The hip-hop scene has been treated to quite some amusing moments over the last few weeks as an all-out war has broken out between the two top rappers, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Both artists have released multiple diss tracks, with attacks being thrown around regarding family, race, sexual and physical abuse, body image, hypocrisy, misogyny, and more.
Hip-hop’s top-tier (male) millennial roster has also been actively involved, with the likes of J. Cole and Rick Ross also taking part. From Taylor Swift to NBA player Ja Morant, names have also been thrown around.
For those who may not be aware of what has really been going on over the years, this may come as a surprise as the two have a well-known history of collaboration in songs, albums, and even tours. However, the reality is that it has been a cold war for over a decade with subtle digs at each other, and things have just ultimately boiled over.
What’s the History?
The beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar goes back to the early 2010s. Drake had gained widespread recognition due to his melodic hooks, while Lamar had gained critical acclaim but was not yet as popular. Drake then featured Lamar in his 2011 song “Buried Alive Interlude” under his second album “Take Care.” However, there was a hint of competition coming up. Lamar rapped, “He said that he was the same age as myself/and it didn’t help ’cause it made me even more rude and impatient.” On Friday, Drake would come back to reference this as Kendrick being jealous since the beginning. But that was a while back.
In 2012, Kendrick opened for Drake during his Club Paradise tour before the two collaborated on A$AP Rocky’s ‘F**kin’ Problems’ and Lamar’s “Poetic Justice.” However, that would be the end of their collaboration.
In 2013, Kendrick Lamar dropped a guest verse on Big Sean’s song “Control,” where he proclaimed himself the “King of New York” and issued a challenge to other rappers, including Drake, to elevate their lyricism and creativity. He stated, “I got love for you all, but I’m tryna murder you n****s / Trying to make sure your core fans never heard of you n****s.”
Drake stated in an interview that he didn’t take the bait to release a diss track. On a Billboard cover story, he said, “I know good and well that Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform.”
Over the following years, the two rappers continued to release subtle disses at each other with less frequency. Until recently.
The War
The Spark
In October 2023, Drake released “First Person Shooter” with J Cole. In the song, J. Cole, perhaps accidentally, reignited the beef when he referred to himself, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar as “the big three.” This then brought us to where we are.
First Blood
In March 2024, Kendrick Lamar drew first blood when he dissed Drake on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” “The big three,” Lamar raps, referencing J. Cole’s boast. “It’s just big me.” He also referred to Drake’s most recent album, For All The Dogs, rapping, ” ‘Fore all your dogs gettin’ buried / That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Sematary.” He then compares himself to Prince and Drake to Michael Jackson: “Prince outlived Mike Jack.”
Before Drake replied to Kendrick, J Cole briefly entered the feud with “7-Minute Drill,” a diss track that trashed Lamar as “average.” However, he quickly distanced himself from it all and deleted the song from all streaming platforms.
All-out War
On April 13, Drake’s response, “Push Ups,” was leaked and later released. In the song, he tells Lamar, “You ain’t in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down.” He also makes fun of Lamar for doing features on pop songs and takes aim at Future, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross, and The Weeknd. Rick Ross would later release a response track.
On April 24, Drake followed up with a second diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” accusing Lamar of delaying his response track due to Taylor Swift’s new album. The track was however short-lived as it contained AI-generated vocals of Tupac Shakur, and Drake was served a cease-and-desist letter from Tupac Shakur’s estate.
On April 30, Lamar then responded with “Euphoria,” where he makes a slew of allegations against Drake. These include the use of AI, racial identity, appearance, and parenting.
On May 3, Drake responded with “Family Matters,” where he alleges abuse and infidelity in Lamar’s relationship with his fiancée. But within 30 minutes, Lamar dropped a follow-up, “6:16 in LA,” where he comes after the personality of Drake.
On May 4, Lamar came up again with “Meet the Grahams,” where he disses Drake as a parent to his son and alleges that Drake has a secret daughter. In less than 24 hours, this is followed up with “Not Like Us.” In the track, Lamar accuses Drake of being a predator. He raps, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one.”
On May 5, Drake references Lamar’s “The Heart” series with his response track titled “The Heart Part 6.” He however doesn’t go hard, only challenging Lamar to prove his many allegations. He then takes a bow with verses in the vein of, “You know, at least your fans are gettin’ some raps out of you / I’m happy I could motivate you.”
