(CNN) — Atlanta-based rapper Rich Homie Quan, known for his 2013 hit “Type of Way,” has died, according to a statement from the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. He was 33.
Quan, whose full name is Dequantes Devontay Lamar, died on Thursday at Grady Memorial Hospital, according to Jimmy Sadler, the senior medical examiner investigator with the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.
An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, Sadler said.
Details on the cause of death were not provided.
Quan was a significant part of raising Atlanta’s trap hip-hop sound to the mainstream.
Alongside rappers like Young Thug, Quan became known for his melodic approach to rap – heard in hits like 2013’s “Type of Way” and 2014’s “Lifestyle.” The latter song, which also featured Young Thug and Birdman under the group name Rich Gang, went platinum in the US and helped jumpstart both his and Young Thug’s careers.
The following year, he dropped “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” another commercial success. It became one of Quan’s highest charting songs, and his dance moves from the track’s music video became so ubiquitous, particularly on now-defunct Vine, that it spurred the phrase “Hit the Quan.”
Quan was scheduled to perform at Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out Live: The Final Lap tour in Atlanta later this month alongside Waka Flocka, Nardo Wick and Boosie.
“RIP Rich Homie Quan,” rapper Meek Mill, who collaborated with Quan on a “Type of Way” remix, wrote on his Instagram story on Thursday. “Prayers to his family.”
Rapper 2Chainz, who recently collaborated with Quan on a track titled “Ah’chi,” released this year, wrote on his Instagram page that they had just spoken about shooting a music video together.
“Remember me as an original. As (an) artist who did it his way,” Quan told Revolt in an interview published in July, speaking about the legacy he hoped to leave. “Remember me as a hard kid from Atlanta with a dream, who believed in himself and bettered himself — and won.”
Summer began with one definitive truth: if you thought you were a hater, you’re not a hater like Kendrick Lamar is a hater. I’ll admit: Drake has won his share of rap beefs. In 2015, he got into it with Meek Mill over claims that Drake doesn’t write his own songs. He emerged victorious, though he’s never beaten those ghostwriting allegations. Still, he took the crown, and “Back to Back” is still one of my favorite of his songs. However, we can’t forget that he’s taken some big hits and some super public losses, too.
In the summer of 2018, he and Pusha T started a fire that culminated in the revelation that Drake had a son, Adonis. While now, Adonis is frequently at his father’s side at public appearances like basketball games and even appeared on his album, being forced into claiming your son by a Soundcloud diss track is crazy.
But what’s crazier is how Kendrick shut this summer down for Drake. For a pop star who usually spends summers at the top of the charts, he’s spending this one in hiding. All because Kendrick decided to instigate probably the greatest rap feud of our generation and win it. I want the next season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud to be about this. I want to take a class at a liberal arts college about the ethics or psychology or marketing behind it. I want political scientists to write think-pieces about what this says about the political and economic state of the world. But until then, here’s the Popdust take on Kendrick’s war on Drake — and why there’s one obstacle that keeps me from celebrating his victory lap.
First things first: The history of Kendrick Lamar starting beef
For context: Kendrick Lamar is the greatest rap artist of our time — decorated with Grammy wins, American Music Awards, and even a Pulitzer Prize for the album DAMN. He is also a Gemini. Unpredictable. Opinionated. Occasionally, arrogant. It’s what makes him great and why we love him. Other famous Geminis include Gwyneth Paltrow and Kanye West. You get it. Figures who are unstoppable when they use their mercurial madness for good, and problematic at best when they get a tad too unhinged. The question is: on which side of this line does Kendrick Lamar’s latest venture fall?
The braggadocious rapper is known for taking shots at his peers. His message is always clear: I’m the greatest rapper of our time, but it would be nice to have some competition. In 2013, he issued this direct challenge when he appeared on Big Sean’s “Control” with Jay Electronica. This verse is the equivalent of Nicki Minaj’s verse on “Monster.” It’s so fire that most people forget whose song it was in the first place. When you talk about “Monster,” you talk about Nicki. When you talk about “Control,” you talk about Kendrick and the shockwaves he sent through the industry.
