| Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | September 23, 2013[1][2][note 1] – present (12 years, 4 months and 3 weeks) 2024 escalation: March 22, 2024[1][2] – July 4, 2024[note 2] (104 days) | ||
| Medium | Diss tracks | ||
| Status | Ongoing 2024 escalation: Lamar victory,[note 3] seeverdict. | ||
| Parties | |||
| Works | |||
| |||
Canadian rapperDrake and American rapperKendrick Lamar have been involved in arap feud since 2013, when Drake responded to Lamar's verse on theBig Sean song "Control". It escalated in 2024 with Lamar's lyrics in the song "Like That".
The two began on favorable terms in 2011. In 2013, Lamardissed 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 rapperJ. Cole and Drake's song "First Person Shooter", 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, saying the top spot in hip hop was "just big me". In April, Cole dissed Lamar on "7 Minute Drill", then apologized, and Drake dissed Lamar with "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle".
On April 30, Lamar responded to Drake in "Euphoria" and, on May 3, in "6:16 in LA". Later on May 3, Drake released "Family Matters", accusing Lamar ofdomestic abuse and claiming that Lamar's creative partnerDave Free biologically fathered Lamar's son. Twenty minutes later, Lamar released "Meet the Grahams", accusing Drake ofsexual predation (includingsex trafficking), lying about Lamar's family, and having fathered a second secret child; rapperPusha T had previously revealed ina 2018 track that Drake secretly had a son named Adonis. On May 4, on "Not Like Us", Lamar accused Drake ofpedophilia. On May 5, Drake released "The Heart Part 6", which denied Lamar's accusations and claimed Drake's team fed Lamar false information about a second child.
In 2025, Drake suedUniversal Music Group (UMG)—thelabel he and Lamar are signed to—ina New York federal court for releasing "Not Like Us", alleging the song isdefamatory and that UMG promoted it with illegal tactics; the lawsuit was later dismissed. Drake reflected on the feud on "Fighting Irish Freestyle"; and Lamar won fiveGrammy Awards for "Not Like Us", performing it and "Euphoria"at Super Bowl LIX. Media outlets likeThe New York Times andRolling Stone magazine have broadly declared Lamar the winner of the feud.
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 albumTake Care, slotted on the tracklist directly after the hit single "Marvins Room".[4] 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"),[5] while Lamar was viewed as a relatively unknown up-and-comer, having recently appeared on the 2011XXL Freshman list.[6]
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 (2011).[4]
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[ce]" 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.[7] This first collaboration foreshadowed themes that would lead to their eventual rift and feud, more than a decade before its explosion.[8]
Still, Drake and Lamar's relationship continued to develop amicably. Following a strong critical reception towards "Buried Alive Interlude",[9][10] Lamar opened for Drake (alongside another up-and-coming contemporary,ASAP Rocky) during Drake'sClub Paradise Tour in early 2012.[11] The tour followedTake Care, a smash chart success.[12] Around the time of the tour, in March 2012, Lamar was officially signed to majorlabelInterscope Records.[13]
That fall, Lamar released his first major label album,Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, which catapulted him to superstardom.[14] The album featured a Drake verse on the track "Poetic Justice", which later became a hit single.[15] In December 2012, both Lamar and Drake also made an appearance on ASAP Rocky's hit single "Fuckin' Problems", released in advance of Rocky's major-label debut.[16][17]

On August 14, 2013,Big Sean released the track "Control", featuring Lamar andJay Electronica, which was initially intended for Big Sean's albumHall of Fame, but had to be left off due tosample 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.[18][19] The verse quickly went viral on social media, and was widely discussed by hip-hop's biggest names and the public at large.[19][20]
In an interview withBillboard 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 [Lamar]'s not murdering me, at all, in any platform".[21] In September, Drake joinedElliott 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 atthe 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".[22]
On September 24, 2013, Drake released his third studio albumNothing Was the Same. 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.[23][24][25][26]Birdman, head of Drake's then-labelCash Money Records, stated the song was not about Lamar.[27]
In October, during acypher performance aired onBET as part of the2013 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".[28][29]
On December 17, 2013, a remix ofFuture's "Shit" featuring Drake andJuicy J was released. Hip-hop fans and outlets alike speculated Drake's verse on the remix was a diss targeted towards Lamar.[30][31] The same day, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith andPunch (both key figures at Lamar's labelTop Dawg Entertainment) posted responses onTwitter to Drake's verse disregarding the supposed disses.[32]
