Drake vs. Kendrick rap beef, from “The Coronary heart Half 6” to “Not Like Us”

To borrow a phrase from our foremost cultural observer, Azealia Banks, the boys are combating. 

For the reason that explosive drop of producer Metro Boomin and rapper Future’s first joint album, We Don’t Belief You, on March 22, a chilly struggle has damaged out involving the duo and the remainder of hip-hop’s top-tier (male) millennial roster: Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Rocky. It’s been a wierd few weeks, with pictures being thrown in an especially public and more and more amusing means. In an completely baffling transfer, Cole made a public apology for his personal diss monitor, bowing out of the meat early. In the meantime, like several argument you may see amongst a bunch of wealthy ladies on Bravo, Drake is being placed on blast for his rumored cosmetic surgery. (Thanks, Megan Thee Stallion.) 

This isn’t the primary time this explicit group of A-listers — all of whom dominated the mainstream rap charts of the 2010s — have exchanged lyrical blows. Specifically, Drake and Lamar have sneak-dissed one another for some time now. Nevertheless, to the typical music listener, all these males have a extra well-known historical past of collaboration, together with options, a joint album, and tour stops. Lamar’s fiery verse, nevertheless, on the We Don’t Belief You monitor “Like That,” has shattered any remaining semblance of camaraderie.

Within the weeks since, Future and Metro have launched one more rage-fueled album, hilariously titled We Nonetheless Don’t Belief You. Drake clunkily launched his personal sprawling diss, “Push Ups,” name-dropping everybody from SZA to Maroon 5 to Swifties. (Did I point out Uma Thurman can also be concerned?) Lamar responded with two back-to-back disses: first, the scathing monitor “euphoria,” and, later, “6:16 in LA,” which had a shocking producer credit score from Taylor Swift’s righthand man, Jack Antonoff. Over the weekend, although, tensions between Lamar and Drake reached a fever pitch. The rappers exchanged a number of explosive diss tracks with some fairly darkish, legal allegations. And on Tuesday, Toronto police reported a taking pictures close to Drake’s mansion (however not involving the rapper) that will or is probably not associated to the feud.

After almost 15 tumultuous years within the recreation, it’s no shock that Drake has as soon as once more discovered himself on the receiving finish of some hate. At first, it appeared like this newest feud was precisely what rap’s delicate king wanted in a moderately uninspired period in his profession, outlined by a moderately boring musical output and gross jabs at ladies. Nevertheless, following Lamar’s verbal lashings, a PR cleanup could also be wanted.

Just a few weeks in the past, Future and Metro basically launched a breakup album from their frequent collaborator and former comrade, Drake. (Drake and Future have almost 30 collaborations mixed, and Metro executive-produced their 2015 mixtape What A Time to Be Alive.) We Don’t Belief You is filled with subliminal messages seemingly directed at Drake, concerning his shady maneuvers. Nevertheless, it was Kendrick’s comparatively light prodding on the monitor “Like That” that was in the end essentially the most incendiary. 

On the monitor — which has sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 for 3 weeks in a row now — he raps “Motherfuck the massive three, it’s simply large me,” renouncing his casual affiliation with rap friends Drake and Cole. On the latest Drake track “First Individual Shooter,” off his newest album For All of the Canines, Cole claimed on his visitor verse that he, Drake, and Lamar are the “Huge 3” of the present period of hip-hop. Nonetheless, Lamar’s ire on “Like That” is generally pointed at his famous frenemy Drake, disregarding his purportedly unstoppable business success. “Your finest work is a lightweight pack,” he asserts. “N—, Prince outlived Mike Jack.” 

Cole responded first on April 5 with the monitor “7-Minute Drill,” featured on his aptly titled mixtape Would possibly Delete Later. Cole throws pictures at Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning discography, calling his newest album Mr. Morale and The Huge Steppers “tragic” and claiming his Grammy-winning sophomore album Good Child, Maad Metropolis “put [listeners] to sleep.” He additionally guarantees to “humble” Lamar if “push involves shove.” 

