The Canadian rapper
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
and the American rapper
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
have been involved in a
rap feud since 2013, when Drake responded to Lamar's verse on the
Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...
song "
Control". It escalated in 2024 with Lamar's lyrics in the song "
Like That".
The two began on favorable terms in 2011. On August 14, 2013, Lamar dissed Drake, among many rappers, on "Control", but claimed his verse was "friendly competition". Over the next decade, the two denied speculation that they had dissed each other on various songs. In 2023, on rapper
J. Cole and Drake's song "
First Person Shooter
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the main character. This genre sha ...
", Cole claimed that he, Drake, and Lamar were the "big three" of modern hip-hop; on "Like That" in March 2024, Lamar rejected the notion of a big three, saying the top spot in hip hop was "just big me".
In April 2024, Cole responded by dissing Lamar on "
7 Minute Drill
"7 Minute Drill" is a diss track written and recorded by the American rapper J. Cole for his fourth mixtape, '' Might Delete Later'' (2024). It was his response to fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar's diss verse on his single " Like That" (w ...
", then Drake dissed Lamar with "
Push Ups" and "
Taylor Made Freestyle". On April 30, Lamar responded to Drake in "
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
" and, on May 3, in "
6:16 in LA". Later on May 3, Drake released "
Family Matters
''Family Matters'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for eight seasons from September 22, 1989, to May 9, 1997, then moved to CBS for its ninth and final season from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-of ...
", accusing Lamar of
domestic abuse
Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. In a broader sense, abuse including nonphysical abuse in such settings is called domestic abuse. The term "domestic violence" is often use ...
and claiming that Lamar's collaborator, music producer
Dave Free
David Isaac Friley (born November 13, 1986), known professionally as Dave Free, is an American filmmaker and record producer. Born and raised in Inglewood, California, he is best known as the manager and creative partner of fellow California ...
, biologically fathered Lamar's son. Twenty minutes later, Lamar released "
Meet the Grahams", accusing Drake of
sexual predation
A sexual predator is a person seen as obtaining or trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in a metaphorically "predatory" or abusive manner. Analogous to how a predator hunts down its prey, so the sexual predator is thought to "hunt" ...
(including
sex trafficking
Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Se ...
), lying about Lamar's family, and having fathered a second secret child; rapper
Pusha T
Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
had previously revealed in
a 2018 track that Drake secretly had a son named Adonis.
On May 4, on "
Not Like Us
"Not Like Us" is a diss track by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar amidst Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud, his highly publicized feud with the Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake. Released on May 4, 2024, through Interscope Records, it broke ...
", Lamar accused Drake of
pedophilia
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of pube ...
. On May 5, Drake released "
The Heart Part 6
"The Heart Part 6" is a diss track by the Canadian rapper Drake released amidst his highly publicized feud with the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released through Drake's OVO Sound record label on May 5, 2025, as a response to Lamar's ...
", which denied Lamar's accusations and claimed Drake's team fed Lamar false information about a second child. In January 2025, Drake filed a petition against and then sued
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
(UMG)—his and Lamar's
record label
"Big Three" music labels
A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...
— in the
Southern District Court of New York, for releasing "Not Like Us", alleging that the song was
defamatory
Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
and that it was promoted by UMG with illegal tactics. In 2025, Drake reflected on the feud on "Fighting Irish Freestyle"; and Lamar won five
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
for "Not Like Us" (including
Song of the Year), performing it and "Euphoria"
at Super Bowl LIX.
Commentators have either praised the feud for its spectacle and for maintaining hip-hop's cultural relevance, or criticized both artists for how they made and responded to each other's accusations.
History
2011–12: Initial collaboration and favorable relationship
Drake and Kendrick Lamar's relationship began on favorable terms. The pair's first collaboration was "Buried Alive Interlude", a two-minute interlude performed entirely by Lamar from Drake's 2011 studio album ''
Take Care
''Take Care'' is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from the Weekn ...
'', slotted on the tracklist directly after the hit single "
Marvins Room
"Marvins Room" is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake. It is the lead single from Drake's second studio album ''Take Care''. Produced by 40, it features keyboard-based instrumentation and muted bass. "Marvins Room" is performed from the p ...
".
Both artists are about the same age, but at the time, Drake was already a chart-topping success (having first achieved mainstream success with his 2009 single "
Best I Ever Had"), while Lamar was viewed as a relatively unknown up-and-comer, having recently appeared on the 2011
''XXL'' Freshman list.
Lamar complimented Drake after their initial meeting and collaboration: "We met up, chilled out, got to vibe, see where each other was at and shit. Sometimes you like a person's music but you definitely don't like the actual artist when you sit down and you talk to them. That's a real good dude. He got a real genuine soul. We clicked immediately." Lamar also shared that Drake had been the first to hear his debut independent album, ''
Section.80''.
In the track, Lamar shares how his initial meeting with Drake had felt like an introduction into the tempting, but potentially harmful world of celebrity, luxury, and fame. Lamar explores his complex feelings about fame — both desiring and fearing what it might bring into his life, especially upon getting a peek into Drake's life of luxury — and shares his "impatien
e when finding out that himself and Drake were the same age. This fraught relationship with fame would become a theme in Lamar's music throughout his career, and often stood in contrast with Drake's celebration of luxury. This first collaboration foreshadowed themes that would lead to their eventual rift and feud, more than a decade before its explosion.
Still, Drake and Lamar's relationship continued to develop amicably. Following a strong critical reception towards "Buried Alive Interlude", Lamar opened for Drake (alongside another up-and-coming contemporary,
ASAP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...
) during Drake's
Club Paradise Tour in early 2012. The tour followed Drake's smash chart success ''
Take Care
''Take Care'' is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from the Weekn ...
''. Around the time of the tour, in March 2012, Lamar was officially signed to major label
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
.
That fall, Lamar released his first major label album, ''
Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City'', which catapulted him to superstardom. The album featured a Drake verse on the track "
Poetic Justice
Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, h ...
", which later became a hit single.
In December 2012, both Lamar and Drake also made an appearance on ASAP Rocky's hit single "
Fuckin' Problems
"Fuckin' Problems" (also censored as "Problems" and titled on the clean version "F**kin' Problems") is a song by American rapper ASAP Rocky, featuring Canadian rapper Drake and fellow American rappers 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar. It was release ...
", released in advance of Rocky's major-label debut.
2013–14: "Control", "The Language", and first indirect confrontation
On August 14, 2013,
Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...
released the track "
Control", featuring Lamar and
Jay Electronica
Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah (born Timothy Elpadaro Thedford; September 19, 1976), known professionally as Jay Electronica (stylized as ), is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in New Orleans, he first saw recognition wit ...
, which was initially intended for Big Sean's album
''Hall of Fame'', but had to be left off due to
sample clearance issues. Lamar's verse on the track called out many popular rappers of his generation by name, including Drake, claiming that he "had love" for all of them, but was trying to figuratively "murder" them, to the point of making their fans forget about their existence.