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 forVibe, mocking the idea of them being "buddy-buddy" and stating he already "stood [his] ground" 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".[33][34] In June 2014, Drake posted a video onInstagram of himself rapping along to "Cut You Off (To Grow Closer)" from Lamar's 2010mixtapeOverly Dedicated.[35]
On October 29, 2014,Jay Rock 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".[26][36] Like Drake, Lamar denied growing rumors of tensions between the two. In an interview withDazed published on November 3, 2014, Lamar clarified: "I got no beef with Drake".[37] On November 4, 2014, Lamar made an appearance onWWPR-FM'sThe Breakfast Club 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."[38]
Despite Drake and Lamar's prior dismissals, their feud continued in the form ofsneak disses (intentionally subtle diss lyrics) thatBillboard identified as "subtle shots fired from both sides, but nothing groundbreaking".[15] Marc Griffin, writing forVibe in 2024, referred to this time as "theCold War between the two men".[33] In February 2015, Drake released the mixtapeIf You're Reading This It's Too Late.Billboard's Brandon Caldwell listed all of Drake's potential sneak disses on the tape, claiming "Used To" and "6PM in New York" targeted Lamar.[39] In March, Lamar released the albumTo Pimp a Butterfly. Its song "King Kunta" initially received little attention in the context of the feud, until that June, when rapperMeek Mill accused Drake of usingghostwriters for his rap verses.[40] Lamar's song was then interpreted by multiple outlets as sneak dissing Drake: "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".[25][41][42] OnDr. Dre's albumCompton, released in August, Lamar possibly disses Drake on the songs "Darkside / Gone" and "Deep Water".[25][43][44]
In January 2016, U.S. presidentBarack Obama sat down for a series of interviews conducted byYouTube influencers.[45] In one interview,Adande Thorne asked him if he thought Drake or Lamar would win in arap battle. 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."[46] Later that month, Drake released "Summer Sixteen", rapping: "Tell Obama that my verses are just likethe [cars] that he in / Theybulletproof".[47][48]Vibe's Iyana Robertson said the ensuing conversation "reignited a debate that has been going on since the conception of [Drake and Lamar's] respective careers".[49]
During a June 2016 airing ofESPN'sMax and Marcellus, sportscasterMarcellus Wiley claimed there was a destroyedSportsNation interview on ESPN of either Drake or Lamar dissing the other in a way that would have "ignited [the feud] to proportions we have not seen sinceJa Rule/50 [Cent], maybe evenIce Cube/N.W.A."[50] In an August 2016 interview forVladTV, Wiley stated that the allegedSportsNation interview was destroyed because the inciting rapper's team intervened.[51] On May 8, 2024, Wiley stated in hisYouTube showHydration 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.[52][53]
In March 2017, Lamar released "The Heart Part 4", popularly perceived as a diss track towards either Big Sean or Drake.[54][55][56] Lamar would later explicitly reference lines from "The Heart Part 4" in his 2024 Drake diss track "Euphoria", seemingly confirming the perception of the former track as a Drake diss.[57]
In May 2022, Lamar released his fifth studio albumMr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The fifth song on the album, "Father Time" (featuringSampha), included a verse from Lamar which referencedKanye West and Drake's brief peace[58] duringtheir 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.[59][60] In September 2021,Joe Budden alleged Lamar dissed Drake on the song "Family Ties", released the month prior byBaby Keem and Lamar.[61]

In October 2023,J. Cole featured on Drake's track "First Person Shooter", a single from his albumFor All the Dogs. 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.[62] The song became a smash hit, topping theBillboard Hot 100 chart.[63]
Five months later, Lamar responded directly to the track and the "big three" notion in a feature onMetro Boomin and Future's song "Like That", from their albumWe Don't Trust You. Lamar dissed both Cole and Drake, saying "motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me".[64][65] Other tracks onWe 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.[66][67][68][69]
Lamar's diss prompted Cole to release a response song, "7 Minute Drill",[70] in which he criticizesTo Pimp a Butterfly.[71] In the days after, he publicly apologized onstage for releasing the song and removed it from streaming services.[70] 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".[65] On April 12, Metro Boomin and Future released a second collaborative album,We Still Don't Trust You, and on April 21, a remix of "Like That" featuring¥$ (Kanye West andTy Dolla Sign); both feature more shots at Drake.[72][73]
