Sean Lennon Picks Sides in Kendrick Lamar & Drake’s Beef
Being the son of a music legend like John Lennon comes with a lot of expectations. But Sean Ono Lennon has made a name for himself, not just in music but also in pop culture discussions. Over the past year, he’s been vocal about the ongoing rap battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, making it clear that he’s on Team Kendrick.
His latest comment? A subtle but sharp dig at Drake during the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Sean Lennon’s Grammy Speech Shocks Fans
At the 2025 Grammys, Sean Lennon won the award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for his work on the reissue of John Lennon’s 1973 album Mind Games. While accepting his award, he ended his speech with an unexpected rap reference:
“Never get into a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar. Thank you.”
His comment came on the same night that Kendrick won five Grammys, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Rap Song for “Not Like Us”, his brutal diss track aimed at Drake.
For many, this was their first time hearing Sean Lennon’s opinion on the rap beef, but in reality, he has been shading Drake for months.
Sean’s History of Criticizing Drake
Sean first voiced his opinion during the height of Drake and Kendrick’s beef in May 2024. As both rappers fired diss tracks back and forth, Sean took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts.
He wrote:
“Kendrick’s diss track on Drake was so sophisticated, Drake’s gonna need his entire team of writers to make a comeback.”
He also commented on other rap feuds, mentioning Chris Brown, Quavo, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion, showing he’s been closely following hip-hop drama.
Later, when Drake sued Universal Music Group (UMG) over allegations that they boosted Kendrick Lamar’s streaming numbers, Sean mocked him, saying:
“Drake suing UMG is the biggest L in rap battle history.”
As the beef quieted down, Sean even questioned Drake’s silence, tweeting:
“Someone should check on Drake… Deafening silence. He’s in spiritual jail.”
It’s clear Sean has little respect for Drake—but why is he so invested in this rap beef?
Does Sean Lennon Have a Personal Grudge Against Drake?
Sean’s love for Kendrick Lamar could simply come down to musical preference, but some fans believe it might be personal.
In 2019, Drake got a controversial tattoo inspired by The Beatles after surpassing some of their chart records. The tattoo showed a remake of the famous Abbey Road album cover, but with Drake in front, waving goodbye to the legendary band.
The year before, he rapped on Meek Mill’s “Going Bad”:
“I got more slaps than The Beatles.”
For someone like Sean Lennon, who is deeply connected to his father’s legacy, Drake’s flexing over The Beatles’ success might have rubbed him the wrong way.
On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar has always shown respect for The Beatles. In a 2015 interview, he compared his album To Pimp a Butterfly to their cultural impact, saying:
“I wanted this record to be talked about the same way Bob Dylan, The Beatles, or Jimi Hendrix are talked about.”
Even Paul McCartney unknowingly collaborated with Kendrick years ago, co-writing Kanye West’s “All Day”, which included a sample of McCartney’s song “When the Wind Is Blowing”.
Given all this, it’s not surprising that Sean Lennon sees Kendrick as the true artist in this feud while taking shots at Drake.
“I want to give some advice to the young people out there…Never get into a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar.”
— Sean Ono Lennon during his #Grammys speech pic.twitter.com/Ck6gz1GZrB
— SpringHill (@makespringhill) February 3, 2025
