To borrow a phrase from our foremost cultural observer, Azealia Banks, the boys are combating.
For nearly a 12 months now, Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been embroiled in considered one of rap’s most public and memorable beefs. It began again in March of 2024 when Future and Metro Boomin’ dropped the joint album, We Don’t Belief You, virtually devoted to sneak-dissing Drake. Essentially the most notable diss on the document, although, got here from Lamar who’s featured on the tune “Like That.” His “f— the large 3” line, referring to Drake and J.Cole, ignited a weeks-long back-and-forth between Drake, Lamar, and ultimately a handful of different rappers.
Many of the drama remained between Drake and Lamar, as they launched a number of explosive songs accusing each other of some fairly heinous crimes, together with Lamar calling Drake a “pedophile.” It was Lamar, who in the end got here out on prime due to the Mustard-produced “Not Like Us.” The observe turned 2024’s tune of the summer season and a licensed West Coast anthem. It additionally received 5 Grammys final month, together with Document and Tune of the 12 months. Lamar’s success additionally seemingly earned him the coveted gig of headlining the Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present final month, making him the primary solo rap act to take action.
Virtually a 12 months because the launch of “Like That,“ Drake and Lamar aren’t actually at warfare. Drake, at the very least, has ostensibly waved the white flag, directing his ire at his and Lamar’s document label as an alternative. On January 15, Drake filed a lawsuit in opposition to Common Music Group for defamation relating to the lyrics in “Not Like Us.” (He initially filed a petition final November accusing UMG and Spotify of “artificially inflating” the recognition of the diss observe and collaborating in a pay-for-play scheme with iHeartRadio, earlier than withdrawing it.) The present defamation go well with claims that the allegations in “Not Like Us” particularly, the “licensed pedophile” lyric, endangered Drake and his household. The go well with references a taking pictures outdoors of Drake’s Toronto mansion a couple of days after the tune’s launch and two different break-in makes an attempt at Drake’s dwelling over the next two days. On March 17, UMG filed a movement to dismiss, stating that their signee “misplaced a rap battle that he provoked” and calling the go well with “a misguided try to salve his wounds.”
After practically 15 tumultuous years within the sport, Drake is hardly a stranger to mess and beefing with different rappers. At first, it appeared like this newest feud was precisely what rap’s delicate king wanted in a quite uninspired period in his profession, outlined by uninteresting musical output and gross jabs at ladies. Nevertheless, following Lamar’s verbal lashings and his closely mocked choice to pursue authorized motion as a response, it’s laborious to see how Drake’s profession utterly overcomes this second.
Who’s beefing with who?
On March 22, Future and Metro basically launched a breakup album from their frequent collaborator and former comrade, Drake. (Drake and Future have practically 30 collaborations mixed, and Metro executive-produced their 2015 mixtape What A Time to Be Alive.) We Don’t Belief You is filled with subliminal messages seemingly directed at Drake, relating to his shady maneuvers. Nevertheless, it was Kendrick’s comparatively light prodding on the observe “Like That” that was in the end probably the most incendiary.
On the observe — which has sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 for 3 weeks in a row now — he raps “Motherfuck the large three, it’s simply huge me,” renouncing his casual affiliation with rap friends Drake and Cole. On the latest Drake tune “First Individual Shooter,” off his newest album For All of the Canines, Cole claimed on his visitor verse that he, Drake, and Lamar are the “Massive 3” of the present period of hip-hop. Nonetheless, Lamar’s ire on “Like That” is usually pointed at his famous frenemy Drake, dismissing his purportedly unstoppable industrial success. “Your greatest work is a lightweight pack,” he asserts. “N—, Prince outlived Mike Jack.”
Cole responded first on April 5 with the observe “7-Minute Drill,” featured on his aptly titled mixtape May Delete Later. Cole throws pictures at Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning discography, calling his newest album Mr. Morale and The Massive Steppers “tragic” and claiming his Grammy-winning sophomore album Good Child, Maad Metropolis “put [listeners] to sleep.” He additionally guarantees to “humble” Lamar if “push involves shove.”
