Stephen A. Smith slams Drake for lawyer move, urges him to settle Kendrick Lamar beef in the studio

Stephen A. Smith criticizes Drake's decision to lawyer up against Kendrick Lamar.

Stephen A. Smith recently shared his strong opinions on Drake's decision to lawyer up in response to Kendrick Lamar's diss track. Smith, known for his blunt commentary, expressed disappointment at the move, urging the Canadian rapper to handle the beef the old-fashioned way — through music.

Speaking on The Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN analyst remarked that he understands Drake's sensitivity in this situation, acknowledging that the rapper has likely seen his commentary on the feud. However, Smith emphasized that turning to legal measures over a dispute like this was not the right approach. "What I’m saying is you don’t [take the] lawyer route in hip-hop over something like this. You take it to the studio. You take it to the streets," Smith stated.

Smith believes Drake, as an accomplished artist, should respond to Lamar directly through music, not through courtroom filings. He clarified, "I didn’t say you can’t answer Kendrick Lamar. I said you better figure out a way to do so. Meaning you have the capability to pull it off." This call to action was Smith’s way of urging Drake to face the feud head-on, with the same confidence that has made him one of the biggest names in hip-hop.

Despite Smith’s plea for a musical resolution, the dispute between Drake and Lamar has taken a more personal turn. Lamar's track “Not Like Us” reignited their long-standing tension, leading to further escalation. Recently, Drake's legal team filed court documents accusing Universal Music Group of inflating the song's listenership.

Smith admitted that the feud has grown far beyond the typical competitive exchanges between artists, noting the increasingly personal nature of their diss tracks. "Pedophilia has been mentioned talking about who's screwing who and all of this other stuff... people's family members, people's family structure and all... come on, y’all. We’ve seen all this stuff, but not like this," Smith said, emphasizing how deeply personal the feud has become.

While Smith’s criticism of Drake’s decision to involve lawyers was firm, he also expressed his belief that the artist could still salvage the situation by taking his response back to the studio. "You have the capability," Smith reiterated, hoping the rapper will choose to respond in the way that has historically resolved conflicts in hip-hop — through creative expression rather than litigation.