Kendrick Lamar Just Name-Dropped A Toronto Restaurant In His New Diss Track About Drake And I'm Actually In Disbelief

    Suddenly I'm craving Chinese food.

    Abby Zinman
    by Abby Zinman

    BuzzFeed Staff

    OK, so if you're not aware, rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake have been high-key feuding as of recent — and boy, is it confusing.

    DJ Khaled / Via giphy.com

    I'm not going to pretend like I totally get what's going on, honestly.

    Basically, in 2023 Drake and J. Cole claimed in a song that, along with Kendrick Lamar, they were the "big three" of rap. Then, in response, Lamar rapped, "It's just big me." This spun into a back-and-forth series of diss tracks between Drake and Kendrick.

    Music artist on stage wearing a black sweatshirt and patterned pants, gesturing to the crowd
    Christopher Polk / Via Getty Images

    There was also a brief Kanye appearance in all this beef, but honestly, are you surprised? 

    There are so many people involved (including my king, Jack Antonoff), but that's not what we're here for. In his most recent diss track against Drake, Kendrick mentions Toronto Chinese restaurant New Ho King, singing in a "stereotypical" Toronto accent (which is actually influenced by many different languages, like Jamaican Patois).

    Hand holding a restaurant menu titled "New Ho King Restaurant Since 1976" with Chinese characters above English text
    Herapatra / Via tiktok.com

    I never thought Toronto restaurants would enter the drama.

    The song is called "euphoria," and the line is: "I be at New Ho King eatin' fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie." People think this might refer to Drake's robbery in 2009, but hey, maybe we shouldn't go into that.

    Drake wearing a fur coat smiles among fans holding up phones
    Amy Sussman / Via Getty Images

    "Crodie," if you weren't aware, is Toronto slang for "bro." Lamar also says a bunch of other Canadian slang terms in the song, like, "Tell me you're cheesin', fam."

    Anyway, fans and Canadians alike are freaking out about this name drop — so here are some of the Internet's best reactions:

    the owner of new ho king after the free international advertisement: pic.twitter.com/euYCCsCmZl

    — O$AP Rocky (@TheAlanShane) April 30, 2024
    Twitter: @TheAlanShane

    Kendrick just did more for New Ho King than Keith Lee could ever.

    — DJ Big Jacks (@BigJacks) April 30, 2024
    Twitter: @BigJacks
    By the way, Keith Lee is a TikTok food reviewer who just visited Toronto.

    Everyone in Toronto when they hear the New Ho King shoutout https://t.co/FG8wWaaoiW pic.twitter.com/Ch0CyxeLHo

    — Nick McAnulty (@NickMcAnulty) April 30, 2024
    Twitter: @NickMcAnulty

    WHICH ONE OF YOU TORONTO WOMEN TOLD THAT MAN ABOUT NEW HO KING LOL SHOW YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY pic.twitter.com/ED7PtTurJO

    — Waiting to Oxtail (@ThatDudeMCFLY) April 30, 2024
    Twitter: @ThatDudeMCFLY

    wait…drake was (allegedly) robbed at new ho king in toronto in 2009? that bar wasn’t just about being comfy in that man’s city?? pic.twitter.com/tT1KxHt1vY

    — the biggest hater (@zootytang) May 3, 2024
    Twitter: @zootytang

    The reviews on Yelp for New Ho King, the restaurant in Toronto that Kendrick name dropped on ‘euphoria,’ are hilarious

    “Hi can I get the Kendrick Lamar special?” 💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/PXc13uDrs2

    — Joey (@gothamhiphop) May 2, 2024
    Twitter: @gothamhiphop

    KENDRICK MOCKING THE TORONTO ACCENT AND MENTIONED NEW HO KING OMFGGGGGG WE GOT COOKED 😭😭😭😭😭

    — dij (@DijahSB) April 30, 2024
    Twitter: @DijahSB

    Bruh so many people made reviews on New Ho King that Yelp had to stop more people from posting 😭😭 Ts is crazy #euphoria pic.twitter.com/FRhKB94kuG

    — FSE Ciiss 🪅 (@ciissrl2) May 3, 2024
    Twitter: @ciissrl2

    I don't think it's coincidence he picked a place called "New Ho King" https://t.co/0VI4JPsWjP

    — Dr. Quill | 5th Gen Mwata 🇲🇺 🇿🇲 (@KaosTheLyricist) May 3, 2024
    Twitter: @KaosTheLyricist

    For the record…..I’m totally okay with Kendrick Lamar bashing Drake if it gets New Ho King restaurant a shoutout. https://t.co/xpxGmqiq6o

    — OGGY, from The North 🦞🍾 (@OGGY_North) May 2, 2024
    Twitter: @OGGY_North

    Kendrick saying he was at New Ho King w his Crodies is too Toronto core lmao

    — berms if you know me (@_Berma) April 30, 2024
    Twitter: @_Berma

    My favourite part of this is people in Toronto finally feeling free enough to admit they hate OVO on the TL and not just in private conversations 🤣

    — Lu Asfaha (@defarmedia) May 3, 2024
    Twitter: @defarmedia

    Let us know what you think about this insane Toronto reference in the comments below! And make sure to follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram for more — because I'm sure there will be more developments in this beef.