On April 13, 2024, early versions of Drake's "Push Ups" were leaked online.[74] The song serves as a response to Lamar's verse on "Like That";[74] Drake claims multiple artists are better than Lamar, including21 Savage,Travis Scott, andSZA.[75] On "Push Ups", Drake also mocks Lamar's short stature of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters), and criticizes Lamar forcollaborating withTaylor Swift and other pop artists.[76] In addition, Drake disses numerous other artists on "Push Ups", including Metro Boomin, Future,the Weeknd, ASAP Rocky, andRick Ross. Shortly afterward, Ross would release a diss track against Drake entitled "Champagne Moments".[74] On April 19, 2024, Drake officially released "Push Ups".[77]
Also on April 19, Drake used social media to release "Taylor Made Freestyle", another diss targeted at Lamar. The song featuredAI-generated vocals imitating two of Lamar's fellow West Coast rappers,Snoop Dogg and the lateTupac Shakur.[77] Shakur and Lamar had been linked ever since Lamar'sTo 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 beforehis death).[78] 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.[79] 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 [Joe] Budden Podcast, it's gotta be true."[77]
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'spersonality rights 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."[80] "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).[81][82]
On April 30, 2024, Lamar released a diss track named "Euphoria" in response to Drake.[77] The title has been interpreted as a reference to the TV showEuphoria, a show about high school students for which Drake serves as an executive producer.[75][83]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".[75] He also claims that Drake's abs were made through plastic surgery.[83]

On May 3, 2024, three days after "Euphoria", Lamar posted anInstagram Reel captioned "6:16 in LA", containing a new diss trackof the same name, similar to how Drake released "Taylor Made Freestyle".[84][85][86] The title parodies Drake's "[timestamp] in [city]" song series, including "9AM in Dallas", "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.[87][75][88] "6:16 in LA" was produced byJack Antonoff, 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.[86]
On May 3, Drake released "Family Matters", a response to "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA".[89] In the track, Drake alleges that one of Lamar's children is biologically fromDave Free, Lamar's friend and label co-founder.[71] 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".[90][91][92] In promoting "Family Matters", Drake used Instagram to drop a short parody remix of Lamar's "Buried Alive Interlude" fromTake Care in which he mentions Lamar opening for his Club Paradise Tour.[93][76][41][94]
Twenty minutes after the release of "Family Matters", Lamar released another diss track against Drake, titled "Meet the Grahams", produced byThe Alchemist.[95] In the song, he speaks directly to members of Drake's family, each member the subject of a different verse. On the verse towards his son Adonis, Lamar says he is sorry that Drake is his father.[75]

Speaking to Drake himself, Lamar alleges he is sexually attracted tominors, and makes accusations that had not been publicly leveled before—that Drake is hiding a daughter from the public, and running asex trafficking ring out of his mansion in Toronto.[96][97][98] He predicts the mansion "is 'bout to get raided too", referring to the recent U.S. federalraids on rapperSean Combs' mansion as part of an unrelated investigation.[99] He also disses the employees and affiliates ofOVO Sound, a label Drake founded—claiming they aresex offenders harbored by Drake—as well as the latter's security guard.[99][100] Charles Holmes ofThe Ringer wrote that with "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams", "the Doomsday Machine has been activated", and the feud was no longer inconsequential.[71]

The allegation that Drake had a secret daughter added to a previous controversy of his; while feuding with rapperPusha T in 2018, the latter released a diss track against him titled "The Story of Adidon", which publicly revealed that Drake was hiding a son, Adonis, and that only the boy's mother was raising him.[101][102] Later in 2018, Drake confirmed Pusha T's claim, and said he would raise Adonis with the mother, identified as Sophie Brussaux.[103] Responding to Lamar's allegation on Instagram, Drake wrote: "Nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter [please] and send her to me ... these guys are in shambles", followed by multiple laughing emojis.[75] Some fans of both artists—who liked "Meet the Grahams", but denied the allegations on the verse aimed at Drake—uploaded a version of the song to various social media platforms that has the verse edited out. Lamar filedcopyright violation claims against these uploads on some platforms, like Twitter, getting them taken down there.[104]
On May 4, 2024, Lamar released "Not Like Us", produced byDJ Mustard. On the track, he more explicitly accuses Drake and his acquaintances, like those as OVO Sound, of being pedophiles. He raps: "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one"—"cell block one" referring to prison, possibly referencing how sex offenders there are often attacked by other inmates.[105][106] Lamar calls Drake a "certified lover boy, certified pedophile", referring to the latter's albumCertified Lover Boy (2021).[75][99] Some of his acquaintances are mentioned by name, and Lamar references the prior criminal charges ofBaka Not Nice, a rapper signed to OVO Sound. In 2014, the latter was charged with sex trafficking, for allegedly forcing a 22-year-old woman into prostitution;procuring her services afterwards; and assaulting her. He was only convicted of the assault charge and an unrelated weapons charge.[107][108]