The verse quickly went viral on social media, and was widely discussed by hip-hop's biggest names and the public at large.
In an interview with ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' two weeks later, Drake dismissed Lamar's verse, stating: "It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That's all it was. I know good and well that
amars not murdering me, at all, in any platform". In September, Drake joined
Elliott Wilson's live interview series ''#CRWN''. When prompted about the "Control" verse, Drake replied that Lamar's in-person attitude contradicted the sentiments of his "Control" verse. "I saw him five days later at
the VMAs and it was all love... If it's really 'fuck everybody' then it needs to be 'fuck everybody'. It can't just be halfway".
On September 24, 2013, Drake released his third studio album ''
Nothing Was the Same
''Nothing Was the Same'' is the third studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake. It was released on September 24, 2013, through OVO Sound, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records. Work on the record ...
''. Multiple outlets interpreted the first verse on "
The Language", the album's fifth single, as a response to Lamar's "Control" verse, with Drake insinuating that Lamar's music was "not that inspiring" despite popular and critical acclaim.
Birdman, head of Drake's then-label
Cash Money Records
Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Birdman (rapper), Bryan "Baby" Williams. The label gained prominence in the late 1990s for having signed and released albums for New Orleans– ...
, stated the song was not about Lamar.
In October, during a
cypher
Cypher may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Cypher (French Group), a Goa trance music group
* Cypher (band), an Australian instrumental band
* ''Cypher'' (film), a 2002 film
* ''Cypher'' (...And Oceans album)
* ''Cypher'' (Spektr album)
* C ...
performance aired on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
as part of the
2013 BET Hip Hop Awards, Lamar responded with a line that was widely interpreted as a diss towards Drake: "Nothing's been the same since they dropped 'Control'and tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes".
On December 17, 2013, a remix of
Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...
's "
Shit
''Shit'' is an English-language profanity. As a noun, it refers to fecal matter, and as a verb it means to defecate; in the plural ("the shits"), it means diarrhea. ''Shite'' is a common variant in British and Irish English. As a slang ...
" featuring Drake and
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...
was released. Hip-hop fans and outlets alike speculated Drake's verse on the remix was a diss targeted towards Lamar. The same day, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and
Punch (both key figures at Lamar's record label
Top Dawg Entertainment
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief exec ...
) posted responses on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
to Drake's verse disregarding the supposed disses.
Two days after the track's release, Drake addressed Lamar's 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher verse and "The Language" in a cover story for ''
Vibe
Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing.
Vibe may also refer to:
People
* DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ
* Lasse Vibe (b ...
'', mocking the idea of them being "buddy-buddy" and stating he already "stood
isground" in response to "Control". Nevertheless, Drake maintained that "The Language" was not targeted towards Lamar. Drake also praised Lamar as a "genius in his own right" and insisted there was "no real issue".
In June 2014, Drake posted a video on
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
of himself rapping along to "Cut You Off (To Grow Closer)" from Lamar's 2010 mixtape ''
Overly Dedicated
''Overly Dedicated'' (sometimes stylized as ''O(verly) D(edicated)'' and abbreviated as ''OD'') is the fourth solo mixtape by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on September 14, 2010, via Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). It is the first mixtap ...
''.
On October 29, 2014,
Jay Rock
Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1985), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. Rock signed with local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. He secured a major lab ...
released "Pay for It" featuring Lamar. The latter's verse contained lines seemingly taking shots at Drake while referencing lyrics from Drake's "The Language".
Like Drake, Lamar denied growing rumors of tensions between the two. In an interview with ''Dazed'' published on November 3, 2014, Lamar clarified: "I got no beef with Drake". On November 4, 2014, Lamar made an appearance on
WWPR-FM
WWPR-FM (105.1 FM) is an urban contemporary music radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from studios located at 125 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, while its transmitter is loc ...
's ''
The Breakfast Club
''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American independent teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The ensemble cast includes Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ring ...
'' and further defused the prospect of a 'beef' between himself and Drake: "It wasn't no issue from the jump. I think people talk about beef ... it's just a whole 'nother dynamic. I can't see myself going bar for bar with Drake. We're two different types of artists."
2015–2022: Sneak disses
Despite Drake and Lamar's prior dismissals, their feud continued in the form of
sneak disses (intentionally subtle diss lyrics) ''Billboard'' identified as "subtle shots fired from both sides, but nothing groundbreaking".
Marc Griffin, writing a timeline of the feud for ''Vibe'' in 2024, referred to this time as "the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
between the two men".
In a list of potential sneak disses on Drake's February 2015 mixtape ''
If You're Reading This It's Too Late'', Brandon Caldwell for ''Billboard'' claimed "Used To" and the bonus track "6PM in New York" contained lines targeting Lamar. On March 15, 2015, Lamar released his third studio album ''
To Pimp a Butterfly
''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout ...
''. The album's third single, "
King Kunta", received little attention in the context of Drake and Lamar's feud until after
Meek Mill
Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...
accused Drake of using
ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a person hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often h ...
s on Twitter. After the accusations became public, the lines "A rapper with a ghostwriter? What the fuck happened? / I swore I wouldn't tell / But most of y'all sharing bars like you got the bottom bunk in a two-man cell" from "King Kunta" were retrospectively interpreted by multiple outlets as subliminal Drake disses from Lamar.
The songs "Darkside / Gone" and "Deep Water" from
Dr. Dre
Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
's August 2015 studio album ''
Compton'' also both featured Lamar verses with lines interpreted as Drake disses.
On January 15, 2016, President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
sat down for a series of interviews conducted by
YouTube influencers. In one such interview, Adande "
Swoozie" Thorne asked if Obama thought Drake or Lamar would win in a
rap battle
Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults, wordplay and disses originating in the African-American community. Battle rap is of ...
. Obama responded: "Got to go with Kendrick. I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer. But Kendrick — his lyrics, his last album
'To Pimp a Butterfly''was outstanding. Best album, I think, last year." Fifteen days later, Drake released "
Summer Sixteen
"Summer Sixteen" is a single (music), single by Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake, released to promote his fourth studio album ''Views (album), Views'', although it was not included on that album. The song premiered on OVO Sound Radio and wa ...
", dissing Obama and rapping: "Tell Obama that my verses are just like the whips that he in / They bulletproof". ''Vibe'' Iyana Robertson said the ensuing conversation "... reignited a debate that has been going on since the conception of
rake and Lamar'srespective careers". During a June 2016 airing of
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's ''Max and Marcellus'', sportscaster
Marcellus Wiley
Marcellus Vernon Wiley Sr. (born November 30, 1974) is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. He played as a defensive end for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Charger ...
claimed there was a destroyed
''SportsNation'' interview on ESPN of either Drake or Lamar dissing the other in a way that would have "ignited
he feudto proportions we have not seen since
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop rap, pop and contempo ...
/
50 ">ent maybe even
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
/
N.W.A
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...
