In the tumultuous world of hip-hop, few rivalries have captured the attention of fans quite like the ongoing saga between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
This week, the internet exploded as their long-simmering feud finally boiled over, igniting a fiery exchange of diss tracks that reverberated across cyberspace.
What began as a standard rap rivalry has evolved into a gritty showdown, with allegations of paedophilia and domestic violence flying from both camps. But the roots of this conflict run deeper than most realise, stretching back to a history fraught with tension and competition.
Timeline:
August 2013: Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s “Control” shook up the hip-hop world by directly challenging popular rappers, including Drake. Lamar’s lyrics, which included lines like “I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you ni**as,” sparked a competitive frenzy in the rap community. While other rappers responded with their own verses, Drake downplayed the situation in interviews.
October 2013: At the BET Hip-Hop Awards in 2013, Lamar referenced the Canadian rapper’s album “Nothing Was the Same” in a cypher, suggesting that Drake was upset by Lamar’s verse on “Control.”
Lamar rapped, “Nothing’s been the same since they dropped ‘Control’ and tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes.” While they continued to exchange indirect jabs after “Control,” it garnered less attention.
Songs like Drake’s “The Language,” his feature on The Game’s “100,” along with Lamar’s “Element” and his collaboration with Baby Keem “The Hillbillies” were suspected to contain subtle disses.
December 2013: Drake spoke with VIBE Magazine about his response to Kendrick Lamar’s diss on “The Language.”
“Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing,” he said.
“What am I supposed to say? Nah, we’ll be buddy-buddy? Mind you, I never once said he’s a bad guy [or] I don’t like him. I think he’s a f–king genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should.
“And with that came another step, which then I have to realize I’m being baited and I’m not gonna fall. Jordan doesn’t have to play pickup to prove that he could play ball, no offense. But I’m not gonna give you the chance to shake me necessarily, ’cause I feel great. There’s no real issue.”
2015-2016: Both Lamar and Drake exchanged subtle jabs on tracks like “King Kunta”, The Game’s “100” and Dr. Dre’s Compton album.
October 2023: More sparks of discord were ignited when Drake and J.Cole, in their collaborative track “First Person Shooter,” crowned themselves and Kendrick as the “Big 3” of modern rap.
March 2024: Kendrick Lamar swiftly rebuffed this assertion in “Like That,” a collaboration with Metro Boomin’ and Future, boldly proclaiming, “Motherfuck the big three, n***a, it’s just big me.” With this declaration, the stage was set for a lyrical clash.
Drake responded during his tour stop in Sunrise, Florida saying, “A lot of people asking me how I’m feeling. I’mma let you know how I’m feeling. Listen, the way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out of here feeling tonight about your f–king self.
“Because you know how I’m feeling?” Drake asked. “I got my f–king head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 f–king toes down in Florida or anywhere else I go, and I know that no matter what, there’s not a n—a on this earth that could ever f–k with me in my life. And that’s how I want you to walk outta here tonight.”
April 2024: Tensions reached a boiling point as Drake unleashed “Push Ups,” a scathing attack targeting Kendrick and his supporters. However, it was Drake’s use of AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg in “Taylor Made Freestyle” that further fuelled the flames. Kendrick fired back with “Euphoria,” condemning Drake’s manipulation of rap legends’ voices.
May 2024: The conflict reached a fever pitch. Kendrick’s “6:16 in LA” and Drake’s “Family Matters” unleashed a torrent of personal attacks, alleging paternity scandals and domestic abuse. Kendrick wasted no time in retaliation, swiftly releasing “Meet the Grahams,” hinting at even darker accusations against Drake.
Drake recently responded to accusations from the Compton rapper with his latest track, “The Heart Part 6.” In the song, Drake addresses allegations of paedophilia, rapping, “Drake is not a name that you gonna see on no sex offender list.” He continues, “If I was f***ing young girls, I promise I’d have been arrested/I’m way too famous for this shit you just suggested.”
The Aftermath and Beyond:
Beyond the exchange of diss tracks lies a complex narrative of friendship turned sour. Once collaborators, Drake and Kendrick’s relationship deteriorated amidst accusations of ghostwriting and claims of superiority. Now, the world awaits Kendrick’s response to Drake’s latest salvo, with anticipation building for the next chapter in this epic rap feud.