Nevertheless, by April 10, Cole had rescinded his warning shot, together with eradicating “7-Minute Drill” from streaming platforms. At his annual Dreamville Pageant, he issued a closely mocked quasi-apology to Lamar. “I attempted to jab [Lamar] again, and I attempt to hold it pleasant,” he informed the gang in North Carolina. “However on the finish of the day after I hearken to it, and when it comes out and I see the speak, that don’t sit proper with my spirit.” 

Earlier than Drake might unleash his personal diss, Future and Metro launched the follow-up, We Nonetheless Don’t Belief You, on April 12. This time, A$AP Rocky bought some punches in. On the track “Present of Arms,” he rapped “N—s in they emotions over ladies. What, you harm or one thing? I smash earlier than you birthed, son. Flacko hit it first, son.” That is presumably a response to Drake apparently dissing A$AP and his accomplice Rihanna, whom Drake beforehand dated, on his track “Worry of Heights.” (Followers have additionally speculated that A$AP means he beforehand slept with the mom of Drake’s son.) 

One other one in every of Drake’s most well-known trade mates, The Weeknd, seems on each Future and Metro albums. Nevertheless, on We Nonetheless Don’t Belief You’s eighth monitor, “All to Myself,” he sings, “I thank God that I by no means signed my life away.” Followers interpreted that as a jab about Drake’s label OVO Sound, which, regardless of his heavy affiliation with the label, The Weeknd in the end by no means signed to. 

On Saturday, April 13, Drake’s long-awaited response titled “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me Fifty)” mysteriously made its approach to the web. The seemingly unmixed demo made many social media customers speculate whether or not the track was AI-generated earlier than famous hip-hop commentator DJ Akademiks finally performed it — noticeably with some tweaks, just like the omission of a line about P. Diddy and a unique beat — on his livestream. Hip-hop radio station Energy 105 additionally streamed a high-quality model of the track. Given Drake’s feedback on Instagram over the weekend, together with a picture of Uma Thurman single-handedly taking up a bunch of fighters within the 2003 movie Kill Invoice, all indicators level to the monitor being respectable. 

That stated, “Push Ups” is a hefty (and expectedly humorous) diss document, taking purpose at Drake’s aforementioned opps whereas pulling another events into the crossfire. One among them is the Weeknd’s supervisor, CashXO, who he accuses of “blowing Abel’s bread trickin.” He additionally takes pictures at Memphis Grizzlies participant Ja Morant, who followers are speculating he was beforehand in a love triangle with. 

In in all probability the silliest growth of this multi-pronged feud, he throws some digs at rapper Rick Ross, one other frequent collaborator of his. “This n— turning 50,” Drake raps. “Each track that made it on the chart he bought it from Drizzy.” Ross swiftly adopted up along with his personal diss referred to as “Champagne Moments,” which rapidly went viral. Amongst different insults and accusations, he calls Drake, who’s combined, “white boy” and claims he bought a nostril job.

As for Lamar, Drake presents a fairly complete rebuttal, poking enjoyable at Lamar for apparently carrying a “dimension 7 shoe” and his collaborations with pop acts like Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift’s “Dangerous Blood.” (Lest we overlook, Drake has additionally linked up with Swift for a verify.) He additionally names some artists who he feels have surpassed Lamar’s stardom, together with SZA, who’s signed to Lamar’s personal High Dawg Leisure label. (She apparently doesn’t wish to be concerned.) There’s additionally a bar that many listeners, together with DJ Akademiks, interpreted as an audacious point out of Lamar’s fiancé, Whitney Alford (“I be with some bodyguards like Whitney”). Nevertheless, this may be a misreading of a extra apparent reference to the Whitney Houston movie, The Bodyguard.