Nevertheless, by April 10, Cole had rescinded his warning shot, together with eradicating “7-Minute Drill” from streaming platforms. At his annual Dreamville Competition, he issued a closely mocked quasi-apology to Lamar. “I attempted to jab [Lamar] again, and I attempt to maintain it pleasant,” he advised the group in North Carolina. “However on the finish of the day after I take heed to it, and when it comes out and I see the speak, that don’t sit proper with my spirit.”
Earlier than Drake might unleash his personal diss, Future and Metro launched the follow-up, We Nonetheless Don’t Belief You, on April 12. This time, A$AP Rocky bought some punches in. On the tune “Present of Palms,” he rapped “N—s in they emotions over ladies. What, you damage or one thing? I smash earlier than you birthed, son. Flacko hit it first, son.” That is presumably a response to Drake apparently dissing A$AP and his associate Rihanna, whom Drake beforehand dated, on his tune “Concern of Heights.” (Followers have additionally speculated that A$AP means he beforehand slept with the mom of Drake’s son.)
One other considered one of Drake’s most well-known trade mates, The Weeknd, seems on each Future and Metro albums. Nevertheless, on We Nonetheless Don’t Belief You’s eighth observe, “All to Myself,” he sings, “I thank God that I by no means signed my life away.” Followers interpreted that as a jab about Drake’s label OVO Sound, which, regardless of his heavy affiliation with the label, The Weeknd in the end by no means signed to.
Who’s Drake dissing on “Push Ups”?
On Saturday, April 13, Drake’s long-awaited response titled “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me Fifty)” mysteriously made its solution to the web. The seemingly unmixed demo made many social media customers speculate whether or not the tune was AI-generated earlier than famous hip-hop commentator DJ Akademiks ultimately performed it — noticeably with some tweaks, just like the omission of a line about P. Diddy and a distinct beat — on his livestream. Hip-hop radio station Energy 105 additionally streamed a high-quality model of the tune. Given Drake’s feedback on Instagram over the weekend, together with a photograph of Uma Thurman single-handedly taking over a bunch of fighters within the 2003 movie Kill Invoice, all indicators level to the observe being authentic.
That stated, “Push Ups” is a hefty (and expectedly humorous) diss document, taking purpose at Drake’s aforementioned opps whereas pulling another events into the crossfire. Considered one of them is the Weeknd’s supervisor, CashXO, who he accuses of “blowing Abel’s bread trickin.” He additionally takes pictures at Memphis Grizzlies participant Ja Morant, who followers are speculating he was beforehand in a love triangle with.
In most likely the silliest improvement of this multi-pronged feud, he throws some digs at rapper Rick Ross, one other frequent collaborator of his. “This n— turning 50,” Drake raps. “Each tune that made it on the chart he bought it from Drizzy.” Ross swiftly adopted up along with his personal diss known as “Champagne Moments,” which shortly went viral. Amongst different insults and accusations, he calls Drake, who’s blended, “white boy” and claims he bought a nostril job.
As for Lamar, Drake affords a fairly complete rebuttal, poking enjoyable at Lamar for apparently carrying a “measurement 7 shoe” and his collaborations with pop acts like Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift’s “Dangerous Blood.” (Lest we neglect, Drake has additionally linked up with Swift for a test.) He additionally names some artists who he feels have surpassed Lamar’s stardom, together with SZA, who’s signed to Lamar’s personal High Dawg Leisure label. (She apparently doesn’t need to be concerned.) There’s additionally a bar that many listeners, together with DJ Akademiks, interpreted as an audacious point out of Lamar’s fiancé, Whitney Alford (“I be with some bodyguards like Whitney”). Nevertheless, this may be a misreading of a extra apparent reference to the Whitney Houston movie, The Bodyguard.