." In an August 2016 interview for
VladTV
DJ Vlad (born Vladislav Lyubovny, June 28, 1973) is a Ukrainian-American interviewer, journalist, and former DJ. He is the creator of the news website ''VladTV.com''. His namesake YouTube channel hosts interviews of prominent entertainers and cel ...
, Wiley stated that the alleged ''SportsNation'' interview was destroyed because the inciting rapper's team intervened. On May 8, 2024, Wiley stated in his
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
show ''Hydration Situation'' that the interview took place in 2014, with Drake as the inciting party. Wiley claimed that Drake said he was better than Lamar, which he perceived as jealousy. He also accused Drake of personally intimidating ESPN into deleting the interview.
On March 23, 2017, Lamar released "
The Heart Part 4", popularly perceived as a diss track towards Big Sean or Drake. Lamar would later explicitly reference lines from "The Heart Part 4" in his 2024 Drake diss track "
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
", seemingly confirming the perception of the former track as a Drake diss.
In May 2022, Lamar released his fifth studio album ''
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers''. The fifth song on the album, "Father Time" (featuring
Sampha
Sampha Lahai Sisay (born 16 November 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Morden, South London. Sampha has collaborated with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, ...
), included a verse from Lamar which referenced
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
and Drake's brief peace during
their respective feud: "When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused / Guess I'm not mature as I think, got some healin' to do". The lines were reported by some outlets as possible disses toward Drake and West, though they were also interpreted as Lamar expressing surprise at Drake and West's reconciliation. In September 2021,
Joe Budden
Joseph Anthony Budden II (born August 31, 1980) is an American broadcaster and former rapper. He first gained recognition with his 2003 single " Pump It Up", which peaked in the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and preceded the release of h ...
alleged Lamar dissed Drake on the song "
Family Ties
''Family Ties'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the social shift in the United Stat ...
", released the month prior by
Baby Keem
Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr. (born October 22, 2000), known professionally as Baby Keem, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Las Vegas, he gained recognition in the late 2010s with his contributions to '' Black Panther: The Album'' ...
and Lamar.
2023–24: Direct confrontation
"First Person Shooter" and "Like That"
In October 2023,
J. Cole featured on Drake's track "
First Person Shooter
A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the main character. This genre sha ...
", a single from his album ''
For All the Dogs
''For All the Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released by OVO Sound and Republic Records on October 6, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, Par ...
''. Cole suggested that he, Drake, and Lamar were part of the "Big Three" greatest rappers in modern hip-hop, and suggested that he was currently the best of the three. The song became a smash hit, topping the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.
Five months later, Lamar responded directly to the track and the "Big Three" notion in a feature on
Metro Boomin
Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...
and
Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...
's song, "
Like That" from their album ''
We Don't Trust You
''We Don't Trust You'' is the first collaborative studio album by American rapper Future and American record producer Metro Boomin, released on March 22, 2024, by Freebandz, Epic Records, Boominati Worldwide, and Republic. The album features g ...
''. Lamar dissed both Cole and Drake, saying "motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me".
Other tracks on ''We Don't Trust You'' were interpreted as also containing lyrical shots at Drake, with some fans speculating that the featured artists on the album were chosen for their known animosity towards Drake.
Lamar's diss prompted Cole to release a response song, "
7 Minute Drill
"7 Minute Drill" is a diss track written and recorded by the American rapper J. Cole for his fourth mixtape, '' Might Delete Later'' (2024). It was his response to fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar's diss verse on his single " Like That" (w ...
",
in which he criticizes ''To Pimp a Butterfly''.
In the days after, he publicly apologized onstage for releasing the song and removed it from streaming services.
Drake did not directly acknowledge "Like That" on tour, simply stating at one concert: "I got my head up high... and I know no matter what there's not another nigga on this Earth that could ever fuck with me".
On April 12, Metro Boomin and Future would release a second collaborative album entitled ''
We Still Don't Trust You
''We Still Don't Trust You'' is the second collaborative studio album by American rapper Future and American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released on April 12, 2024, through Freebandz (under the business name Wilburn Holding Co), Epic R ...
'', featuring more shots towards Drake.
"Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle"
On April 13, 2024, early versions of Drake's "
Push Ups" were leaked online.
The song serves as a response to Lamar's verse on "Like That";
Drake claims multiple artists are better than Lamar, including
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American-British rapper. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regiona ...
,
Travis Scott
Jacques Bermon Webster III (born April 30, 1991), known professionally as Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott has had five number-one hits on the U.S. ''Bil ...
, and
SZA
Solána Imani Rowe (born November 8, 1989), known professionally as SZA ( ), is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her diaristic lyrics and genre explorations, she has been credited as a prominent figure in influencing contemporary R& ...
.
On "Push Ups", Drake also mocks Lamar's short stature of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters), and criticizes Lamar for
collaborating with Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
and other pop artists.
In addition, Drake disses numerous other artists on "Push Ups", including Metro Boomin, Future,
the Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
, ASAP Rocky, and
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
. Shortly afterward, Ross would release a diss track against Drake entitled "
Champagne Moments
"Champagne Moments" is a diss track by American rapper Rick Ross aimed at Canadian rapper Drake. It is a response to " Push Ups", hours after the song was leaked. Champagne Moments was released on April 13, 2024 and was released on to streaming p ...
".
On April 19, 2024, Drake officially released "Push Ups"; at the same time, he used social media to release "
Taylor Made Freestyle", another diss targeted at Lamar. The song featured
AI-generated vocals imitating two of Lamar's fellow West Coast rappers,
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
and the late
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
.
Shakur and Lamar had been linked ever since Lamar's ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' featured extensive references to Shakur's legacy, as well as a posthumous "interview" with Shakur (pulled from a real-life interview with the rapper before
his death). Using the voices of both Shakur and Snoop Dogg, as well as his own voice, Drake taunts Lamar for purported cowardice over not yet having responded to "Push Ups", and claims that Lamar held back his response to the track to avoid being drowned out by the chart success of Taylor Swift's new album, ''
The Tortured Poets Department
''The Tortured Poets Department'' is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 19, 2024, by Republic Records. Swift developed the album amidst the Eras Tour in 2023, with the resultant, ...
''. On this track, Drake makes the feud's first reference to the pedophilia accusations against him, using Shakur's AI-generated voice to implore Lamar: "Talk about him liking young girls, that's a gift from me/Heard it on the
Budden Podcast, it's gotta be true."
The song received direct criticism from Shakur's estate, which stated disapproval of the AI-generated verse and threatened to sue Drake to pull the song from social media, citing the violation of Shakur's
personality rights
Personality rights, sometimes referred to as the right of publicity, are rights for an individual to control the commercial use of their identity, such as name, image, likeness, or other unequivocal identifiers. They are generally considered as p ...
and the decision to diss a friend of the estate: "The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupac's voice against Kendrick Lamar... who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult."