Lamar's line, "Why you trollin' like a bitch? Ain't you tired? Tryna strike a chord, and it's probably A minor", is atriple entendre.[105][109] He is claiming Drake had not been "striking a chord" (making an impact) in the feud by supposedlytrolling him on Instagram over the previous month, and that the chord Drake was really trying to "strike" is a musicalchord on theA minorscale—to say, "striking" (having sex with)a minor under theage of consent. An A minor chord plays while he says this.[105][110][111] Outlets later wrote that the line became possibly the most iconic line on the song, or of Lamar's career.[112][113] His fans have loudly chanted it during his performances of the song.[114][115]
On the third verse, Lamar criticizes Drake for allegedly co-opting elements ofAtlanta's hip-hop culture, despite having no roots in the city; the latter is labeled a "colonizer", alluding tothe historical slave trade ran byEuropean colonists in theAmerican south, where Atlanta is located.[116] He also claims Drake disrespected theBay Area, where Tupac Shakur had lived, by using an A.I. version of Shakur's voice on "Taylor Made Freestyle"—and seemingly predicts Drake will be killed if he ever performs there: "I think thatOakland show gon' be your last stop, nigga".[75] Lamar then hints at having already prepared multiple future diss tracks against Drake.[71]
The cover art for "Not Like Us" is a satellite image of Drake's mansion covered withpins, as if appearing on an online map of sex offenders.[106][117] After the song's release, Lamar's fans added similar pins to the mansion onGoogle Maps, with the names "Owned by Kendrick", "A Minor", and "Kendrick's Dog", the latter likely referencing Drake's albumFor All the Dogs (2023).[118]
On May 5, 2024, Drake released "The Heart Part 6". The title references Lamar's "The Heart" series, picking up after Lamar's critically acclaimed "The Heart Part 5".[119] In the track, Drake denies the pedophile andgrooming allegations made against him.[120] He claims Lamar's accusations were based on his own trauma stemming from abuse.[100][119] TheAretha Franklin song "Prove It" is sampled, and uses Franklin's lines "Now let me see you prove it / Just let me see you prove it".[121] Drake says: "Only fuckin' with Whitneys, notMillie Bobby Browns, 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.[121][120]
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".[119] 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.[122] 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".[123] "The Heart Part 6" received negative reviews from critics and fans, amassing an estimated over 1 million dislikes on YouTube.[124]
In June 2024, Lamar announced a one-off concert at theKia Forum inInglewood, California, titledThe 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 forJuneteenth, whichCharlamagne tha God suggested was a dig aimed at Drake.[125] 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 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", 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 theCrips andBloods, before taking a group photo onstage.[126]
Themusic video for "Not Like Us" was released on July 4, 2024, in celebration ofAmerican Independence Day,[127] at approximately 3 p.m.PT,[128] after four still images from the clip wereleaked to social media the day before.[129][130] Dave Free and Lamar directed it, andCharm La'Donna handled the choreography and is also credited as theassociate producer.[131] The video features cameos fromTommy the Clown and NBA starDeMar DeRozan (a Compton native and former star of Drake's hometown Toronto Raptors who is mentioned by name in the track),[127][132] and is set in Lamar's hometown ofCompton, California.[131] By the morning after, the video had reached over 13 million views on YouTube.[133]CNN andNME noted widespread anticipation for the video up to its release.[134][135] Numerous publications and websites called it another victory lap for Lamar in his feud with Drake.[note 2] 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".[127][131] It was called a moment of re-ignition of the feud,[141] and was seen as Lamar's "knockout punch" against Drake.[142]
Schoolboy Q was set to commence his Blue Lips Weekends concert tour, in support of his sixth studio albumBlue Lips (2024), on July 18, 2024, atHistory in Toronto.[143] The music venue was established in 2021 through a creative partnership between Drake andLive Nation Entertainment.[144] On the evening prior to opening night, Schoolboy Q announced that the sold-out concert was unexpectedly cancelled.[145] He blamed the cancellation on Drake and Lamar's feud, citing his longtime friendship with Lamar, and claimed theToronto Police Service prohibited artists from Top Dawg Entertainment from performing in the city due to safety concerns.[146] The police agency dismissed rumors of their involvement, saying the decision to cancel the performance was made solely by History.[145]
