By: Roy Douglas Malonson

It was more than just music—it was a cultural moment. As Kendrick Lamar and Drake, two of the most powerful and influential Black artists of this generation, traded diss tracks and personal jabs, mil- lions of people around the world tuned in. Fans picked sides, timelines lit up with analysis, and the entertain- ment industry saw a surge in engagement and revenue. But behind all the beats and bars, a much older, darker playbook was unfolding. What many saw as a rap battle was really just a modern-day reminder of the age-old strategy: divide and conquer.

This tactic has been used against our community for centuries. It’s how colonizers controlled na- tions, how enslavers managed plantations, and how governments disrupted civil rights movements. Keep them distracte

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