The year before, he dropped his career-defining concept album good kid, m.A.A.d city. Knowing he’d just released one of the most dynamic rap albums of all time, he appeared on “Control” to make sure everyone else on the planet knew it too. In a three minute verse, he issued a challenge to every rapper in the game, name-dropping 11 of the biggest rappers at the time (like the good old days) — including J.Cole and Drake.
“Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller — I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you,” he rapped. “What is competition? I’m tryna raise the bar high,” he continued.
The verse was a wake-up call. Kendrick was banging on everyone’s doors and telling them to get to work. And, to his credit, they did. Every rapper felt like they had to prove themselves, and the music we got in the verse’s wake was their attempt. From Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late mixtape, which took him finally from R&B to full rap star, to J. Cole’s Forest Hills Drive, some of these rappers released their best work.
But while there was love in “Control” — especially since Kendrick had collaborated with and even toured with some of the artists mentioned a few years prior — the past decade certainly changed things.
A definitive timeline of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef in 2024
The Big Three? Kendrick, Cole, and Drake
Though some say Kendrick started the current iteration of the feud, it actually goes back to Drake’s album For All the Dogs. In “First Person Shooter,” J. Cole actually gives Kenny props — describing him, Ken, and Drizzy as the “big three.”
But in March 2024, Lamar appeared on “Like That” alongisde Future and Metro Boomin We Don’t Trust You album to say: “motherf**k the big three, n*gga, it’s just big me.”
In response, Cole released “7 Minute Drill” in early April. He went album for album, giving a pretty ungenerous take on Kendrick’s albums, insinuating he is washed up, irrelevant, and jealous — mad talk from someone who’s just called him part of the “big three.”
“Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic / Your second shit put niggas to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third shit was massive, and that was your prime / I was trailin’ right behind, and I just now hit mine / Now I’m front of the line with a comfortable lead / How ironic, soon as I got it, now he wants somethin’ with me.”
However, in a surprising move, Cole soon took himself out of it. At the Dreamville Festival in North Carolina just days later, Cole publically apologized on stage — not a common occurrence in the rap world. Calling it “the lamest shit [he] ever did in [his] f**king life,” he said that though the internet seemed to “want blood,” he didn’t. While the decision was met with an overall groan from fans and the rap community — tapping out of beef so soon made him look like he couldn’t handle the heat. However, now, it seems like Cole knew something Drake didn’t: when to quit.
At first, critics pointed to other times Kendrick has thrown shots. It didn’t have to be personal, they said, and a rap battle is distinct from rap beef. Rap battles are integral to the genre, and the fire is always friendly. But J Cole was soon proved right when Drake put his two cents in, and the battle went from a tiff about artistry to something increasingly more personal.
Drake v Kendrick, one on one
On April 19th, Drake released his first response: “Push Ups.” Its notable lyrics included digs on Kendrick’s height (even though short kings are up right now) and on his TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) record deal — namely for making him do that verse on Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.”
The most incensed lyrics, however, were about Kendrick’s legacy. “What’s a prince to a king? He a son. / Get more love in the city that you from.” Drake implied that he was bigger physically and career-wise, “Sonning” Kendrick. But it was implying that Drake was more popular in the West Coast, where Kendrick is Regal, that really took this beef to another level.
Known for his “Back to Back” disses, Drake doubled down days later with “Taylor Made Freestyle” — with Swift catching strays again. The title implies that Kendrick pushed back his latest release out of fear of Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department and says that Taylor’s running the music industry (kinda true).
However, the song’s controversy doesn’t end there. Drake used AI to take on the voices of Kendrick’s West Coast idols and make more jokes about Lamar not being the “West Coast savior” he thinks he is. However, the Tupac Shakur Estate threatened to sue if Drake didn’t delete the track. For those counting at home, that’s two diss tracks wiped from the internet before Kendrick could even respond.