Forward of Lamar dropping his response, “euphoria,” Drake launched one other diss monitor for Lamar on April 19 referred to as “Taylor Made Freestyle” utilizing AI-generated vocals from 2Pac and Snoop Dogg to “spit” on his behalf. Drake’s weaponization of synthetic intelligence, particularly concerning the deceased Tupac Shakur, generated combined responses on-line. Some followers had been amused by his “innovation,” whereas others, together with Snoop, appeared downright confused. Nevertheless, after his and Lamar’s most up-to-date spherical of disses, these criticisms can be the least of his issues.

On April 30, Lamar lastly dropped his rebuttal titled “euphoria” on streaming platforms. He spends a lot of the 6-minute monitor poking holes in Drake’s public persona. Amongst different digs, he questions the Canadian rapper’s proximity to Black American tradition and his relationships with ladies. Just a few days later, Lamar adopted up with “6:16 in LA,” claiming that Drake has a “leak” in his camp. 

Presumably, Drake wished to get forward of any grime Lamar might presumably expose by dropping the monitor “Household Issues” this previous Friday, together with a music video. Along with Lamar, Drake has some extra phrases for Ross, The Weeknd, and even Pharrell Williams. Nevertheless, it’s Lamar’s fiancée, Whitney Alford, who’s the first goal of Drake’s claims. 

First, he means that one in every of Lamar’s youngsters is definitely fathered by his normal supervisor, Dave Free, who’s additionally the previous president of Lamar’s former label, High Dawg Leisure. Then he makes the extra troubling allegation that Lamar “places his fingers on” Alford. “They employed a disaster administration crew to wash up the truth that you beat in your queen,” he says on the finish of the monitor. 

Seemingly tipped off by a mole, Lamar adopted up only a few minutes later with “meet the grahams,” with cowl artwork that includes a field of the weight-loss drug Ozempic supposedly prescribed to Drake. In that track, Lamar addresses his verses to Drake’s son, Adonis, and Drake’s dad and mom. “Pricey Adonis, I’m sorry that man is your father,” he bluntly opens the monitor. He additionally devoted a verse to Drake’s alleged 11-year-old daughter, who can be the second baby the rapper has stored hidden from the general public. Drake, nevertheless, was fast to leap on Instagram and shut down the declare that he had a secret daughter. 

Extra strikingly, although, Lamar refers to Drake as a “predator” and even likens him to Harvey Weinstein. Later that night, Lamar dropped one more monitor — this time, produced by DJ Mustard, who seemingly additionally has beef with Drake — “Not Like Us,” the place he outright calls Drake a “pedophile.” Specifically, social media misplaced it over the triple entendre, “tryna ring a bell, and it’s in all probability A-minor.” 

On Could 5, it appeared like Drake was able to bow out after releasing the monitor “The Coronary heart Half 6.” Along with the curious declare that he purposely planted false info for Lamar to make use of, he spends a lot of the track denying that he sleeps with underage women. He even addresses a controversial incident from 2018, when Stranger Issues actor Millie Bobby Brown, who was then 14 years outdated, said in an interview that she texted the rapper about boys.

In a haphazard transfer, Drake makes an attempt to attach these claims to Lamar’s personal trauma, referencing the “one document the place [Lamar] stated [he] bought molested” titled “Mom I Sober” — solely Lamar doesn’t state that he was sexually abused on the track. In rapping about his cousin who was accused of sexual assault, he claims twice on the monitor that his cousin didn’t contact him, regardless of his household not believing him.

Drake ends the track with a rambling spoken outro, just like Nicki Minaj’s Megan Thee Stallion diss “Huge Foot” earlier this yr. “I’m not going to lie,” he says. “This shit was some good train.” In a noticeably exhausted tone, he says “it’s what it’s,” seemingly waving a white flag. 

Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped Lamar from publicly reveling within the chart success of “Not Like Us” and the help of his trade allies. On June 19, in any other case generally known as Juneteenth, Lamar held “The Pop Out: Ken & Buddies” on the Kia Discussion board to have a good time Los Angeles rap and, as soon as once more, broadcast his hatred for Drake. On the live performance, which was streamed on Amazon and Twitch, Lamar carried out “Not Like Us” six instances. With every replay, a rising variety of musicians, athletes, and different large West Coast names — together with YG, Steve Lacy, Russell Westbrook, Black Hippy, and Mustard — joined him onstage, in what appeared like an Avengers ensemble of Drake haters.

For essentially the most half, Drake has dealt with his public gang-up with an anticipated humorousness and irreverence. Nevertheless, with the newest releases, he appears to be combating a battle he can’t win, utilizing wishy-washy bars to aim to toss off some severe allegations. It’s value noting that Drake’s home abuse claims in opposition to Lamar are simply as severe. Nonetheless, rap followers on social media appear extra invested within the seedy gossip that’s surrounded Drake’s largely non-public romantic life, together with these unsettling accusations about underage women. Plus, after years of dominating the rap scene and making enemies out of a number of rappers, it appears social media customers are able to see the rapper taken down a number of pegs.

As anybody who’s even barely adopted rap over the previous decade and a half can attest, this isn’t Drake’s first time partaking in warfare along with his friends. Most famously, his profession has seen headline-generating battles with Meek Mill, Pusha T, Joe Budden, and Kanye West. Arguably, his most notorious tiff was the fruits of a long-brewing beef with Pusha T in 2018, the place the Virginia rapper uncovered Drake’s previously hidden son, Adonis, to the world. 

Regardless of the transient second of humiliation, Drake in the end emerged the victor — that’s, if you happen to’re utilizing chart numbers and normal reputation as a figuring out metric. After his reasonably acquired victory lap of an album, Views, he was given a extra gripping narrative to gas his blockbuster 2018 album Scorpion. On the identical time, he was as soon as once more proving his mass enchantment exterior of the rap audiences with celebration bangers like “God’s Plan,” “Good For What,” and “In My Emotions,” all of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100. 

Extra just lately, nevertheless, Drake has been concerned in a number of seemingly one-sided beefs with well-known ladies. On his 2023 track with 21 Savage, “Circo Loco,” he threw out a not-so-subtle diss at rapper Megan Thee Stallion (“This bitch lie ’bout getting pictures however she nonetheless a stallion”), becoming a member of a refrain of well-known males disputing her now-proven claims that singer Tory Lanez shot her within the foot in 2020. 

Throughout the rollout of For All of the Canines, he vexed actor Halle Berry, who claimed he used a photograph of her for the art work for his single “Slime You Out” with out her permission. Moreover, he’s tried to reignite drama along with his former fling Rihanna. Except for his digs on “Worry of Heights,” he performed their collaboration “Work” at one in every of his live shows simply to say that he “doesn’t sing [the] track anymore.” 

Drake’s songwriting is usually propelled by a sweeping sense of grievance and an obsession with the previous and his haters (he’s not that totally different from Taylor Swift in any case!). Nevertheless, his fixed emotions of victimhood inside his relationships with ladies — and the following, extra blatant misogyny that’s grown out of that — has begun to put on on critics and elements of his feminine fanbase. It’s an commentary that Lamar has sharply utilized in his diss tracks over the weekend.

Whereas this newest beef initially appeared like an in the end invigorating expertise for Drake in a snoozy a part of his profession, Lamar’s accusations of pedophilia and different predatory conduct will presumably go away a robust stench on Drake’s public picture. It’ll be fascinating to see whether or not the seemingly invincible rapper can keep followers’ respect after such darkish claims. Nevertheless, historical past has confirmed that male rappers can nonetheless thrive regardless of essentially the most sordid allegations.

Replace, June 20, 10:25 am ET: This story was initially revealed on April 17 and has been up to date a number of instances, most just lately to incorporate information of Lamar’s June 19 efficiency.