Kendrick Lamar’s now-viral Drake diss track “Euphoria” could’ve gone even harder — but a behind-the-scenes intervention from TDE President Terrence “Punch” Henderson led to certain lines being removed before the public ever heard them.
In a new interview with Curtiss King, Punch confirmed the existence of a longer and more vicious version of “Euphoria” that originally contained extra shots at Drake — but were ultimately left on the cutting room floor.
“There was definitely a version that was longer than what the world got,” Punch revealed. “There was a lot of stuff that didn’t make it on there.”
Punch explained that the decision to cut those bars came down to strategy.
“There were just some things in there that I didn’t think would have been beneficial in the long run,” he said. “So I gave him my input on that and he took some of those things out.”
What Was Kendrick Really Holding Back?
The interview confirms longstanding rumors that a near 20-minute version of “Euphoria” may exist — but raises even more questions about how far Kendrick was really willing to go. If the released version was already a precise, lyrical dissection of Drake’s character and image, what could’ve been in the unreleased bars that even Kendrick thought twice about?
Did he have personal secrets, deeper career-ending accusations, or even collateral damage to people around Drake? We may never know — but it seems clear the gloves were fully off before Punch stepped in.
Punch’s Take on the Battle So Far
In the same interview, Punch gave a detailed breakdown of the battle’s key moments — and Drake’s big mistakes.
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On “Like That”, the surprise spark that ignited the war:
“It’s funny! This n-gga is from Compton… We’re talking about music, bruh, so it’s funny!”
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On Drake’s “Push Ups”:
“It was cool, it was cute… but not enough.”
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On “Taylor Made Freestyle” mocking West Coast legends with AI:
“First mistake. It felt like a mockery of the West Coast… that united people.”
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On “Family Matters”:
“Again, not enough. They built too much hype around the red button… and underdelivered.”
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On Kendrick’s surgical approach:
“Super calculated… the majority of things are taken into consideration.”
The Bigger Picture
This battle isn’t just about rhymes — it’s become a chess match, with each artist calculating moves not just for impact, but for legacy. And Kendrick — often quiet, methodical, and strategic — seems to be playing the long game, even when he has enough bars to destroy.
But if “Euphoria” was the held-back version… maybe it’s best for Drake that the full version never drops.
Because when Kendrick pulls punches… it’s still a knockout.