On July 29, 2024,DJ Scheme played "Not Like Us" at History during his opening set forSki Mask the Slump God.[147] The two artists taunted Drake and gloated over the move with Schoolboy Q on social media.[148]Sir, 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.[149]
On November 25, 2024, Drake appeared on alivestream with Canadian streamerxQc, 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".[150] He also sent additional jabs at the Weeknd andSteve Lacy; the latter and Lamar reacted to the stream with amusement.[151][152] On the same day, Drake filed a petition againstUniversal Music Group (UMG)—a label he and Lamar are signed to—andSpotify alleging they violated theRICO Act by using illegal tactics to boost streams for "Not Like Us".[153] 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".[154] On November 26, Drake filed another petition against UMG, allegingdefamation and a "pay-to-play" scheme between UMG andiHeartRadio.[155]
On December 20, 2024, Spotify released opposition papers in response to the original petition, denying allegations of "any arrangement" between themselves and UMG.[156] 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".[157]
On January 15, 2025, Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG for defamation; Lamar was not included as a defendant.[158] On March 17, 2025, UMG filed a motion to dismiss Drake's lawsuit.[159] On October 9, 2025, the lawsuit was dismissed.[160]
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 feud, 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.[161][162][163]
Lamar followed up this teaser track with a new studio album,GNX, 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.[164][165][166] 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.[167]

On January 3, 2025, producerConductor Williams, who had previously produced with Drake onFor All the Dogs, posted and then took down a link to a Drake freestyle dubbed "Fighting Irish Freestyle".[168] Drake addresses the feud in the freestyle and, according to many commentators, takes shots atLeBron James,[169][170][171][172] whom Drake was formerly friends with, and even has a tattoo of, as James attended Lamar's Pop Out concert and has been seen dancing to "Not Like Us".[170][171][172][173] Other lyrics in the song were read as targetingUMG, DeMar DeRozan, andLil Wayne.[174][175] The song received mixed reactions from critics, withHipHopDX writing that "after retreating in his beef with Kendrick following the underwhelming reception to 'The Heart Part 6', the tough talk just feels empty".[176]
"Not Like Us" was nominated in five different categories at the67th Annual Grammy Awards (Record of the Year,Song of the Year,Best Rap Performance,Best Rap Song, andBest Music Video) and won all of them.[177] 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.[178]
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 theJanuary 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.[179] 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.[180]
On September 8, 2024, Lamar was announced as theheadlining act for the February 2025Super Bowl LIXhalftime show at theCaesars Superdome inNew Orleans. 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".[181][182][183] Speculation arose as to whether he would incorporate "Not Like Us" into his performance.[184][185] Justin Sayles ofThe 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.[186]

Lamar performed "Euphoria" and "Not Like Us" during the show. He also wore a chain with a lowercase "a" on it, which was either referencingpgLang or the musical chord A minor (which also references the phrase popularised by the latter track).[187] 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.[188] In another interlude after performing "All the Stars" 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".[189] 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.[190] Tennis playerSerena Williams made a cameo appearance as a dancer, which was received as a diss towards Drake, whom she was rumored to have dated several years earlier.[191][192][193]
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 theAssociated Press 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".[190][194]
On February 14, 2025, less than one week after Lamar's Super Bowl performance, Drake released a collaborative album withPartyNextDoor titled$ome $exy $ongs 4 U. This was Drake's first major release in nearly one year following the beef.[195] 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.[196] 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".[196] 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.[115]
Drake has been supported byBirdman,Azealia Banks,50 Cent,the Game,DJ Akademiks,Adin Ross andJuelz Santana, among others.[note 4] A leaked audio recording ofYoung Thug revealed that he had some frustrations with Lamar, and said that Lamar will never be bigger than Drake.[204] Lamar has been supported byMetro Boomin,Future,Pusha T,Kanye West,The Weeknd,ASAP Rocky,Rick Ross,Serena Williams,Joe Budden andJay Rock, among others.[note 5]

HotNewHipHop referred to Metro Boomin as being a major part of the feud.[92][215] 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".[216] On "Family Matters", Drake targeted Metro Boomin again, saying one of Metro's friends had sex with his girlfriend.[92] 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 [had sex with] my girl nigga".[92] He also posted the image of Drake inblackface that had been used for the cover of "The Story of Adidon".[92][217]
