Pictured L-R: Kendrick Lamar & Drake

Everyone is familiar with a good, old-fashioned diss track. It is no anomaly for musicians to mention other artists in their works. Whether that be positive or negative, it is sure to spark some buzz between the two artists. Diss tracks are commonly known for their negative connotations and purposeful attacks on artists. They are artistic ways of expressing feelings through lyrical genius that provides an all around entertaining experience for fans. Deciding which artist to support through the beef is a fun topic of conversation amongst the public, although it may be detrimental to friendships and relationships. After all, no one wants to be with a Drake fan…

So, let’s take a look at the timeline on how Kendrick Lamar and Drake are handling their current rap beef: 

• It all started when Drake releases a song “First Person Shooter”  that stated “we the big three, we started a league” referencing himself, J.Cole, and Kendrick Lamar
• 3/22: Future releases “Like That” with Kendrick Lamar featured
  • In response to Drake’s song stating that Drake, Cole, and Lamar were the “big three”
  • Lamar says in this song “f*** the big three, it’s just big me” singling out Cole and Drake.
• 04/05: J. Cole released “7 minute Drill”
  • A diss track directed to Lamar
  • Cole states people do not care about Lamar or his music
• 04/07: Cole apologies for “7 minute Drill”
• 04/12: Cole fleets “7 minute Drill”
• 04/19: Drake releases “Push Ups”
  • Drake tells Lamar to do some “push ups” 
  • Drake called Lamar “pipsqueak” and made fun of Lamar for doing features on pop songs, like Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” 
• 04/19: Drake releases “Taylor Made Freestyle”
  • Drake was forced to remove this song (from all platforms) due to having been served a cease and desist letter from Tupac’s estates for using AI-generated vocals from the rap legend.

• Also featured AI vocals from Snoop Dogg
  • Drake laughed and teased about in on Instagram 

• 04/30: Lamar releases “Euphoria”
  • Apparently Drake is an executive producer of the HBO Euphoria show
    • Therefore, Lamar named the songs that to cut deep at Drake
  • Lamar makes various claims and disses at Drake, including mocking his Toronto accent and stating every single thing he hates about the Canadian rapper.
• 05/03: Drake releases “Family Matters”
  • Drake responded to Lamar by questioning if Lamar was the true father to his child with his current fiance
  • Drake also alleges that Lamar is unfaithful and abusive to his current fiance
• 05/03: Drake releases “Parody” on Instagram only 
• 05/03: Lamar releases “Meet the Grahams” 
  • Less than an HOUR after Drake releases “Family Matters” Lamar released this 
  • The most aggressive song to be released in the feud yet 
    • Lamar opened the song by apologizing to Drake’s son for having him as the father, he follows by addressing Drake’s parents and his apparent 11 year old, unclaimed daughter, then finally addresses Drake directly (he specifically called out Drake’s real name, Aubrey Graham). 
    • Lamar claimed that Drake uses Ozempic and has had medical procedures such as a Brazilian Butt Lift (later backed up by Metro Boomin’s “BBL Drizzy” beat track). 
• Lamar releases “Not Like Us”
  • Released not even 24 hours after “Meet the Grahams”
    • Lamar called out Drake for using AI voices and getting in trouble
    • Lamar states “Say, Drake, I hear you like ‘em young, You better not ever go to cell block one”

The rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has been alive for years, but exploded in recent days as both rappers have repeatedly thrown insults towards each other, as well as allegations about each other’s personal lives. The slander is not limited to the two, however, as other rappers such as Metro Boomin, 21 Savage, and Future have been called out in tracks. This is seen in Drake’s “Family Matters” where he states, “Metro shut your h** a** up and make some drums.” 

This feud has brought forward a series of very serious, unverified claims including pedophilia, domestic abuse, murder, and absent parenting. In addition, fans have been quick to fact check and create their own speculations due to the feud. For example, fans speculate that Drake was responsible for the murder of rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot and killed in 2018. They have dug up evidence from Drake’s songs and music videos that allude to the possibility of his involvement (this is an unsupported claim, purely speculation). 

While utterly entertaining to follow along, the feud may inevitably leave some people wondering if it is just for publicity. While this is typically easy to identify, this one seems different. The two have been on bad terms dating back to 2013 when Kendrick Lamar featured on Big Sean’s song “Control” where he stated “I got love for you all, but I’m trying to murder you.” He referenced Drake, A$AP Rocky, J. Cole, Meek Mill, and others on the track. However, one with comprehension skills can easily tell that he was referencing the music industry and surpassing their fame. Ultimately, this is the wildest rap beef that has been public in a while, so it is sure to be generating revenue for each artist’s labels. 

We will see where the feud goes from here, but there are signs that it will continue between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. All we know is that the tracks are a fun, interactive experience for listeners to follow along and piece together.