Still with me? This is where it really gets interesting.
“Euphoria” et al
Kendrick released “Euphoria” on April 30, 2024. One of the definitive two tracks from this feud, “Euphoria,” is a six-minute saga that essentially says you wanted to get personal? Let’s get personal. Up until this point, Kendrick’s jabs were about the music. But in “Euphoria,” he takes shots at everything imaginable about Drake: his fashion sense, his friends, his hip-hop credentials, and even his Blackness — saying no one wants to hear him say the N-Word anymore.
The more hateful the bar, the better. The most-quoted lyrics were even a reference to a DMX interview about Drake from a few years ago, implying that hip-hop legends don’t respect Drake or his posturing. “It’s always been about love and hate, now let me say I’m the biggest hater,” he said before going on a tirade that put all other haters to bed and crowned Kendrick the biggest hater ever. “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct / We hate the bitches you fuck ’cause they confuse themself with real women / And notice, I said “we,” it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feeling.”
Early in the morning 3 days later, Kendrick released another track: “6:16 in LA.” This song is about OVO, Drake’s team and brand, and how there might be disloyalty in the ranks. He rapped: “Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me?/ Fake bully, I hate bullies / You must be a terrible person/ Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it/Can’t Toosie Slide up out of this one, it’s just gon’ resurface.”
Hours later, Drake responded to the claims about his team with claims about Lamar’s family in “Family Matters.” This, again, took the beef to another level. He made claims about infidelity and even domestic abuse in Kendrick’s relationship. While the jury is still out on whether or not these claims are true (Kendrick denied them), like anything, words are about impact, not intent. And these words got Kendrick riled up.
Now that they were talking about family, literally minutes later Kendrick released “Meet the Grahams”, making good on the line in “Euphoria”: “Don’t tell lies about me, and I won’t tell no truths about you.” He confirms that this beef won’t end with an apology, though it started with one. It’s for life. Petty king. “F**ck a rap battle, this a lifelong battle with yourself,” he raps.
“Not Like Us”: The Finisher
And in quick succession, Kendrick released the defining song of the beef — a real contender for song of the summer. “Not Like Us” compares Drake’s OVO crew to Kendrick’s West Coast crew, specifically calling them sex offenders. The cover art is an aerial photo of Drake’s Toronto hellscape of a mansion with a cluster of sex offender symbols over it. Scathing. Humiliating. And when the lyric of the summer is about your penchant for grooming young women? How will Drizzy ever recover?
He put in a valiant effort with his next track, “The Heart Pt. 6.” He came back at Kendrick’s family and even asserted that he’d fed Kendrick false information — a goofy move for a goofy man. But maybe it would’ve worked the way he wanted if not for “Not Like Us.” As it was, there was nothing he could say to top that. Kendrick was at his most spiteful, most hateful, and most talented. And the song became an instant anthem. What could Drake really do about that?
Kendrick won. Now he’s on his victory lap
For a minute, rap fans were divided. With each new track showcasing the rappers at their best, some were divided about who was winning. From the salacious revelations to the actual bars, everyone was talking about the beef and what it meant. But after the release of “Not Like Us,” even Drake fans had to agree that their man was cooked.
Even worse, they started playing “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” on the radio. That’s how you know you’ve lost a rap battle: they play one person’s songs on repeat but never spin yours. And these were serious plays. Serious enough that “Not Like Us” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and “Euphoria” climbed to No. 3. Two songs of the summer? Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar behavior — our short stars!
And if that weren’t enough, “Not Like Us” might even win a Grammy. When TMZ asked Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. about the track, the music mogul said: “That’s a relevant record that’s impacting on so many levels. So much creativity and talent.”
All summer, I’ve been saying that if I were Olivia Rodrigo, I’d be sick seeing the girl who stole my boyfriend top the charts with the most infectious songs of the summer (Sabrina supremacy … hope Olivia gets her driver’s license or whatever that song was about). Similarly, if I were Drake, I’d be ill at the thought that a song so scathing was doing numbers on the charts. Especially since Drake is used to sitting pretty at No.1 in the summer. Sorry, man, not this year.