"Taylor Made Freestyle" was subsequently taken down from social media by Drake on April 26, 2024 (it had only ever been posted on social media, and never shared on streaming services).
"Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA"
On April 30, 2024, Lamar released a
diss track
A diss track, diss record or diss song (an abbreviation of ''disrespect'' or ''disparage'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feu ...
named "
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
" in response to Drake.
The title has been interpreted as a reference to the TV show ''
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
'', a show about high school students for which Drake serves as an executive producer.
''Vulture'' described the track as Lamar showing his "pure hatred" towards Drake. In the track, Lamar criticizes Drake's parenting, saying: "I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that".
He also claims that Drake's abs were made through plastic surgery.
On May 3, 2024, three days after "Euphoria", Lamar posted an
Instagram Reel captioned "
6:16 in LA", containing a new diss track,
similar to how Drake released "Taylor Made Freestyle".
The title parodies Drake's "
imestampin
ity
The pyramid of Ity was probably the tomb of Pharaoh who reigned during the 8th dynasty. It has never been discovered and is known only from a cliff-face inscription at Wadi Hammamat in the Eastern Desert, where there were several quarries in P ...
song series, including "
9AM in Dallas
"9AM in Dallas" is a song by rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It ...
", "
5AM in Toronto", and "
8AM in Charlotte"; speculation has surrounded the meaning of the time 6:16 in the track's title, with several meanings proposed, including the date of Father's Day 2024 and a potential reference to the Devil.
The track was produced by
Jack Antonoff
Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Bleachers, and previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop band Fun and the lead vocalist of t ...
, the producer well known for his work on many of Taylor Swift's albums, which was widely interpreted as a response to Drake's comments regarding Swift on "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle". In the track, Lamar claims that members of Drake's camp are leaking information to him, and threatens that Drake's darkest secrets will be exposed if he does not bow out of the beef immediately.
"Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams"
On May 3, Drake released "
Family Matters
''Family Matters'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for eight seasons from September 22, 1989, to May 9, 1997, then moved to CBS for its ninth and final season from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-of ...
", a response to "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA". In the track, Drake alleges that one of Lamar's children is biologically from
Dave Free
David Isaac Friley (born November 13, 1986), known professionally as Dave Free, is an American filmmaker and record producer. Born and raised in Inglewood, California, he is best known as the manager and creative partner of fellow California ...
, Lamar's friend and label co-founder.
He also claims Lamar is a domestic abuser and unfaithful in his relationship with his fiancée Whitney Alford. The track is also directed at ASAP Rocky and Metro Boomin, who collaborated with Future on the April 12 diss track "
Show of Hands
Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/ folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mando ...
".
As promotion for "Family Matters", Drake used Instagram to drop a short parody remix of Lamar's "Buried Alive Interlude" from ''Take Care'' in which he mentions Lamar opening for his Club Paradise Tour.
Just twenty minutes after the release of "Family Matters", Lamar released another diss track aimed at Drake, titled "
Meet the Grahams", produced by
The Alchemist
An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy.
Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to:
Books and stories
* ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho
* ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Ben ...
. On the track, Lamar speaks directly to members of Drake's family, telling his son Adonis that he is sorry that his father is Drake.
Lamar alleges that Drake is hiding a second child (a daughter), that he is sexually attracted to minors, and that he is running a sex trafficking ring out of his mansion.
Lamar also disses Drake's
OVO label affiliates—claiming they are sex offenders harbored by Drake—and security guard.
He predicts that Drake's mansion "is 'bout to get raided too", referring to the recent federal raids on
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Mount Ve ...
' mansion as part of an unrelated investigation.
Lamar revealing an alleged second child came in the context of
Pusha T
Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
's 2018 diss track "
The Story of Adidon
''"''The Story of Adidon''"'' is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Pusha T. It was released on May 29, 2018 on SoundCloud, amidst his feud with Canadian rapper Drake. The track is a response to Drake's " Duppy Freestyle".
The ...
", in which Pusha T publicly revealed that Drake was hiding a son named Adonis. Drake responded to Lamar on Instagram: "Nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me ... these guys are in shambles", followed by multiple laughing emojis.
Fans who were put off by the alleged "lie" about the hidden daughter, uploaded an edited version of the track to social media, where they edited out the third verse of "
Meet the Grahams",
prompting Lamar and his label to file a copyright violation.
Charles Holmes of ''
The Ringer'' wrote that with "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams", "the Doomsday Machine has been activated", and the feud was no longer inconsequential.
"Not Like Us" and "The Heart Part 6"
On May 4, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released "
Not Like Us
"Not Like Us" is a diss track by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar amidst Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud, his highly publicized feud with the Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake. Released on May 4, 2024, through Interscope Records, it broke ...
", produced by
DJ Mustard
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...
. In the track, Lamar more explicitly refers to Drake and members of his inner circle as pedophiles, saying: "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young. You better not ever go to cell block one" and referencing Drake's album ''
Certified Lover Boy'' before calling Drake and his crew "certified pedophiles".
Lamar's last line of his first verse, "Tryna strike a chord, and it's probably A-minor", an allusion to the accusations of pedophilia against Drake and his crew, became a cultural meme in its own right, with fans loudly chanting the line in later performances.
Several members of Drake's crew were mentioned by name in the track, including a direct reference to
Baka Not Nice
Travis Savoury (born March 6, 1979), known professionally as Baka Not Nice, is a Canadian rapper and former security guard. He signed with Drake's record label OVO Sound, an imprint of Warner Records, in 2018.
Career
Baka's career began as part ...
's prior criminal charges of sex trafficking, assault, and robbery of a 22-year-old woman he allegedly forced into prostitution in 2014. He was only convicted of an assault charge and an unrelated weapons charge. The cover art for the track was a satellite image of Drake's mansion labeled with pins representing sexual predators.
Lamar also levies other accusations against Drake in his third verse, including referring to Drake as a "colonizer", pointing out how he has frequently collaborated with (and in Lamar's view, co-opted the stylings of)
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
rappers despite having no roots in the city, and drawing an allusion between this pattern and the history of slavery and indentured servitude in the same region of the U.S. Lamar also accuses Drake of disrespecting the
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
by using an A.I. version of Tupac's voice on "Taylor Made Freestyle", potentially inciting violence against him: "I think that
Oakland
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
show gon' be your last stop, nigga".
Lamar hints at having significant further material for criticism of Drake, including many future diss tracks already prepared.
After the release of the song, on
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panorama, interactive panoramic views of streets (Google Street View, Street View ...
, fans have found Drake's mansion and have labeled the house, using Google Maps' option to customize locations, as "Owned by Kendrick", as well as things like "A-Minor", referencing the first verse of "Not Like Us" and "Kendrick's Dog", which could be another reference to one of Drake's albums, ''
For All the Dogs
''For All the Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released by OVO Sound and Republic Records on October 6, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, Par ...
.''
