Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Euphoria’ Name-Drop Gives Toronto Chinese Restaurant Major Boost
While some Toronto natives may be side-eyeing Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria,” one local business owner is reaping the benefits of K. Dot’s Drake diss.
That’s because on the scathing track, Lamar raps: “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie.”
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New Ho King is a Chinese restaurant located in Toronto’s Chinatown district, and is a well-known after-hours grub spot in the 6 that opened in 1975.
Toronto network CityNews caught up with Johnny Lu, the owner of New Ho King, who says business is boomin’ thanks to Kendrick’s name-drop, and a plethora of five-star reviews have poured in from fans of the Compton legend.
“This morning a lot of people texted me saying that’s your restaurant? I say, ‘Yes.’ They say, ‘Look at the song,'” he began. “He said good food and friend rice get more and more rice, the chef’s gonna be busy!”
Lu continued: “I see, Kendrick’s a good guy. Oh my God!”
CityNews caught up with residents who are fans of Kendrick who made trips just to give the fried rice dish a try thanks to Lamar’s recommendation on the track.
“I came all the way from Markham just to see this fried rice,” one fan said. “Kendrick Lamar, man. You gotta pay respect to K. Dot, man. Ever since he dropped the diss track I was like, ‘I gotta visit this place.'”
Some fans believed that Kendrick was just playfully jabbing Drake about local Toronto slang, while others speculated it could be a sly reference to his 2009 armed robbery in the 6.
“I don’t think many people caught this bar on Kendrick’s diss Drake was allegedly robbed by rapper Sizzlac in 2010 Kendrick says ‘Dip sauce & blammy, crodie’ Sizzlac escaped (dipped) with the gun (blammy) he used to rob Drake,” a fan wrote to X.
Drake spoke about the robbery in 2010 with GQ, calling it a “set-up.” Robbers allegedly “banged on the car window with a gun and opened the door” while demanding the chain he got from Lil Wayne.
Drizzy appeared to reference the incident on Dark Lane Demo Tapes‘ “From Florida With Love.” “Weezy played that s–t for me and Kobe on the bus/ Went and got a chain for me, I had to give it up/ N—as had they pistols loaded pointed at my truck/ And you know that lesson stuck,” he raps.
Lamar turned the heat up a few notches on Tuesday (April 30) with his eviscerating six-minute “Euphoria” diss in response to Drake’s “Push Ups.” The ball now bounces back to the 6 God as fans await his next move.
Watch the CityNews clip regarding New Ho King below.
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