The Art of the Long Game

The Art of the Long Game. How Kendrick is Forcing Me to Learn Discipline.

See ehn, patience has never really been my thing. If I want something, I want it now. Not because I don’t want to be patient, but because my brain no go gree. If something doesn’t happen now-now, my interest starts packing its bags immediately. Before you know it, I’m onto the next big thing, leaving my unfinished plans behind like abandoned NYSC certificates.

So this Kendrick vs. Drake beef? A masterclass. Not because of the chaos (which I thoroughly enjoyed), but because of how long it took to fully unfold. A case study in the long game.

Let’s take it from the top.

2013: The First Shot—Control

Kendrick jumps on Big Sean’s Control and basically nukes the rap game. Calls out J. Cole, Meek, Pusha, Drake, and a few other names for sport. Fans lose their minds. Every rapper Kendrick named is now at a career crossroads—who go first respond?

Drake? He takes the smooth approach. He downplays it, calls it a “moment” lmao. Throws a few light jabs in The Language, 0 to 100, Used To, but nothing crazy. Kendrick? He no really send. He does send some warning shots in the 2013 BET Cypher, then subtly keeps applying pressure with lines in King Kunta (2015) and ELEMENT (2017).

The rap world just dey watch. But the war never comes. Yet. So naturally I lost interest.

2023: The Big Three Setup

Drake and J. Cole drop First Person Shooter. Cole calls himself, Drake, and Kendrick the "Big Three." And Kendrick? He never signed up for that list.

That’s how Cole ends up dropping 7 Minute Drill, dissing himself into retirement in record time. Meanwhile, Drake just dey throw IG subs.

And that’s when Kendrick makes his first real move.

2024: The Death of the OVO Empire

Like That: Out of nowhere, Kendrick gives us 75 seconds of pure disrespect. The internet caught fire.

Push Ups / Taylor Made Freestyle: Drake responds, but the shots na blanks(certain persons may disagree).

Euphoria: Kendrick dismantles him. Six minutes. No hooks. No subliminals. No gimmicks.

Meet The Grahams: The real backbreaker. No beat. Just Kendrick haunting, exposing deep wounds. It wasn’t even rap beef— it was a spiritual warfare.

Not Like Us: The execution wrapped as a celebration. A diss track so disrespectful, even Drake fans danced to their goat’s funeral. From Compton to Enugu, speakers just dey bleed the beat. It was an unforgettable memorial service.

The Lesson: Patience is a Weapon

Kendrick waited 11 years to take his shot. No rush. No wasted energy. He moved with intention, refining his craft, studying the landscape, and striking only when the moment was right. It wasn’t about reacting—it was about orchestrating.

And somehow, I’m sitting here, talking about patience like I don’t have the attention span of a view once streak. The real gag? I managed to turn this into a motivational moment while still yapping about the most disrespectful rap beef of our time. Elite multitasking, if you ask me.

But the truth is, I need to master this. My brain makes me want to move fast, start things today, finish them yesterday, and jump to the next shiny thing before my it taps out. But real success doesn’t work like that. It’s not about rushing—it’s about seeing things through. Having the discipline to sit with an idea, refine it, and execute with precision instead of desperation.

Full disclosure, numerous times I’ve started things that could have been great but abandoned them the second the excitement wore off. Many ideas have died, not because they weren’t good, but because I didn’t give them enough time to grow.
I don’t just need patience for the big wins—I need it for the process, for the boring parts, for the moments when it feels like nothing is happening but the foundation is quietly being built.

So, lesson learned. Slow down. Plan with purpose. Build with patience. And when it’s time?

Make sure it lands.