Drake’s newest spherical with Kendrick took a very darkish flip
Forward of Lamar dropping his response, “Euphoria,” Drake launched one other diss observe for Lamar on April 19 known as “Taylor Made Freestyle” utilizing AI-generated vocals from 2Pac and Snoop Dogg to “spit” on his behalf. Drake’s weaponization of synthetic intelligence, particularly relating to the deceased Tupac Shakur, generated blended responses on-line. Some followers have been amused by his “innovation,” whereas others, together with Snoop, appeared downright confused. Nevertheless, after his and Lamar’s most up-to-date spherical of disses, these criticisms could be the least of his considerations.
On April 30, Lamar lastly dropped his rebuttal titled “Euphoria” on streaming platforms. He spends many of the 6-minute observe poking holes in Drake’s public persona. Amongst different digs, he questions the Canadian rapper’s proximity to Black American tradition and his relationships with ladies. Just a few days later, Lamar adopted up with “6:16 in LA,” claiming that Drake has a “leak” in his camp.
Presumably, Drake needed to get forward of any filth Lamar might presumably expose by dropping the observe “Household Issues” this previous Friday, together with a music video. Along with Lamar, Drake has some extra phrases for Ross, The Weeknd, and even Pharrell Williams. Nevertheless, it’s Lamar’s fiancée, Whitney Alford, who’s the first goal of Drake’s claims.
First, he means that considered one of Lamar’s youngsters is definitely fathered by his common supervisor, Dave Free, who’s additionally the previous president of Lamar’s former label, High Dawg Leisure. Then he makes the extra troubling allegation that Lamar “places his fingers on” Alford. “They employed a disaster administration workforce to wash up the truth that you beat in your queen,” he says on the finish of the observe.
Seemingly tipped off by a mole, Lamar adopted up only a few minutes later with “Meet the Grahams,” with cowl artwork that includes a field of the weight-loss drug Ozempic supposedly prescribed to Drake. In that tune, Lamar addresses his verses to Drake’s son, Adonis, and Drake’s mother and father. “Pricey Adonis, I’m sorry that man is your father,” he bluntly opens the observe. He additionally devoted a verse to Drake’s alleged 11-year-old daughter, who could be the second little one the rapper has stored hidden from the general public. Drake, nevertheless, was fast to leap on Instagram and shut down the declare that he had a secret daughter.
Extra strikingly, although, Lamar refers to Drake as a “predator” and even likens him to Harvey Weinstein. Later that night, Lamar dropped one more observe — this time, produced by DJ Mustard, who seemingly additionally has beef with Drake — “Not Like Us,” the place he outright calls Drake a “pedophile.” Particularly, social media misplaced it over the triple entendre, “tryna ring a bell, and it’s most likely A-minor.”
On Might 5, it appeared like Drake was able to bow out after releasing the observe “The Coronary heart Half 6.” Along with the curious declare that he purposely planted false data for Lamar to make use of, he spends many of the tune denying that he sleeps with underage women. He even addresses a controversial incident from 2018, when Stranger Issues actor Millie Bobby Brown, who was then 14 years outdated, acknowledged in an interview that she texted the rapper about boys.
In a haphazard transfer, Drake makes an attempt to attach these claims to Lamar’s personal trauma, referencing the “one document the place [Lamar] stated [he] bought molested” titled “Mom I Sober” — solely Lamar doesn’t state that he was sexually abused on the tune. In rapping about his cousin who was accused of sexual assault, he claims twice on the observe that his cousin didn’t contact him, regardless of his household not believing him.
Drake ends the tune with a rambling spoken outro, just like Nicki Minaj’s Megan Thee Stallion diss “Massive Foot” earlier this 12 months. “I’m not going to lie,” he says. “This shit was some good train.” In a noticeably exhausted tone, he says “it’s what it’s,” seemingly waving a white flag.
Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped Lamar from publicly reveling within the chart success of “Not Like Us” and the assist of his trade allies. On June 19, in any other case often called Juneteenth, Lamar held “The Pop Out: Ken & Buddies” on the Kia Discussion board to have fun Los Angeles rap and, as soon as once more, broadcast his hatred for Drake. On the live performance, which was streamed on Amazon and Twitch, Lamar carried out “Not Like Us” six occasions. With every replay, a rising variety of musicians, athletes, and different huge West Coast names — together with YG, Steve Lacy, Russell Westbrook, Black Hippy, and Mustard — joined him onstage, in what regarded like an Avengers ensemble of Drake haters.
Drake has beforehand thrived in beefs — however can he win when the entire trade is in opposition to him?
For probably the most half, Drake has dealt with his public gang-up with an anticipated humorousness and irreverence. Nevertheless, with the most recent releases, he appears to be combating a battle he can’t win, utilizing wishy-washy bars to aim to toss off some severe allegations. It’s price noting that Drake’s home abuse claims in opposition to Lamar are simply as severe. Nonetheless, rap followers on social media appear extra invested within the seedy gossip that’s surrounded Drake’s principally personal romantic life, together with these unsettling accusations about underage women. Plus, after years of dominating the rap scene and making enemies out of a number of rappers, it appears social media customers are able to see the rapper taken down a couple of pegs.
As anybody who’s even barely adopted rap over the previous decade and a half can attest, this isn’t Drake’s first time participating in warfare along with his friends. Most famously, his profession has seen headline-generating battles with Meek Mill, Pusha T, Joe Budden, and Kanye West. Arguably, his most notorious tiff was the end result of a long-brewing beef with Pusha T in 2018, the place the Virginia rapper uncovered Drake’s previously hidden son, Adonis, to the world.
Regardless of the transient second of humiliation, Drake in the end emerged the victor — that’s, in case you’re utilizing chart numbers and common reputation as a figuring out metric. After his reasonably acquired victory lap of an album, Views, he was given a extra gripping narrative to gas his blockbuster 2018 album Scorpion. On the identical time, he was as soon as once more proving his mass enchantment outdoors of the rap audiences with social gathering bangers like “God’s Plan,” “Good For What,” and “In My Emotions,” all of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100.
Extra just lately, nevertheless, Drake has been concerned in a number of seemingly one-sided beefs with well-known ladies. On his 2023 tune with 21 Savage, “Circo Loco,” he threw out a not-so-subtle diss at rapper Megan Thee Stallion (“This bitch lie ’bout getting pictures however she nonetheless a stallion”), becoming a member of a refrain of well-known males disputing her now-proven claims that singer Tory Lanez shot her within the foot in 2020.
Through the rollout of For All of the Canines, he vexed actor Halle Berry, who claimed he used a photograph of her for the paintings for his single “Slime You Out” with out her permission. Moreover, he’s tried to reignite drama along with his former fling Rihanna. Except for his digs on “Concern of Heights,” he performed their collaboration “Work” at considered one of his concert events simply to say that he “doesn’t sing [the] tune anymore.”
Drake’s songwriting is commonly propelled by a sweeping sense of grievance and an obsession with the previous and his haters (he’s not that totally different from Taylor Swift in spite of everything!). Nevertheless, his fixed emotions of victimhood inside his relationships with ladies — and the next, extra blatant misogyny that’s grown out of that — has begun to put on on critics and components of his feminine fanbase. It’s an commentary that Lamar has sharply utilized in his diss tracks over the weekend.
Whereas this newest beef initially appeared like an in the end invigorating expertise for Drake in a snoozy a part of his profession, Lamar’s accusations of Drake being a “pedophile” and different predatory conduct have left a powerful stench on Drake’s public picture. It’ll be fascinating to see whether or not the seemingly invincible rapper can rebuild followers’ respect after such darkish claims. Nevertheless, historical past has confirmed that male rappers can nonetheless thrive regardless of probably the most sordid allegations.
Replace, March 17, 5:30 pm ET: This story was initially printed on April 17, 2024, and has been up to date a number of occasions, most just lately to UMG’s movement to dismiss Drake’s lawsuit.
