Songfacts®:

• Kendrick Lamar and Drake started out as bros, guesting on each other's albums ("Buried Alive Interlude," "Poetic Justice"). But their bromance shattered after Lamar threw shade at Drake on Future and Metro Boomin's track "Like That." Drake retaliated with a double dose of diss tracks: "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made." Lamar wasn't about to take that lying down, and came back at Drake with the release of "Euphoria" on April 30, 2024 via Interscope.
• The song is a full-on assault on Drake, taking aim at both his career and personal life. This isn't friendly competition but pure, unadulterated hatred: "This ain't been 'bout critics, not about gimmicks, not about who the greatest," Lamar spits. "It's always been about love and hate, now let me say I'm the biggest hater. I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress."
• The title is a double whammy. It's a jab at the teen drama television series Euphoria that Drake executive produces, as well as the feeling Lamar has after finally letting loose all this pent-up rage.
• Clocking in at 6:23 with two distinct sections, the song builds like a slow burn, with Lamar's anger intensifying as the track progresses. Here's how he dismantles Drake:
  
  Fake and Fluffy: Lamar accuses Drake of being inauthentic and commercially focused, suggesting he makes his music to pacify fans rather than push boundaries.
  
  Racial Reality Check: In a move sure to spark debate, Lamar criticizes Drake's use of the n-word, questioning whether it's appropriate for a biracial man to use that term.
  
  Deadbeat Dad Diss: Lamar throws shade at Drake's parenting, calling him out for being an absentee father.
  
  Flow Flop: Lamar rips apart Drake's rapping style and accuses him of "scamming" his way to the top.
  
  Cease and Desist Chicken: Lamar throws in an extra jab, claiming Drake tried to silence him with a lawyer's letter to prevent the release of "Like That."
• "Euphoria" is a five-man production job, with Cardo and Kyuro at the helm, backed up by Johnny Juliano, Sounwave, and Yung Exclusive. Their instrumental becomes more eerie and aggressive as the song progresses, mirroring Lamar's rising fury.
• The song starts with backwards audio from the movie The Wiz where the Wizard (played by Richard Pryor) gets exposed as a fraud: "Everything they say about me is true, I'm a phony..." It's a clear message to Drake.
• "Euphoria" contains a sample of Teddy Pendergrass's smooth 1981 cut "You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration" – a stark contrast to the venom Lamar unleashes.
• Kendrick Lamar threw a Juneteenth star-studded bash on June 19, 2024, at Los Angeles' Kia Forum in California. Over 20 artists made guest appearances at The Pop Out: Ken & Friends, including Dr. Dre, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyler The Creator and Steve Lacy.
  
  Lamar's set at The Pop Out was his first major performance since his rap feud with Drake simmered down. K-Dot kicked his show off with a fiery live debut of "Euphoria." The audience erupted in a thunderous singalong, setting the tone for the night.
  
  Lamar added a new verse to the performance. In a pointed jab, he called out Drake to "give me Tupac's ring back and I might give you a little respect." This likely references Drake flaunting a Tupac ring bought at an auction in his "Family Matters" video.