On May 5, 2024, Drake released "
The Heart Part 6
"The Heart Part 6" is a diss track by the Canadian rapper Drake released amidst his highly publicized feud with the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released through Drake's OVO Sound record label on May 5, 2025, as a response to Lamar's ...
". The title references Lamar's "The Heart" series, picking up after Lamar's critically acclaimed "
The Heart Part 5
"The Heart Part 5" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was surprise released on May 8, 2022, through PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records, as a promotional single to help anticipate the rele ...
".
In the track, Drake denies the pedophile and
grooming allegations made against him.
He claims Lamar's accusations were based on his own trauma stemming from abuse.
The
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
song "Prove It" is sampled, and uses Franklin's lines "Now let me see you prove it / Just let me see you prove it".
Drake says: "Only fuckin' with Whitneys, not
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bonnie Brown Bongiovi ( Brown; born 19 February 2004), known professionally as Millie Bobby Brown, is a British actress and producer. She gained recognition for playing Eleven (Stranger Things), Eleven in the Netflix science fiction ser ...
s, I'd never look twice at no teenager", referring to Drake's friendship with the actress that started when she was 14, and led to accusations on social media that Drake was grooming her.
Drake also alleges that his inner circle fed Lamar false information about having an 11-year-old daughter, which Lamar referenced in "Meet the Grahams".
He continues claiming that there were cases of domestic violence in Lamar's relationship with Alford, and claimed that Lamar had not seen his children in six months. Writing on social media afterwards, Drake predicted Lamar would respond shortly, saying "And we know you're dropping 6 mins after so instead of posting my address you have a lot to address". "The Heart Part 6" received negative reviews from critics and fans, amassing an estimated over 1 million dislikes on YouTube.
2024–present: Aftermath of direct confrontation
The Pop Out concert and "Not Like Us" music video release
In June 2024, Lamar announced a one-off concert at the
Kia Forum
The Kia Forum, also known as Los Angeles Forum and formerly Great Western Forum, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located on West Manchester Boulevard, with Pincay Drive to th ...
in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...
, titled
The Pop Out: Ken & Friends in reference to a lyric from "Not Like Us" ("Sometimes you gotta pop out and show niggas"). The concert was scheduled for
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States, federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the End of slavery in the United States, ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday's n ...
, which
Charlamagne tha God suggested was a dig aimed at Drake. Lamar opened his part of the show with "Euphoria", which contained updated lyrics aimed at Drake's possession of Tupac Shakur's crown ring. Later in the show,
Ab-Soul
Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where he eventually formed We ...
accompanied Lamar for the debut performance of "6:16 in LA". Lamar performed his verse on "Like That" for the first time before inviting Dr. Dre on stage. Lamar and Dre performed Dre's hits "
Still D.R.E." and "
California Love
"California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper Dr. Dre. The song was released December 3, 1995, as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist ...
", the latter of which Dre had recorded with Shakur. After these two songs, Dre performed the intro to "Not Like Us" ("Pssst, I see dead people"). Lamar concluded the concert with a "Not Like Us" encore, afterwards repeating the song five more times while dancing on stage with colleagues and members of many Los Angeles street gangs, including the
Crips
The Crips are a primarily African-American alliance of street gangs that are based in the coastal regions of Southern California. Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams, the Crips ...
and
Bloods
The Bloods are a primarily African Americans, African American street gang which was founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for Crips–Bloods gang war, its rivalry with the Crips. It is identified by the red color worn ...
, before taking a group photo onstage.
The
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "Not Like Us" was released on July 4, 2024, in celebration of
American Independence Day
Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...
,
at approximately 3 p.m.
PT, after four still images from the clip were
leaked to social media the day before. Dave Free and Lamar directed it, and
Charm La'Donna handled the choreography and is also credited as the
associate producer.
The video features cameos from
Tommy the Clown
Thomas Johnson, also known as Tommy the Clown, is an American dancer best known as the inventor of the "clowning" style of dance, which evolved into krumping. Johnson invented the style in 1992 to enhance birthday party clown acts, thereby creati ...
and NBA star
DeMar DeRozan (a Compton native and former star of Drake's hometown Toronto Raptors who is mentioned by name in the track),
and is set in Lamar's hometown of
Compton, California
Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...
.
By the morning after, the video had reached over 13 million views on YouTube.
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
and ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' noted widespread anticipation for the video up to its release.
Numerous publications and websites called it another victory lap for Lamar in his feud with Drake. The video discredited many allegations and claims that Drake had used to diss Lamar with the appearance of his family dancing happily in the video, as well as the video credits reading "Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar".
It was called a moment of re-ignition of the feud, and was seen as Lamar's "
knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
punch" against Drake.
Concert cancellations at History
Schoolboy Q
Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...
was set to commence his Blue Lips Weekends
concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific ...
, in support of his sixth studio album ''
Blue Lips'' (2024), on July 18, 2024, at
History
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
. The music venue was established in 2021 through a creative partnership between Drake and
Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American multinational entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment internation ...
. On the evening prior to opening night, Schoolboy Q announced that the sold-out concert was unexpectedly cancelled.
He blamed the cancellation on Drake and Lamar's feud, citing his longtime friendship with Lamar, and claimed the
Toronto Police Service
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is a municipal police force in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the primary agency responsible for providing law enforcement and policing services in Toronto. Established in 1834, it was the first local police se ...
prohibited artists from Top Dawg Entertainment from performing in the city due to safety concerns. The police agency dismissed rumors of their involvement, saying the decision to cancel the performance was made solely by History.
On July 29, 2024,
DJ Scheme played "Not Like Us" at History during his opening set for
Ski Mask the Slump God
Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne (born April 18, 1996), known professionally as Ski Mask the Slump God, is an American rapper. He is best known for his association with XXXTentacion, with whom he formed the hip hop collective Members Only in 2014. ...
. The two artists taunted Drake and gloated over the move with Schoolboy Q on social media.
Sir
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...
, who is also signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and has close associations with Lamar, announced the following day that his sold-out concert at History was also cancelled.
Drake comments and legal actions against UMG
On November 25, 2024, Drake appeared on a
Kick
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of ...
livestream
Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming media, streaming of video or Digital audio, audio in real-time communication, real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature ...
with Canadian streamer
xQc
Félix Lengyel (; born November 12, 1995), better known as xQc (formerly xQcOW), is a Canadian online streamer, influencer, and former professional ''Overwatch (video game), Overwatch'' player.
While he is best known for his streaming career ...
, describing himself as "fully intact, mind, body, and soul" and remarking that "you need facts to take me out, fairy tales won't do it". He also sent additional jabs at the Weeknd and
Steve Lacy
Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015. His self-produced debut EP, '' ...
; the latter and Lamar reacted to the stream with amusement. On the same day, Drake filed a petition against
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
(UMG) and
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
alleging they violated the
RICO Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
RICO was e ...
by using illegal tactics to boost streams for "Not Like Us". UMG responded the same day, denying the allegations and stating that "no amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear". On November 26, Drake filed another petition against UMG, alleging
defamation
Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
and a "
pay-to-play
Pay-to-play, sometimes pay-for-play or P2P, is a phrase used for a variety of situations in which money is exchanged for services or the privilege to engage in certain activities. The common denominator of all forms of pay-to-play is that one mu ...
