he pioneered the slap bass technique—a style that became foundational in funk music. Over the years, hip-hop producers have extensively sampled funk tracks featuring slap bass lines, using their raw energy and rhythmic complexity to craft some of the genre’s most dynamic beats.
Kendrick himself has paid homage to this legacy, incorporating Sly and the Family Stone samples into his own music. His 2015 song Momma, from the album To Pimp a Butterfly, samples Wishful Thinkin’ by Sly and the Family Stone, alongside elements of On Your Own by Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson, and Rex Rideout, as well as Sort. by Knxwledge.
Drake’s other uncle, Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, played a crucial role in shaping soul music as a guitarist and songwriter for Al Green. Hodges co-wrote classics like Love and Happiness, Here I Am (Come and Take Me), and Take Me to the River—songs that have been widely celebrated and covered across generations.
Ironically, Kendrick sampled Teenie Hodges in one of his most direct attacks on Drake. His 2024 diss track 6:16 in LA features a sample from Al Green’s 1972 song What a Wonderful Thing Love Is, which includes guitar work by Hodges. On the track, Kendrick not only goes after Drake but also targets his label, OVO Sound, suggesting that some of its members secretly work for Lamar as moles. He also accuses them of speaking ill of Drake behind his back. The song takes further jabs at pro-Drake media personality DJ Akademiks, mocks Drake’s history of viral moments, and even references his 2020 hit Toosie Slide, claiming Drake won’t be able to “Toosie Slide his way” out of this one.
Despite Kendrick’s efforts to frame Drake as an outsider, his familial ties and musical influences suggest that he is far more connected to the lineage of Black music than his critics acknowledge.