Boosie Badazz 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.[218]Kurupt,Ice Cube, andQuestlove echoed similar sentiments, with Kurupt saying "Life is precious, my nigga. So if y'all ain't gonna fight, stop it...".[219][220][221] The feud was also criticized byStevie Wonder andMacklemore for overshadowingongoing international conflicts, with the latter releasing thepro-Palestinian song "Hind's Hall", containing the line "I want a ceasefire, fuck a response from Drake".[222][223] SingerSheryl Crow 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."[6]
Outside of the music community, the feud attracted numerous reactions from various celebrities. ActressUma Thurman jokingly offered herKill Bill costume to Drake for his feud with Lamar and other rappers.[224] Former wrestler and currentWWE producerShawn Michaels, whose Sweet Chin Music finishing move was mentioned in "Not Like Us", invited the pair to settle their feud onNXT.[225] During the face-off againstJohn Cena onSmackDown before the2025 Night of Champions,CM Punk referenced the feud, saying "you're gonna lose to Kendrick, 'cause bitch, you are my Drake!"[226] Tennis starNaomi Osaka claimed that in her opinion, Lamar is winning the feud, and that she used "Not Like Us" in coming out to the court before beatingClara Burel at theItalian Open.[227] After defeating Canada in the2024 Copa América semifinals, theArgentine 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.[228] The feud was referenced onSaturday Night Live'sWeekend Update segment.[229] Professional basketball playersStephen Curry and LeBron James, who were both mentioned in "Meet the Grahams", discussed the frequent usage of "Not Like Us" after aTeam 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."[230] Curry later said in an interview withGQ that he's still a 'big Drake guy'.[231][232] Following the2025 World Series where theLos Angeles Dodgers defeated theToronto Blue Jays, social media posts were made referencing the feud.[233]
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", whose chorus is based on the rumor that Drake has had aBrazilian butt lift (BBL). The song samples anAI generatedR&Bparody song evocative of1970s music created by comedic performer King Willonius.[234] 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.[235] The track also drew responses on social media, with celebrities and internet personalities includingElon Musk,Dr. Miami, and more reacting.[236] In addition to freestyle raps, users also recreated the song beyond hip hop tohouse,merengue, andBollywood styles.[237][238][235] Some also created covers of the song on a variety of instruments, includingsaxophone,guitar, andharp.[238][235]
According toThe Ringer, the feud has been considered the "last great rap beef", with Holmes asserting that "[I]n terms of size, scale, and capital, we're witnessing the last rap beef of this magnitude."[71] Multiple commentators, includingTodd Boyd, compared the feud to theEast Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry from the 1990s,[239][240] which culminated with thedrive-by shooting deaths of both Tupac Shakur andThe Notorious B.I.G. in 1996 and 1997, respectively.[241] 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; anMSNBC article drew parallels to the feud betweenJay-Z andNas.[242] Likening the feud to literary debates,The Independent'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".[243] Alphonse Pierre ofPitchfork 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.[41]
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.Howard University professor Tia Tyree compared the past release of diss tracks on radio and CD to the instantaneous nature of social media releases. The prevalence ofStan culture was also noted as a factor in the feud.[244] Holmes noted that unlike Drake's leverage ofmeme culture in his feud against Meek Mill, he was at a disadvantage compared to Lamar's less accessible nature on the internet.[71]
Both artists received criticism for their use of women and family members as "punchlines" in their respective diss tracks.[71][244]The Ringer argued hypocrisy in both parties' messaging, stating that Drake, who went after Lamar for allegedly abusing women, had shouted outChris Brown on "Family Matters" and posted his support on social media ofTory Lanez, both of whom had been arrested for domestic violence.[71][245][246] Similarly, Lamar was accused of hypocrisy for attacking Drake for allegedly being a sexual predator, despite featuringKodak Black on his last studio albumMr. Morale & the Big Steppers after Kodak had previously taken a plea deal in a first-degree criminal sexual assault case[71] and bringing outPlayboi Carti to perform the track "Good Credit" at a show in Atlanta during hisGrand National Tour after Carti was accused of being a deadbeat father byIggy Azalea, with whom the latter was previously in a relationship.[247][248] In addition, criticism resurfaced of Lamar's label head, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, threatening to remove Lamar's catalogue from Spotify in 2018, in opposition to Spotify announcing they would removeXXXTentacion's andR. Kelly's songs from official playlists after the two artists were accused of various forms ofdomestic andsexual abuse.[249][250][251]
