The Breaks

Abstract This essay samples the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake and recent lawsuits surrounding their conflict in order to unearth some “breaks.” In digging through the drama, I posit a type of currency — here called “love” — at the center of an affective exchange that, while not outside capitalism, is an accumulative value nonetheless. Drake's use of intellectual property claims and defamation complaints against Universal Music Group and online content creators serve as an unorthodox response to Kendrick's devastating diss track, “Not Like Us.” Drake's actions and the breaks I play reveal that love serves as both a currency and what it buys in hip-hop culture.