The significance of Kendrick’s Pop Out show
We’ve established that Kendrick Lamar is the most petty person that ever exists. So it should have been no surprise when he announced a show in Los Angeles on Juneteenth. To double down on the fact that, despite Drake’s claims, he does get love from his city, he dedicated the night to the West Coast by bringing out, you guessed it, his friends.
With the Pop Out concert, Lamar proved that the feud wasn’t just about taking personal shots, it was about territories. Teams. Friends. And the love you get from your city. After his status as the definitive West Coast rapper was challenged and his ties to his city were questioned, Kendrick Lamar brought out not just West Coast artists but also united members from rival gangs on stage. It was an incredible show of unity and the power of culture on Juneteenth. But imagine being Drake, and people are literally ending beef just to dance on your grave? And to make matters worse, it’s streamed live online for the world to see?
The show — and the rap beef in general — was also about proving how embedded in Black culture Kendrick is, as opposed to Drake, according to his claims. It was ultimately about the difference between pop versus rap. Pop, where Drake falls, according to Kendrick, is about individuality and topping charts. That’s why all of Drake’s shots were about making hits and having a lot of fans. Kendrick even let him have his flowers for that on “Euphoria,” saying: “I like Drake with the melodies, I don’t like Drake when he act tough.” Hop-hop, as Kendrick demonstrated, is about the culture. “This ain’t been about critics, not about gimmicks, not about who the greatest,” he continues.
And Kenny is not the only person in the hop-hop community who feels that way. In January, Yasiin Bey — the rapper formerly known as Mos Def — called Drake a pop artist, not a hip-hop artist. In later statements, he clarified his critique but didn’t retract it, saying: “I require more of myself and others than just talent or charm or charisma — particularly in times of urgent crisis.” As a rapper who was prominent during the 90s and early 2000s, Bey sees the artform as connective, capable of having an impact outside of a club or Target shopping aisle. “What I would like to see, in terms of creators or creative people in the world as it relates to our culture, is for people to connect with us beyond the jukebox or the dance floor.”
Kendrick’s impact has always been felt in his music. From showcasing the realities of life in Compton in Section.80 to analyzing the cultural impact of gang violence in good kid, m.A.A.d city, and talking about Black culture in To Pimp A Butterfly, his music, videos, and performances are always reflective of Black culture and life. The Pop-Out Show showed he walked the walk, too.
Until it didn’t.
The only flaw of Kendrick’s Pop Out show: Why Dr. Dre complicates Kendrick’s legacy
There are two main headlines from The Pop Out: Ken & Friends show. The first was how Kendrick broke the record for how many times he played the same song in succession. To close the show, he played “Not Like Us” not once, not twice, but FIVE times in a row. He’s petty! He’s a hater!
During the course of the show, and including during the encores, he also brought out West Coast artists to show his connection to his city. The surprise guest list included: YG, Tyler, The Creator, Roddy Ricch, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Ty Dolla $ign, Dom Kennedy, Russell Westbrook, ScHoolboy Q, Steve Lacy, Mustard, and Tommy the Clown.
However, one surprise guest tarnished the legacy and made a hypocrite out of Kendrick. Dr. Dre. Kendrick brought out Dr. Dre to perform one of his songs. Introducing Dre, he said: “It’s only right that we start from day one, you know? So where would we be without our legends?”
However, although Dre was a fixture in 90s California rap, his legacy has become problematic over the last few decades. Dr. Dre has been accused by multiple women of physical assault, from writer Dee Barnes in 1991 to singer Michel’le, who was in an abusive relationship with Dre between 1990-1996. This is extra ironic because Kendrick uses a sample from Michel’le in “Like That,” but is still platforming her abuser? Rightfully, critics have pointed out this hypocrisy in the wake of spending all that time on his diss tracks rapping about the abusers in Drake’s circle.