In May 2024, UMG denied rumors that they had been mediating an end to the feud.[252]
By early May 2024, various music outlets such asPitchfork,[41]The Ringer,[71] andRolling Stone[253] cited Lamar as winning in the feud. AnInsider article claimed that both music critics and social media users conceded Lamar as the victor.[83] However, Alphonse Pierre ofPitchfork avowed that Lamar's victory was "pyrrhic",[41] while Charles Holmes forThe Ringer similarly claimed Lamar was in the lead despite the victory feeling hollow.[71] Questlove 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."[221][254] Other writers took a contrary view, arguing that the feud was a net positive for hip-hop. Yemi Abiade ofBBC News said the feud "entertained the entire world, enhancing the legacies of two generational rap artists" and claimed that "rap music wins, yet again".[255]Laurence Ralph wrote inThe New York Times that the winners were both Kendrick Lamar andold-school hip hop.[256]
With the release of Lamar's "Not Like Us" music video, numerous critics and publications recognized Lamar as the victor of the feud.[note 3] In September 2024, aNew Yorker article about the feud opened with the line "Has there ever been as clear a loser as Drake?"[258] After the Super Bowl LIX halftime show,NPR headlined an article with "Almost a year after the battle, Kendrick Lamar has won the war."[259]
In March 2025, Universal Music Group filed a motion to have Drake's defamation suit dismissed on the basis that there was no criminal or civil liability, asserting Drake "lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated."[260] In October 2025, U.S. federal judgeJeannette Vargas dismissed Drake's defamation suit against Lamar, ruling that "although the accusation that Plaintiff is a pedophile is certainly a serious one, the broader context of a heated rap battle...would not incline the reasonable listener to believe that 'Not Like Us' imparts verifiable facts about Plaintiff," in part due to the song being "replete with profanity, trash-talking, threats of violence, and figurative and hyperbolic language, all of which are [indicative] of opinion," as well as having a "catchy beat and propulsive bassline."[261][262]The Guardian of London reported on Vargas's ruling with the comment that "Kendrick Lamar is widely acknowledged to have won last year's culture-consuming rap beef with Drake."[260]
| Date | Artist | Song title | Hot 100 Peak | Album | Content summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6, 2023[note 6] | Drake featuringJ. Cole | "First Person Shooter" | 1 | For All the Dogs | Cole ranks Lamar, Drake, and himself as "the Big Three" of hip hop, prompting Lamar's response.[64] |
| March 22, 2024[15][note 7] | Future,Metro Boomin &Kendrick Lamar | "Like That" | 1 | We Don't Trust You | Lamar rejects the "Big Three" label, claiming his superiority to Cole and Drake.[65] |
| April 19, 2024 | Drake | "Push Ups" | 17 | N/a | Drake asserts his resilience and dominance in the industry, rejecting Lamar's claimed artistic authenticity.[75] |
| "Taylor Made Freestyle" | - | Drake uses AI generated vocals to imitateTupac Shakur andSnoop Dogg to pressure Lamar into responding; later removed under threat of legal action by Shakur's estate.[77][80] | |||
| April 30, 2024 | Kendrick Lamar | "Euphoria" | 3 | Lamar attacks Drake's authenticity and personal image.[75] | |
| May 3, 2024 | "6:16 in LA" | - | Lamar continues to challenge Drake's character and contributions to hip hop and suggests that there are "moles" withinOVO Sound on Drake's own team.[85] | ||
| Drake | "Family Matters" | 7 | Drake accuses Lamar of domestic violence towards his fiancée and alleges that his child was fathered by his general managerDave Free.[263][264] | ||
| "Buried Alive Interlude, Pt. 2" | - | A short parody remix of "Buried Alive Interlude" from Drake's albumTake Care, which featured a verse from Lamar, and was first posted by Drake on his Instagram as a promotion for "Family Matters"[76] | |||
| Kendrick Lamar | "Meet the Grahams" | 12 | Lamar, by addressing each member of Drake's family, alleges that Drake has a secret daughter that he has abandoned and is a sexual predator.[75][96][97][98] | ||
| May 4, 2024 | "Not Like Us" | 1 | Lamar alleges that Drake is a pedophile and runs a sex trafficking ring with members of OVO Sound and further attacks his standing in hip hop, characterizing him as a "colonizer".[99][265] | ||
| May 5, 2024 | Drake | "The Heart Part 6" | - | Drake denies being a sexual predator, states that his alleged secret daughter was a fake story given to Lamar, and further accuses Lamar of abusing his fiancée.[119] |
| Date | Artist | Song title | Hot 100 Peak | Project | Content summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 22, 2024 | Future & Metro Boomin | "We Don't Trust You" | 8 | We Don't Trust You | Future addresses Drake's pattern of sneak dissing and going behind others' backs when talking to women.[266] |
