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Tom Hanks Asks Son Chet to Explain the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Feud to Him: ‘Who’s Winning??’

"These are fighting words," the Academy Award-winner said of the rappers' disses.

Chet Hanks and Tom Hanks attend the world premiere of Apple TV+'s "Masters Of The Air" at Regency Village Theatre on Jan. 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Chet Hanks and Tom Hanks attend the world premiere of Apple TV+'s "Masters Of The Air" at Regency Village Theatre on Jan. 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Drake and Kendrick Lamar‘s rap feud is a family matter to the Hanks clan. Feeling out of the loop on modern hip-hop’s biggest beef to date, Tom Hanks recently reached out to his 33-year-old son Chet Hanks for an explanation of the whole debacle, making for a hilarious conversation which the latter shared on Instagram Monday (May 20).

Posting screenshots of the text chain on his Story, Chet revealed that his father — simply saved in his phone as “Pops” — began by messaging him, “Big Main, can you explain the Drake/Kendrick Lamar feud to me?”


Chet obligingly launched into a lengthy rundown of the feud, noting how each of the rappers has been dropping a series of diss tracks aimed at each other throughout April and May, starting with Drake’s “Push Ups.” Then came Drizzy’s since-deleted “Taylor Made Freestyle,” “Family Matters” and “The Heart Pt. 6,” as well as K. Dot’s “Euphoria,” “6:16 in L.A.” and “Meet the Grahams.”

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Of Lamar’s Billboard Hot 100-topping final diss “Not Like Us,” the younger Hanks told the Academy Award-winner that it was “pretty much the sonic equivalent of when you took me to your high school in Oakland and we walked in on the basketball game and everybody started going nuts.”

“Like if you heard it you would just automatically know how to Crip walk with a stank face while clutching an Oscar in each hand with Marshawn Lynch,” Chet added. “Then dap him up and tell him ‘Town Bidness’ which solidified the win not only for Kendrick but the entire West Coast.”

Suffice to say, Tom — who also shares son Truman with his wife, singer-actress Rita Wilson — was incredulous. “Holy cow!” he wrote back. “These are fighting words. People taking sides?? Who’s winning??”

“Did you not just read what I said,” Chet replied with three cry-laughing emojis.

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This article was first published on Billboard U.S.

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Shhenseea, MOLIY, Skillibeng and Silent Addy
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Shhenseea, MOLIY, Skillibeng and Silent Addy

Awards

Here’s Why ‘Shake It to the Max’ Was Deemed Ineligible at the 2026 Grammys — And Why Its Label Calls the Decision ‘Devoid of Any Common Sense’

Representatives from the Recording Academy and gamma. CEO Larry Jackson comment on one of this year's most shocking Grammy snubs.

Few phrases define the year in music and culture like Moliy’s scintillating directive to “shake it to the max.” The Ghanaian singer’s sultry voice reverberated across the globe, blending her own Afropop inclinations with Jamaican dancehall-informed production, courtesy of Miami-based duo Silent Addy and Disco Neil. Originally released in December 2024, Moliy’s breakthrough global crossover hit ascended to world domination, peaking at No. 6 on the Global 200, thanks to a remix featuring dancehall superstars Shenseea and Skillibeng. Simply put, “Max” soundtracked a seismic moment in African and Caribbean music in 2025.

Given its blockbuster success, “Shake It to the Max” was widely expected to be a frontrunner in several categories at the 2026 Grammys. In fact, had the song earned a nomination for either best African music performance or best global music performance, many forecasters anticipated a victory. So, when “Shake It to the Max” failed to appear on the final list of 2026 Grammy nominees in any category earlier this month (Nov. 7), listeners across the world were left scratching their heads — none more than gamma. CEO Larry Jackson.

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