Hitta J3 Disses Top5 On New Song, Further Fueling Kendrick Lamar & Drake's Crew Battles

One of the most odd and direct results of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle was how it inspired those in their inner circles to join the fight and start dissing each other. While a lot of this applies to their distinct fanbases, plenty of artists also picked a side and actively combated the other, including one Hitta J3. K.Dot's longtime friend was featured on GNX's title track, and he's now dropped a new diss track titled "Billy Butcherson" aimed at Top5, a Toronto rapper who is firmly on Drizzy's side. It's mostly based on the street narratives they've pushed against each other, with not much having to do with 2024's hip-hop showdown at all.

Of course, that was what ignited it, but it's clear that we're in a very different playing field right now. It's no longer just about Kendrick Lamar and Drake, even if that is still the most popular and talked-about part of these rap rivalries and others. We wonder if Top5 will respond, but it seems like most of his smoke is for Kendrick, so we doubt this will go much further.

Either way, most Kendrick Lamar and Drake fans have their criticisms of how this post-battle feud and others continued to evolve following May of last year. Plenty of people accused both Hitta J3 and Top5 of just chasing clout and capitalizing on their affiliations, but we can't blame the artists for trying to get their name out there more. Still, most of these back-and-forth exchanges with other hip-hop media figures and amongst themselves only contribute to the drama around this whole thing. Hopefully one day we can start to appreciate them mostly for the artistry instead, at least when it comes to social media discussions.

Meanwhile, as more rappers find themselves stuck in these tight spots, Kendrick Lamar and Drake are moving on with their careers... Or rather, they made big moves to push their narratives even further. But in the case of Hitta J3 and Top5, it seems like they and other affiliates are happy to keep things local and personal. We'll see just how long this rivalry goes...