" scheme between UMG and
iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast, radio streaming and Music Streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. Founded in August 2008, iHeartRadio serves as the national umbrella brand for iHeart ...
.
On December 20, 2024, Spotify released opposition papers in response to the original petition, denying allegations of "any arrangement" between themselves and UMG. Drake's legal representation responded the same day, stating Spotify and UMG "should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request" if they have "nothing to hide".
On January 15, 2025, Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG for defamation; Lamar was not included as a defendant. On March 17, 2025, UMG filed a motion to dismiss Drake's lawsuit.
New releases and return to indirect conflict
In September 2024, shortly after being announced as the halftime show musical guest for the upcoming Super Bowl, Lamar dropped his first track following the beef, an untitled Instagram-only release known colloquially as "
Watch the Party Die" after its refrain; the song did not mention Drake, and was interpreted as an attempt to reshape the narrative from the beef towards Lamar's broader goals of shifting hip-hop away from glorifying luxury and the celebrity lifestyle (symbolized by Drake) and towards lyricism and music with a deeper meaning.
Lamar followed up this teaser track with a new studio album, ''
GNX
The Buick Regal is a line of mid-size cars marketed by Buick since 1973. Serving as the premium mid-size/intermediate car of the Buick product range for nearly its entire production, the Regal initially served as the divisional counterpart of t ...
'', that autumn. The album did not directly mention Drake, nor did it feature any of that spring's diss tracks; however, many of its songs, particularly the opening track "
Wacced Out Murals", were interpreted as containing reflections on the feud and further indirect shots at Drake. Lamar also included a track on the album entitled "
Heart Pt. 6", reusing the title that Drake had earlier claimed for his feud-ending track.
On January 3, 2025, producer
Conductor Williams, who had previously produced with Drake on ''
For All the Dogs
''For All the Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released by OVO Sound and Republic Records on October 6, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, Par ...
'', posted and then took down a link to a Drake freestyle dubbed "Fighting Irish Freestyle". Drake addresses the feud in the freestyle and, according to many commentators, takes shots at
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
.
James, who Drake was formerly friends with and even has a tattoo of, attended Lamar's Pop Out concert and has been seen dancing to "Not Like Us".
Other lyrics in the song were read as targeting
UMG, DeMar DeRozan, and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
.
The song received mixed reactions from critics, with ''
HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of Hip hop music, hip hop music criticism and news. ''HipHopDX'' has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath C ...
'' writing that "after retreating in his beef with Kendrick following the underwhelming reception to 'The Heart Part 6', the tough talk just feels empty".
67th Annual Grammy Awards
"Not Like Us" was nominated in five different categories at the
67th Annual Grammy Awards
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards honored the best recordings, compositions, and artists from September 16, 2023, to August 30, 2024, as chosen by the members of the Recording Academy, on February 2, 2025. In its 22nd year at Crypto.com Arena in L ...
(
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
,
Song of the Year,
Best Rap Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which p ...
,
Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several c ...
, and
Best Music Video) and won all of them. It became only the second rap song ever to win in the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories, generally considered the Grammys' most prestigious awards for performance and songwriting in an individual song, respectively.
Though Lamar did not mention Drake in his victory speeches, instead dedicating them to the city of Los Angeles (which had recently been impacted by the
January 2025 wildfires), his outfit at the ceremony – a denim top along with denim pants, known as a "
Canadian tuxedo" – was seen as a playful jab at the Canadian-born Drake. The Grammys audience, including numerous celebrities, could be heard singing along to "Not Like Us" and its "A Minor" line as it played while Lamar entered to accept his awards.
Super Bowl LIX halftime show
On September 8, 2024, Lamar was announced as the headlining act for the February 2025
Super Bowl LIX
Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2024 NFL season, 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII two years prior, the National Football Conf ...
halftime show
A halftime show is a performance given during the brief period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of di ...
at the
Caesars Superdome
Caesars Superdome (originally Louisiana Superdome and formerly Mercedes-Benz Superdome), commonly known as the Superdome, is a domed multi-purpose stadium in the Southern United States, southern United States, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...
in
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. In the video announcing his selection, Lamar said "You know it's only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos", which was interpreted as a shot against Drake, who posted a few weeks before that "we will win Game 2". Speculation arose as to whether he would incorporate "Not Like Us" into his performance. Justin Sayles of ''
The Ringer'' called the halftime performance announcement as the capstone of a year that had seen Lamar "ascend to the highest levels" of popular culture, and seen Drake "sink to the lowest levels" of his career.
Lamar performed "Euphoria" and "Not Like Us" during the show. He also wore a chain with a lowercase "a" on it, which was either referencing
pgLang
PGLang (stylized as pgLang, an abbreviation for "program language") is an American independent multidisciplinary creative communications company headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded and owned by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free, it specializes in ...
or the musical chord A minor (which also references the phrase popularised by the latter track). In an interlude during the middle of the set, Lamar teased the latter song and alluded to Drake's litigation by quipping "I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue", which was followed by a brief audio clip of the song's introduction. In another interlude after performing "
All the Stars
"All the Stars" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar and American singer SZA. Written alongside Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and producers Sounwave and Al Shux, the song was released on January 4, 2018, as the lead single to the soundtrac ...
" towards the end of the set, he said "they tried to rig the game but you can't fake influence", then launched into "Not Like Us". Lamar looked directly into the camera with a smile when he rapped "Say Drake, I hear you like 'em young". The lyric including the word "pedophile" was censored, but the audience could be heard shouting the lyric "tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor" along with him a few lines later.
Professional tennis player
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WT ...
, who shares Lamar's hometown of
Compton, made a cameo appearance as a dancer doing a
crip walk
The Crip Walk, also known as the C-Walk, is a dance move that was created in the 1970s by first generation Crips, Crip members as a method of expression and communication, and has since spread worldwide without its linguistic aspects.
Overview ...
during "Not Like Us",
a reference to Williams performing a similar dance after her victory at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, for which she faced some criticism. Williams's appearance was also received as a diss towards Drake, with whom she was rumored to have dated several years earlier.
The critical response to the performance was positive. Lisa Respers France of CNN called "Not Like Us" the star of the halftime performance, while Maria Sherman of the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
called Lamar performing the song on the biggest stage in U.S. sports a few days after it swept the Grammy Awards "another step in Lamar's continued victory lap".
''$ome $exy $ongs 4 U'' and "Gimme a Hug"
On February 14, 2025, less than one week after Lamar's Super Bowl performance, Drake released a collaborative album with
PartyNextDoor
Jahron Anthony Brathwaite (born July 3, 1993), known professionally as PartyNextDoor (often stylized in all caps), is a Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer. He was the first artist to sign with Drake's record label OVO Sound ...
titled ''
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U''. This was Drake's first major release in nearly one year following the beef. Drake had previously stated that he would minimize the beef in the album; however, the track "
Gimme a Hug" contained a verse that was widely interpreted as being about the beef.
