With Kendrick Lamar set to perform in the highly anticipated Toronto show for the Grand National Tour, things have just gotten heated. Involving Top5, a local rapper known for his hothead attitude and very close relations with Drake, the tiff between him and Kendrick Lamar has gone sour after Top5 called out Lamar’s security detail. The brazen statement from Top5, “I’ll respect him if he comes w/ no police escort,” fired up social media and further complicated tensions in a rivalry already mired in drama.
Kendrick Lamar’s Grand National Tour, scheduled to stop at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on June 12, 2025, is setting up to be one of the biggest musical events of the year. The tour, which boasts SZA as a special guest, continues the high-water mark for Lamar’s career. It means even more in Toronto, a city identified with hip-hop and long claimed by Drake, who has been at odds with Kendrick for years.
There has always been tension between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, from subtle insults within lyrical content to public digs. For years, these two rap titans have gone at each other, and as a close ally of Drake, Top5 is no stranger to using his voice about the criticism of Lamar, most times with inflammatory rhetoric to keep the feud alive. In the past, he has even issued threats, going as far as to reference a possible drive-by, further escalating the tension.
Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that Top5 had only just been released from prison at an earlier date, after being acquitted over the murder charge. He immediately drove himself back into everybody’s attention with an ongoing reputation for saying insane and outlandish shit, his latest comments relating to Kendrick’s security structure sparking ridicule and raising concerned eyebrows in equal measure.
Social media went into an uproar with Top5’s statement, as fans and critics alike jumped in. Many ridiculed the challenge of the rapper for expecting the global superstar Kendrick Lamar not to have standard security, especially during a stadium show.
One joked, “Bro, its not a small show its a stadium. This take is laughable“. Others compared it to the way Drake himself has arranged for security, adding “Meanwhile Drake got the Canadian military at his house.
But for many, the comment was merely a continuation of the hot rivalry going on and questioned whether Top5’s allegiance to Drake was what drove his escalating hostility toward Kendrick.
While Kendrick Lamar hasn’t said much, his affiliates under TDE, like Hitta J3 and Smac, have been swift in shutting down Top5’s threats. They merely told him his comments were for hype and that he shouldn’t further provoke them. Smac is on record telling Top5, “Don’t test us. We’re about peace, but we protect ours.
The measured response speaks to Kendrick’s customary approach to drama-staying above the fray while allowing his team to address any threat. The more the date for Kendrick’s Toronto show is at the doorstep, speculations have heightened about whether this beef will overpower the show. While some fans eagerly await the show, there are others concerned that Top5’s history of outlandish claims and real-world controversy may make it all very, very serious. Top5’s comments no doubt added an extra layer of tension to what was already a highly anticipated performance. But will Kendrick address the situation, or will he let his music do the talking? Can the Toronto show go on without further drama, or will this rivalry escalate further?
