Unless you were stuck somewhere with no reception, your social media news feeds over the weekend were probably filled with news about two of rap’s biggest names going at each other’s throats with a string of diss tracks. Apparently, the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake feud has been going on for over a decade, with some reports saying that it started in 2013.
Now, the sight of two rap stars beefing isn’t exactly new; it’s practically a hip-hop staple. But what makes this particular beef unique is that it involves two people who were known to work quite well together, having appeared on each other’s record albums in the past. Here are three career lessons that I think we can all learn from Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s feud.
It’s fine, even advantageous, to have a friendly working relationship with your co-workers. It makes for easier collaboration, more open communication lines, and a generally more pleasant work environment. But even if you enjoy spending time outside of work with your co-workers, it’s critical to remember that your primary connection with them is professional, not personal.
I’m not saying that your co-workers are out to get you and that you should be concerned about potential betrayals. However, it is crucial to be mindful of certain professional boundaries, especially in certain situations where two personalities collide.
For example, if you’re a project lead looking to form a team you might be inclined to choose people you already know, forgetting to consider other factors such as technical skill and experience. You may also tend to be more lenient towards co-workers you consider as friends, which can lead to accusations of favoritism and brewing resentment among other co-workers.
The same is true the other way around. While most managers prefer you to be communicative, mixing the personal with the professional can backfire, especially if you share personal issues that can potentially compromise your professional standing in any way.
Drake and Kendrick aren’t exactly coworkers who share the same desk and sometimes eat lunch together. It’s likely that their relationship is a more personal one, given that they knew enough about each other to use as material for their diss tracks — which despite being absolute bangers, definitely tell you that the two aren’t exactly friendly right now.
The back-and-forth back diss tracks between the two superstars have also shown that you can’t always trust the people in your corner! How does that relate to us in our careers?
Well you can tie that back into how you interact with the company’s gatekeepers, the HR team. Of course, you want to be honest and open to your HR colleagues, especially during evaluations or when you're seeking support for issues like harassment, discrimination, and other safety concerns.
However, it's essential to understand that what you say to HR isn't without potential consequences. While most HR personnel will listen to your concerns with an empathic ear, know that they ultimately have a responsibility to act in the best interests of the company, not individual employees.
In some cases, sharing certain information with HR can lead to negative consequences down the road. In a nutshell. what you say can and will definitely be used against you, which is evident in how both rappers used personal issues (invented or not) as diss track material.
For most people, getting involved in workplace conflict is not a good thing. Tension in the workplace can make it difficult for you to do any productive work on account of being self-conscious and potentially contributing to a toxic workplace environment.
Fortunately for our two favorite rap stars, the controversy generated by their beef hasn’t stopped them from achieving mainstream success. If anything, it may have helped boost their careers.
While both artists are chart-toppers outside of the conflict, the diss tracks they released were actually a hit with fans. Forbes' Connor Murray reported that Lamar's diss track "Euphoria," which questions Drake's background, parenting, and authenticity, surged from No. 19 to No. 1 in the U.S. Spotify chart on May 2.
Meanwhile, Drake's diss track "Push Ups," which mocks Lamar's height and collaborations, climbed from No. 15 to No. 11 on the same day. All in all, the beef between them has been a net positive for everyone involved, at least in terms of Spotify streams.
Now, we can’t all be chart-topping rappers, which means that feuding with a coworker may not yield the same career-boosting results. But it goes to show that conflict is not always a net negative.
While getting embroiled in workplace conflict is generally not ideal, there are situations where it can lead to positive outcomes in the end. For example, two people openly disagreeing but constructively debating about the direction of a project or the implementation of new ideas can lead to the discovery of alternative solutions that address everyone’s concerns.
While it may feel uncomfortable initially, the process of navigating the problem will help sharpen your creative problem-solving and conflict resolution skills and may even improve your relationship with your peers in the end.
Just try to remain professional, and maybe refrain from writing diss tracks. Rooting for you!