In the track, Drake touts his resilience despite many fans' desire to see his career ended, says he wants to "get the party lit" (a likely reference to Lamar's "Watch the Party Die" track from September 2024), and makes an indirect diss at his view that Lamar's music is too cerebral to party to, saying it would have "girls...twerking with a dictionary".
Around the same time, Drake wore a shirt with bullet holes in it to symbolize his resilience around the beef while on tour in Australia.
Commentary
Celebrity and media reactions
Drake has been supported by
Birdman,
Azealia Banks
Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. S ...
,
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
,
the Game,
DJ Akademiks
Livingston George Allen, known professionally as DJ Akademiks (or simply Akademiks, or by his stage name Lil AK), is a Jamaican-American podcaster, YouTuber and live streamer who specializes in music industry music journalism, journalism. Afte ...
,
Adin Ross
Adin David Ross (born October 11, 2000) is an American Influencer, internet personality and online streamer. He is known for his collaborations with celebrities and livestreams of the ''NBA 2K'' and ''Grand Theft Auto V'' video games. He pre ...
and
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James Sr. (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of now-defunct hip-hop group, the Diplomats (also known as Dipset). He is best known for his appearances on group coho ...
, among others. Lamar has been supported by
Metro Boomin
Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...
,
Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...
,
Pusha T
Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
,
ASAP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...
,
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
,
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WT ...
,
Joe Budden
Joseph Anthony Budden II (born August 31, 1980) is an American broadcaster and former rapper. He first gained recognition with his 2003 single " Pump It Up", which peaked in the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and preceded the release of h ...
and
Jay Rock
Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1985), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. Rock signed with local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. He secured a major lab ...
, among others.

''
HotNewHipHop
''HotNewHipHop'' (HNHH) is an online publication that covers daily news about hip hop and pop culture, including streetwear, sports, and Sneaker collecting, sneakers. In addition to its editorial content, HotNewHipHop also produces the video seri ...
'' referred to Metro Boomin as being a major part of the feud.
In "Push Ups", Drake directly dismisses Metro's involvement in the feud with the line "Metro, shut your ho ass up and make some drums, nigga". On "Family Matters", Drake targeted Metro Boomin again, saying one of Metro's friends had sex with his girlfriend.
On May 5, Metro responded to Drake's claim, saying: "what we not gon do is spread lies and have my loved ones involved nobody ever hit
ad sex withmy girl nigga".
He also posted the image of Drake in
blackface
Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...
that had been used for the cover of "The Story of Adidon".
Boosie Badazz
Torence Ivy Hatch Jr. (born November 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Boosie BadAzz or simply Boosie (formerly Lil' Boosie), is an American rapper. Hatch began rapping in the 1990s as a member of the Southern hip hop collective Concentr ...
criticized both Lamar and Drake and their respective fanbases over the feud, expressing that the feud undermines their careers and respective contributions to the genre.
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has releas ...
,
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
, and
Questlove
Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought ...
echoed similar sentiments, with Kurupt saying "Life is precious, my nigga. So if y'all ain't gonna fight, stop it...".
The feud was also criticized by
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
and
Macklemore
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist rele ...
for overshadowing
ongoing international conflicts, with the latter releasing the
pro-Palestinian
Palestinian nationalism is the national movement of the Palestinian people that espouses self-determination and sovereignty over the region of Palestine
The region of Palestine, also known as historic Palestine, is a geographical ar ...
song "
Hind's Hall", containing the line "I want a
ceasefire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...
, fuck a response from Drake". Singer
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
criticized Drake's use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle," saying: "It's hateful. It is antithetical to the life force that exists in all of us."
Outside of the music community, the feud attracted numerous reactions from various celebrities. Actress
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...
jokingly offered her ''
Kill Bill
''Kill Bill: Volume 1'' is a 2003 American martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a group of assassins ( Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox and Michael ...
'' costume to Drake for his feud with Lamar and other rappers. Former wrestler and current
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
producer
Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
, whose Sweet Chin Music finishing move was mentioned in "Not Like Us", invited the pair to settle their feud on ''
NXT''. Tennis star
Naomi Osaka
is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has been ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association, WTA for 25 weeks, the first Asian player to hold the ...
claimed that in her opinion, Lamar is winning the feud, and that she used "Not Like Us" in coming out to the court before beating
Clara Burel
Clara Burel (; born 24 March 2001) is a French professional tennis player. On 10 June 2024, she peaked at No. 42 in the WTA singles rankings.
Career Juniors
In 2018, Burel reached the junior singles final at three major events, the Australian ...
at the
Italian Open.
After defeating Canada in the
2024 Copa América semifinals, the
Argentine national football team posted images with "Not Like Us" emblazoned above a photo of the team, a jab at Drake for betting $300,000 on the Canadian team. The feud was referenced on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''s
Weekend Update
''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast and been featu ...
segment. Professional basketball players
Stephen Curry
Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...
and LeBron James, who were both mentioned in "Meet the Grahams", discussed the frequent usage of "Not Like Us" after a
Team USA basketball match. Curry said "it's not the only song in America" while James said he loves the song, while agreeing that "we gotta get something else." Curry later said in an interview with ''GQ'' that he's still a 'big Drake guy'.
"BBL Drizzy" beat giveaway
On May 5, 2024, Metro Boomin started a contest where he would give a free beat and $10,000 to whoever recorded the best diss against Drake over a semi-instrumental track called "
BBL Drizzy
"BBL Drizzy" (released as the file name "BBL DRIZZY BPM 150.mp3") is a " diss track beat" by American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released on May 5, 2024, in response to the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud which consisted of multiple diss ...
", whose chorus is based on the rumor that Drake has had a
Brazilian butt lift. The song samples an
AI generated R&B parody song
Parody music, or musical parody, involves changing or copying existing (usually well known) musical ideas, and/or lyrics, or copying the particular style of a composer or performer, or even a general style of music.
In music, parody has been us ...
evocative of
1970s music created by comedic performer King Willonius. The instrumental received more than 3.3 million streams on SoundCloud within a week and managed to maintain the number one spot on the platform's "New and Hot" chart.
The track also drew responses on social media, with celebrities and internet personalities including
Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...
,
Dr. Miami, and more reacting. In addition to freestyle raps, users also recreated the song beyond
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
to
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
,
merengue and
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
styles.
Some also created covers of the song on a variety of
musical instruments
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
, including
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
and
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
.
Analysis
According to ''The Ringer'', the feud has been considered the "last great rap beef", with Holmes asserting that "
terms of size, scale, and capital, we're witnessing the last rap beef of this magnitude."