Bringing out Dre complicated the entire message of the Pop Out. Does solidarity only exist for Black men? Does calling out abuse only matter when it’s to knock someone down a peg — not to actually hold anyone accountable or get justice? At the end of the day, what good is a community gathering that celebrates Black culture when it’s still invested in some of the same toxic protections of misogynoir?
While I’ll still be playing “Not Like Us” for what it stands for, I will continue to hope that Kendrick takes his own words to heart so I can more wholly celebrate his victory.
Rap and basketball are inextricably linked—the majority of entertainers in both fields typically hail from the same communities and grew up in the same culture. It’s more than likely that if you made it doing one, you probably had dreams and aspirations of doing the other too. As such, crossover is inevitable and endless. J. Cole’s recent stint as a pro player is an echo of the real run Master P tried to go in in the late ‘90s. Everyone from Kobe to Allen Iverson has a rap song or five to their name if not a whole project. Kevin Durant executive produced the latest Drake album. LeBron James, one of our most important music critics, also invented the deluxe track. The list goes on, but one take is universally held as fact: if we’re talking crossover success stories, Shaquille O’Neal is the Gold Standard. And he just hit everyone with a big reminder last night.
First, let’s back up: Rick Ross and Meek Mill are releasing a new album, called Too Good to Be True. The title is an accurate description of most collab projects, but this is a big deal—Ross and Meek’s reunion is as close as we’ll get to the halcyon early 2010s of Maybach Music Group, when they were one of, if not the hottest label squads out, with Ross’s roster spearheaded by Meek and DC rapper Wale minting club hits, street bangers and radio smashes with ease. It was a time when every Meek verse sounded like he needed to be extinguished after leaving the booth, Wale churned out melodic radio hits like it was nothing, and people of taste knew there was a real, credibleargument to be made for Ross’ lifelong friend Gunplay being one of the best rappers out. French Montana, also at his peak, was a close family friend despite being formally beholden to Bad Boy Records. Even bemusing decisions like signing Omarion yielded an undeniable track or two (and later, in true Ross fashion, A1 punchlines admitting it didn’t work out.)
All of that is to say, while Ross and Meek have been no stranger to featuring on each other’s albums still, it’s a thrill to see them really back together, trading verses over a mean, gritty beat for “Shaq and Kobe,” mean-mugging in a music video that feels like Michael Mann directing Bad Boys 4 and in full album rollout mode up at radio stations with Funk Flex like it’s 2011 again. They kept the momentum going with an only slightly-less-hard album cut that flips Jay-Z’s classic “Lyrical Exercise.” And last night was their biggest coup yet, with a “Shaq and Kobe” remix that gets one of its namesakes back in his rapper bag. (The original song, save a “hustling 24 hours” double entendre, is light on overt NBA references and moreso just alludes to the duo’s historic dominance. Rap and ball, linked as ever.)
Nineties babies and NBA/hip-hop fans alike are all too familiar with Shaq’s rap career, which began not long after his 1992 draft to the league, peaked with his 1996 album You Can’t Stop the Reign, and petered out right before the start of the new millennium. The annals of rap history are littered with aspiring-rapper-athletes—All-Stars who despite their achievements on the court couldn’t resist the urge to be an entertainer of a similar but different cloth. Most of the music merits participation trophies at best; few ballers came as correct as Shaq did in the 90s, with albums graced by production from the likes of RZA and Erick Sermon and features from the hottest singers and rappers of the moment. Who else can boast having the first track with Jay-Z and Nas together (in ‘96 no less, what taste) or delivering a true-blue rap classic alongside prime-era Notorious B.I.G. with the titanic yet still smooth “You Can’t Stop the Reign.” It’s not even a case of letting the smooth beat ride out until you get to Frank White’s verse—Shaq is actually spitting. (Extra Credit homework: the late, great DJ Kay Slay’s underrated 2006 flip with Shaq, Papoose and Bun B.)
