Kendrick Lamar releases Drake diss track Euphoria, the internet reacts

In the ongoing feud between arguably hip hop's biggest artists, Kendrick Lamar has hit back at Drake with a diss track called Euphoria. 

On the six-minute song, Lamar lays down nasty insults and attacks on Drake while addressing multiple talking points that have surfaced since he first went after the Canadian rap star and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin's Like That.

Released more than a month ago, Like That re-ignited decade-long tensions, topped the US charts for weeks, and saw J. Cole responding then retracting from the fight.

Meanwhile, Drake targeted Lamar with his own songs Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle, the latter featuring faked AI verses of Snoop Dogg and Tupac '2Pac' Shakur, leading to the late rapper's estate threatening legal action and Drake subsequently removing the track from the internet.

Now, Lamar has released Euphoria, which sees Kendrick rapping in different vocal timbres over multiple beat switches.

The track begins over a soulful, laid-back groove but the Pulitzer prize-winning rapper's lyrics are nothing less than barbed:

The song then moves sonically from a dismissive hand wave to a balled fist of fury as Lamar approaches from multiple angles to attack Drake – the most commercially successful rapper of his generation – denigrating his love of fame, money, clout, and a whole lot more.

CONTENT WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE

Tough rhymes and references

Kendrick says his beef with Drake isn't about critical acclaim or who "the greatest" is:

Indeed, Lamar is direct here.

He references Taylor Made Freestyle, saying Drake would "make [2]Pac turn in his grave" by faking his voice for a track with lines that reference actor Haley Joel Osment and his films AI and The Sixth Sense via American mega-church pastor Joel Osteen:

"Am I battling ghost or A.I.? N***a feeling like Joel Osteen/"Funny, he was in a film called AI and my sixth sense tellin' me to off him."

Lamar also references J. Cole's now-deleted diss track 7 Minute Drill, saying Drake has no classic albums and accuses him of getting cosmetic surgery:

"Yeah, my first one like my last one, it's a classic, you don't have one"Let your core audience stomach that / then tell 'em where you get your abs from."

Lamar also claims Drake wanted a feature verse from him and tried to block Like That with a cease-and-desist order.

Most personal of all, Kendrick labels Drake a bad father:

There's many more layered references, including shout-outs to fellow rappers Pusha T, Lil Yachty, and Gunna, and Lamar suggests he's got more fire in the tank for future tracks should this feud continue.

Given how it's reinvigorated hip hop discourse, an end doesn't seem in sight any time soon.

The internet reactions

Within hours of its release, rap fans – who finally got what they were waiting for – flooded social media with their hot takes on Euphoria. The song is already considered a hit with the Kendrick Lamar faithful, naturally,

Some have riffed on Lamar calling himself "the biggest hater", noting it as a reference to an old radio interview from late New York City rapper DMX.

Hip hop artists Jay Rock, Denzel Curry and Reason also weighed in on the action.

Meanwhile, Death Row Records music mogul Suge Knight (who is currently serving a 28-year-sentence for voluntary man slaughter) said Lamar had won "Round 1" but questioned how he insulted Drake's mixed race identity on the track.

"How many more black features do you final feel like you're black enough?" Lamar spits on the track, an approach Knight says "creates division" amongst the rap community.

Here's some more of the best memes and reactions we've found so far.