Veteran Nigerian rapper M.I Abaga has shared his candid thoughts on the ongoing rap battle between American heavyweight Kendrick Lamar and Canadian superstar Drake, revealing that he personally relates to Drake’s current struggles in the hip-hop community.
Speaking during an appearance on Afropolitan, M.I reflected on how the rap community once labeled him “boring” at the height of his career, similar to the backlash Drake is currently facing.
“If Drake is able to make a comeback, it will elevate him above everyone,” M.I stated. “Not just the music industry, but even tech boys—everybody came and danced on his ‘grave’. But if there’s anyone who has the talent to pull off a comeback album, it’s Drake. He knows how to put music together.”
M.I went on to highlight that Drake now has a chance to reinvent his story, calling him “the best storyteller there is,” and suggesting that his comeback could be even more significant than his initial rise to fame.
While acknowledging Kendrick Lamar’s dominance in the ongoing beef, M.I admitted that the feud has changed his perspective. “Kendrick wasn’t in my top 10 before this moment. But I think this has put Kendrick, at the very least, in the top 3,” he said. “However, you can’t just place Kendrick above Drake because they were active at the same time. Drake was consistently dropping hits for 15 years. You can’t deny what Drake has done.”
M.I concluded by expressing empathy for Drake’s situation, relating it to his own experience. “At a certain point, no matter what I did, the Nigerian rap community said I was boring. The American hip-hop face-off was great and entertaining. Shoutout to Kendrick and Drake.”