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles closed out another familiar outcome — their latest victory as they roll unbeaten into an off week — with a recognizable tune: “Dancing On My Own.” Yes, the Eagles borrowed the signature anthem for the Philadelphia Phillies that they’ve blasted in the clubhouse on their way toward a spot in the National League Championship Series.
It’s a great time for Philly sports fans.
Even better for the athletes who only know how to win around here of late.
“We up! Philly’s up right now,” cornerback Darius Slay said. “We’re going up. Up, up, up. We’re going up to that room.”
Maybe the Eagles will find a Lombardi Trophy once they get to Slay’s room.
Jalen Hurts threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns, C.J. Gardner-Johnson had two of Philadelphia’s three interceptions of Cooper Rush, and the Eagles stayed undefeated with a 26-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
The Eagles held on after their 20-0 lead shrank to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, improving to 6-0 for the first time since 2004 — when they won their first seven games and went to the Super Bowl.
“We know we’ve got to play a complete game,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “What’s exciting about being 6-0 and not having played a complete game is we know it’s coming.”
Philly put the game away with an efficient drive that took up more than half the fourth quarter. The Eagles converted three third downs and Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a 7-yard touchdown. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs ripped off his helmet and slammed it in anger after the score, one final blown opportunity to make a stop and wrest the NFC East lead away from the Eagles.
The Eagles failed on the 2-point conversion and led 26-17.
Hurts converted two of the third downs on rushing attempts and Philly needed the clutch runs after the Cowboys (4-2) powered their way back into the game. Ezekiel Elliott scored on a 14-yard run in the third that made it 20-10 and Rush, who mostly struggled, threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ferguson in the fourth for a 20-17 game.
Gardner-Johnson made a diving catch for his second interception to cut off one late drive, and Brett Maher missed a 59-yard field-goal attempt in a last-gasp effort to stay within striking distance.
“Read your keys and go get the ball,” Gardner-Johnson said. “It feels good to come out in into the field like a hawk and go get the ball.”
Rush had led Dallas to four straight victories in place of the injured Dak Prescott but was overmatched under the lights in front of a rowdy crowd — and an Eagles defense that ranks second in the NFL in points off turnovers. Rush threw two interceptions in the first half that led to 10 points for the Eagles and the ineffective QB finished the half with a 1.0 rating.
No wonder the Eagles stand as the NFL’s lone unbeaten team.
Prescott, out since he suffered a broken right thumb in the season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, said his was plan was to play next week.
The Eagles scored 20 points in the second quarter and have now outscored opponents 112-27 in that quarter this season.
The Eagles had converted 8 of 12 fourth-down attempts coming into the game and kept the gambles rolling on their first scoring drive. Hurts connected with A.J. Brown on fourth-and-3 for 11 yards. Then on fourth-and-4 from the 10, the Eagles snared Dallas in a neutral zone infraction for an automatic first down. Miles Sanders scored on a 5-yard TD run and a 7-0 lead.
Rush, solid but hardly lighting up the scoreboard as a starter, had a pass deflected and intercepted by Gardner-Johnson, who flapped his arms after the pick and had Eagles fans going wild. Philly sports fans haven’t had much chance to settle down this fall. The Eagles are perfect, the Phillies are in the NL Championship Series, the Union host a playoff game this week, and the 76ers open the season this week and play the home opener Thursday.
Hurts capitalized off the pick and hit Brown for a 15-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.
Jake Elliott, who missed last week’s game with a bad ankle, added field goals of 51 and 34 yards to make it 20-0. Elliott’s second field goal came after Slay intercepted Rush.
“We took some shots from them,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.
It’s what the Eagles do. It’s why they’re in first place.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Eagles T Lane Johnson left with a concussion.
FIRST LADY IN THE HOUSE
First lady Jill Biden attended the game as part of cancer awareness night. Biden met with cancer patients, cancer survivors and their families. She also chatted with 76ers center Joel Embiid and was at midfield for the coin toss.
