Kevin Durant on why he puts Drake above Jay-Z

The old rap debate usually stopped at three names: Biggie, Jay-Z, or Nas. But that conversation shifts when Kevin Durant enters the room. During a recent podcast appearance alongside injured teammate Fred VanVleet, Durant peeled back layers of his personality, from brutally honest lifestyle habits to how music soundtracked different phases of his life.

The hygiene stories grabbed headlines, but the real spark came when Durant addressed his all-time favorite rapper. For years, Jay-Z held that spot. That changed.

“Used to be Hov. Drake passed Hov for me,” Durant said. “Hov tailored my dreams. I wanted to see everything he’s seen. Drake took it to another level. He was my Jay-Z when I got some money. I can actually do the stuff I was hearing.”

That explanation matters. Durant did not frame the choice around lyrical breakdowns or technical skill. He framed it around timing, access, and relatability. Jay-Z represented aspiration, the blueprint of success viewed from afar. Drake represented arrival, the soundtrack to a phase when Durant could live out what the music described.

Kevin Durant says that Drake has surpassed Jay-Z as his favorite artist of all time pic.twitter.com/NVyfIpfmlg

— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) December 20, 2025

Why Durant’s take is about connection, not bars

Some fans bristle when Drake enters “greatest rapper” conversations. The ghostwriting discourse lingers. The melodic approach blurs genre lines. Those critiques exist, and Durant did not dismiss them. He acknowledged it felt like a tough day when Drake passed Jay-Z for him.

Still, his reasoning stayed personal. Music hit him differently once life changed. Drake spoke to that moment more directly than Jay-Z ever could.

Viewed through that lens, the take lands cleanly. Durant did not rewrite rap history. He explained his own. For a Houston Rockets star who has lived multiple eras of superstardom, that distinction makes all the difference.

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