Multiple commentators, including
Todd Boyd, compared the feud to the
East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry from the 1990s, which culminated with the
drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrators to quickly strike their targets and flee the scene before l ...
deaths of both
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
and
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...
in 1996 and 1997, respectively. The feud was also considered a debate about the future of the genre and its culture, specifically in regards towards its commercial appeal and authenticity; an
MSNBC
MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
article drew parallels to the feud between
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
and
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air (S ...
. Likening the feud to literary debates, ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
s Ryan Coogan opined that the two rappers' poetic talents had elevated their conflict from celebrity gossip to art. He further claimed that the feud "has caused both men to dig deep and produce some of their best work in years". Alphonse Pierre of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' labeled the feud "the most miserable spectacle in rap history", calling it a "disinformation campaign that has turned rap's all-time biggest beef into a messy, confusing conflict that, at its core, is nothing but ugly" and stated it "doesn't even sound like rap beef anymore, but the death knell of an entire era", specifically noting both the severity of the accusations leveled against the parties involved and how the feud had been received on social media in light of those accusations.
Among other beefs in 2024, the feud has also been regarded as an example of social media's influence in shifting the nature of rap beefs. In an
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...
article,
Howard University
Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...
professor Tia Tyree compared the past release of diss tracks on radio and CD to the instantaneous nature of social media releases. The prevalence of
Stan culture was also noted as a factor in the feud.
Holmes noted that unlike Drake's leverage of
meme culture in his feud against
Meek Mill
Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group the Blo ...
, he was at a disadvantage compared to Lamar's less accessible nature on the internet.
Both artists received criticism for their use of women and family members as "punchlines" in their respective diss tracks.
''The Ringer'' argued hypocrisy in both parties' messaging, stating that Drake, who went after Lamar for allegedly abusing women, had shouted out
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
on "Family Matters" and posted his support on social media of
Tory Lanez
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer. First discovered by Sean Kingston, he received initial recognition for his mixtape ''Conflicts of My S ...
, both of whom had been arrested for domestic violence.
Similarly, Lamar was accused of hypocrisy for attacking Drake for allegedly being a sexual predator, despite featuring
Kodak Black
Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave; June 11, 1997), known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 songs " No Flockin" and " Skrt", both of ...
on his last studio album ''
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers'' after Kodak had previously taken a plea deal in a first-degree criminal sexual assault case.
In addition, criticism resurfaced of Lamar's label head, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, threatening to remove Lamar's catalogue from
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
in 2018, in opposition to Spotify announcing they would remove
XXXTentacion
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...
's and
R. Kelly's songs from official playlists after the two artists were accused of various forms of
domestic
Domestic may refer to:
In the home
* Anything relating to the human home or family
** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication
** A domestic appliance, or home appliance
** A domestic partnership
** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...
and
sexual abuse
Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
.
UMG, the label of both Lamar and Drake, denied rumors that they had been mediating an end to the feud.
Verdict
By early May 2024, various music outlets such as ''Pitchfork'',
''The Ringer'',
and ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' cited Lamar as winning in the feud. An ''
Insider
Insider(s) or The Insider(s) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* ''Insiders'', a comic series by Mark Millar and Paul Grist, published in ''Crisis''
* The Insiders, a team of DC Comics characters in the Brainiac stories
* ''I ...
'' article claimed that both music critics and social media users conceded Lamar as the victor.
However, Alphonse Pierre of ''Pitchfork'' avowed that Lamar's victory was "
pyrrhic
A pyrrhic (; ''pyrrichios'', from πυρρίχη ''pyrrichē'') is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. It consists of two unaccented, short syllables. It is also known as a dibrach.
In classical Greek poetry
Although the pyrrhic by itsel ...
",
while Charles Holmes for ''The Ringer'' similarly claimed Lamar was in the lead despite the victory feeling hollow.
The Roots
The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
drummer
Questlove
Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought ...
condemned both for engaging in "wrestling match level mudslinging", opining that neither can reasonably be considered to have emerged victorious, concluding, "Hip Hop truly is dead."
Other writers took a contrary view, arguing that the feud was a net positive for hip-hop. Yemi Abiade of
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
said the feud "entertained the entire world, enhancing the legacies of two generational rap artists" and claimed that "rap music wins, yet again".
Laurence Ralph wrote in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' that the winners were both Kendrick Lamar and
old-school hip hop
Old-school hip hop (also spelled old skool) (also known as disco-rap) is the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music and the original style of the genre. It typically refers to the music created around 1979 to 1983, as well as any hip hop t ...
.
With the release of Lamar's "Not Like Us" music video, numerous critics and publications recognized Lamar as the victor of the feud. In September 2024, a ''
New Yorker
New Yorker may refer to:
* A resident of New York:
** A resident of New York City and its suburbs
*** List of people from New York City
** A resident of the New York (state), State of New York
*** Demographics of New York (state)
* ''The New Yor ...
'' article about the feud opened with the line "Has there ever been as clear a loser as Drake?" After the Super Bowl LIX halftime show,
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
headlined an article with "Almost a year after the battle, Kendrick Lamar has won the war."
Full song chronology
Related songs
See also
*
2024 in hip hop music
*
Drake–Kanye West feud
*
East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry
*
List of diss tracks
The following is a list of diss (music), diss tracks, recorded songs the primary purpose of which is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist.
Traditional recordings
YouTube
These diss (music), diss tracks are known for the ...
Notes
References
External links
What to know about the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamarby the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
, from ''
PBS NewsHour
''PBS News Hour'', previously stylized as ''PBS NewsHour'', is the news division of PBS and an American daily evening news broadcasting#television, television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS Network affiliate#Member stations, member stat ...
''
It was a classic rap beef. Then Drake revived Tupac with AI and Congress got involvedby ''
Planet Money
''Planet Money'' is an American podcast and blog produced by NPR. Using "creative and entertaining" dialogue and narrative, ''Planet Money'' claims to be "The Economy Explained".
History
The podcast was created by Alex Blumberg and Adam Davi ...
'' at
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
A look at the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud and its implicationsby
Amna Nawaz
Amna Nawaz (Urdu: آمنہ نواز) is an American broadcast journalist and a co-anchor of the ''PBS NewsHour'' alongside Geoff Bennett. Before joining PBS in April 2018, Nawaz was an anchor and correspondent at ABC News and NBC News. She has r ...
, from ''
PBS NewsHour
''PBS News Hour'', previously stylized as ''PBS NewsHour'', is the news division of PBS and an American daily evening news broadcasting#television, television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS Network affiliate#Member stations, member stat ...
''
Who won the Kendrick Lamar v Drake beef?by Yemi Abiade at
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
And the Winner Is: Kendrick Lamar. And Old-School Hip-Hop. opinion piece by
Laurence Ralph in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud
2024 in American music
Hip-hop feuds
Lamar, Kendrick
Kendrick Lamar
2024 in Internet culture
2024 controversies in the United States
African-American-related controversies
Internet memes introduced in 2024