SIX IN THE CITY
The Eagles started 7-0 in 2004 when they finished 13-3 in the regular season before falling in the Super Bowl to the Patriots, and began 6-0 in 1981 but dropped their first playoff game.
STAR REPORT
Embiid and several other Sixers were at the game. So was New Jersey native, Anaheim Angels slugger and Eagles fan Mike Trout. Slay gave the ball from an interception earlier this season to Sixers star James Harden. After his pick against Rush, Slay gave the ball to rapper Meek Mill. Questlove and Bradley Cooper, wearing an Allen Iverson T-shirt, were also at the game. Gardner-Johnson, who played with a left hand injury, has a tattoo in honor of Meek Mill on his right arm.
UP NEXT
The Cowboys return home next Sunday and play Detroit.
The Eagles are off next week and host the Steelers on Oct. 30.
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More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL
Some 10,000 people from all over the world gathered last week in Poland for the annual March of the Living, a 2-mile walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau, where Nazis murdered over a million civilians – mostly Jews – during World War II.
One of the most famous marchers was Meek Mill, a 35-year-old African American rapper from Philadelphia without any prior connection to the atrocities that happened there.
“I always stand on anything that condemns racism, but now that I had an education, I’ll definitely spread the word to people in my culture about what I’ve seen and what I felt at that concentration camp today,” Mill told CNN during the march.
Mill is a friend of New England Patriots owner and philanthropist Robert Kraft, whose Foundation to Combat Antisemitism is in the midst of a $25 million national campaign, #StandUpToJewishHate. The effort, identified by a blue square emoji, includes paid television ads that share stories of antisemitic incidents in the US, which are on an alarming rise.
Data from the Anti-Defamation League traces a spike in recent incidents against Jews to repeated, hateful comments by rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, who is unapologetic about his pro-Hitler, anti-Jewish language.
“We are two different artists. We represent two different things,” Mill said.
Mill said he “wasn’t educated to even know right from wrong” when Ye was making his remarks.
“But I know a lot of the things he was saying was wrong because it sounded like hate,” Mill said. “Now that I’m educated to a small degree, because I’m at the beginning point, just, you know, spreading the word for humanity. Pushing the cause.”
Kraft got to know Mill during the rap artist’s 12-year legal fight stemming from an arrest on gun and drug charges when he was 19 years old.
The two were introduced by a mutual friend, according to a Kraft spokesperson, and Meek would occasionally reach out to the Patriots owner for some friendly advice. When Meek was incarcerated, Kraft visited him in prison, and the two stayed in touch and have remained friends.
Mill’s case helped spur activism among many high-profile figures, including Kraft, on the issue of criminal justice.
“It’s important for me to learn humanity’s history,” Mill said. “But I think it’s also important for me to support Robert, all my Jewish friends, everyone that always supported me. Robert supported me at a very high level. When I was going through what I was going through, he learned my lifestyle. He learned my cultures, where I come from, my background.”
Mill said he went to Auschwitz to “see this for myself and learn about it for myself,” describing what he saw there as “terror, pain, something you can’t really explain.”
“He’s a man who’s very caring, and it’s very important to him to build bridges between people of the Jewish faith and people of color in America,” Kraft said of Mill.
“He’s a sensitive man who has gone through some difficult situations where he wasn’t treated fairly. And I think for him to understand the culture of our people, what we’ve gone through and how many of the experiences are similar – where people, for no good reason, just stand up and hate,” added Kraft.
Mill not only toured Auschwitz and took part in the March of the Living, but he also participated in events around the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in Poland. The popular artist has nearly 25 million Instagram followers and said he now intends to use his megaphone to make sure his fans understand that all hate – whether racism against Blacks or antisemitism – is rooted in the same ignorance and cannot be tolerated.
“Through my music, I always use my platforms. I come from the ghettos of America – from the streets. That’s what I started talking about because that was my lifestyle,” Mill said.
“But through education and learning more and seeing more, I think I would be able to deliver some things that will touch on moments like this and be able to express and tell a story about what I witnessed and what I’ve seen.”