| April 5, 2024 | J. Cole | "7 Minute Drill" | 6 | Might Delete Later | Cole criticizes Lamar's discography and attacks his personal image. He expressed regret for the track two days after its release,[267][268] later deleting it from streaming services.[269] |
| April 12, 2024 | Future, Metro Boomin &The Weeknd | "All to Myself" | 67 | We Still Don't Trust You | The Weeknd sings about being grateful he did not sign toOVO Sound in the beginning of his career.[270] |
| Future, Metro Boomin &ASAP Rocky | "Show of Hands" | 71 | Rocky ridicules Drake's albumFor All the Dogs for not having longevity and brags about having slept with Drake's baby's mother, Sophie Brussaux, prior to Drake.[212] | ||
| April 13, 2024 | Rick Ross | "Champagne Moments" | - | N/a | Ross attacks Drake's racial identity and accuses him of undergoing cosmetic surgery.[271] This track is a response to Drake dissing Ross on "Push Ups" (which was leaked on April 13, prior to its official release on the 19th).[272] |
| April 21, 2024 | Future, Metro Boomin &¥$ (Kanye West andTy Dolla Sign) | "Like That Remix" | - | West mocks Drake (with whom he has hada longstanding feud) for his label contracts, and suggests J. Cole's music alienates women. Lamar is not part of the remix.[273][73] | |
| May 5, 2024 | Metro Boomin | "BBL DRIZZY BPM 150.mp3" | - | Metro Boomin, in response to being dissed by Drake in "Push Ups" and "Family Matters" and being told to "make some drums", creates a beat mocking Drake for the rumor that he received aBrazilian butt lift, offering a "free beat", and later $10,000, to the rapper with the best verse delivered on the beat.[92][217] | |
| May 24, 2024 | Sexyy Red & Drake | "U My Everything" | 44 | In Sexyy We Trust | Drake raps over a beat using the same sample as "BBL Drizzy" and makes light of the plastic surgery accusations levied against him, claiming instead that he pays for women's plastic surgery.[274] |
| August 2, 2024 | ASAP Rocky featuringJessica Pratt | "Highjack" | 89 | N/a | Rocky's first single following Drake's direct disses towards him on "Family Matters" was widely interpreted as a response, with Rocky's chorus asking fans, "don't compare that pussy boy to me, I don't like that", a possible allusion to Drake's nickname "The Boy". Elsewhere, he implies that Drake is still interested in Rocky's wifeRihanna, and again alludes to having slept with Brussaux before Drake.[275][276] |
| September 11, 2024 | Kendrick Lamar | "Watch the Party Die" | - | N/a | In a track released on Instagram shortly after the announcement of Lamar's Super Bowl halftime appearance, Lamar expresses his desire to use the beef with Drake as an example of his larger attempt to redirect the rap industry away from the veneration of materialism, celebrity culture, and partying, and towards music with more substance. The track was Lamar's first release after "Not Like Us".[162] |
| October 10, 2024 | J. Cole | "Port Antonio" | - | N/a | Cole gives his view on the beef from his perspective, giving further clarity on his apology, his relationship with Drake and his respect for both rappers.[277] |
| November 22, 2024 | Kendrick Lamar | "Wacced Out Murals" | 4 | GNX | Though Lamar did not mention Drake by name inGNX, his first studio album after the beef, several tracks included clear references to Drake and the feud, with "Wacced Out Murals" most directly addressing it. Lamar implies that Drake attempted to pay off sources for dirt on him, calls out Snoop Dogg for reposting Drake's "Taylor Made Freestyle", critiques J. Cole over "Port Antonio", and addresses the controversy with Drake associate Lil Wayne over his Super Bowl appearance, among other lyrics.[278] |
| December 20, 2024 | SZA & Kendrick Lamar | "30 for 30" | 10 | Lana | One of the lines that SZA sings on "30 for 30" is "I'm wipin' 'em down in front of they nigga".[279] According toHotNewHipHop, many fans saw the lyric as a reference to Drake's comment that SZA has Lamar "wiped down" (or that she is better than him). The single's title is similar to that of Drake's 2015 song "30 for 30 Freestyle".[280] |
| January 3, 2025 | Drake | "Fighting Irish Freestyle" | - | N/a | Drake reflects on the feud, refutes the allegation of alcoholism in "Meet the Grahams", and possibly takes shots at his former friendLeBron James after James attended Lamar's Pop Out concert.[175] |
| February 14, 2025 | "Gimme a Hug" | 6 | $ome $exy $ongs 4 U | Though$ome $exy $ongs 4 U, Drake's first album following the beef, does not mention Lamar, on this track, he makes allusions to the beef and purports that it has little effect on his music.[281] He says his music is "tryna get the party lit", a possible allusion to Lamar's "Watch the Party Die", and implies Lamar's music is too cerebral for partying, saying it will have "girls...twerking with a dictionary."[196] | |
| July 5, 2025 | "What Did I Miss?" | 2 | Iceman | Drake reflects on the feud, addressing people he believes betrayed him, questioning the authenticity of past friendships, most notably with NBA starsDeMar DeRozan andLeBron James, and references Lamar'sThe Pop Out concert.[282][283] |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Some interpreted Lamar's shots at artists who use ghostwriters in his 2015 song "King Kunta" could be a dig at Drake.
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