{"id":6626,"date":"2024-05-05T16:11:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-05T16:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6626"},"modified":"2024-05-05T16:11:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-05T16:11:02","slug":"drake-vs-kendrick-lamar-a-comprehensive-timeline-of-their-rap-feud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6626","title":{"rendered":"Drake vs Kendrick Lamar: A comprehensive timeline of their rap feud"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='booster-block booster-read-block'>\n                <div class=\"twp-read-time\">\n                \t<i class=\"booster-icon twp-clock\"><\/i> <span>Read Time:<\/span>17 Minute, 51 Second                <\/div>\n\n            <\/div><p>One is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/drake-lyrics-for-all-the-dogs-review-b2425450.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a chart-dominating artist who pops streaming records\u00a0<\/a>as frequently as he does champagne bottles; the other is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/kendrick-lamar-review-mr-morale-b2078296.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">possibly the greatest rapper of all time<\/a>, with multiple Grammy wins and a Pulitzer Prize to his name.<\/p>\n<p>Many fans would agree that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/drake-lyrics-for-all-the-dogs-review-b2425450.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drake<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/kendrick-lamar-review-mr-morale-b2078296.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kendrick Lamar\u00a0<\/a>operate in entirely different lanes.<\/p>\n<p>Drake entertains with summery rap-pop jams such as \u201cOne Dance\u201d and \u201cHotline Bling\u201d, dabbling in trap, dancehall and R&amp;B along the way, while Lamar has asserted himself as a deft lyricist capable of blending street smarts with a literary wit. Yet their once friendly relationship has descended into years of traded barbs and thinly veiled disses, fuelled by fans who clash over which one is the better artist.<\/p>\n<p>In the past month, Lamar has managed to spark a fan frenzy<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/kendrick-lamar-like-that-drake-j-cole-b2517226.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0with his latest rap feature<\/a> on Future and Metro Boomin\u2019s new release \u201cLike That\u201d, in which he directly responds to a verse by fellow rapper J Cole on Drake\u2019s 2023 song, \u201cFirst Person Shooter\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Then, Cole rapped: \u201cLove when they argue the hardest MC \/ Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? \/ We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.\u201d (K-Dot is a nickname given to Lamar, while Drake\u2019s birth name is Aubrey Drake Graham.)<\/p>\n<p>On \u201cLike That\u201d,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/kendrick-lamar-like-that-drake-j-cole-b2517226.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0Lamar appeared to dismiss Cole\u2019s suggestion<\/a>\u00a0that they are on the same level as artists: \u201cMotherf*** the big three, n***a, it\u2019s just big me,\u201d he rapped. \u201cN***a, bum, what? I\u2019m really like that \/ And your best work is a light pack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, as Drake compared his commercial success to that of Michael Jackson, Lamar referenced the historic beef between the King of Pop and Prince during the Eighties: \u201cN***a, Prince outlived Mike Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lamar dropping not one but two diss tracks in the space of a week (\u201deuphoria\u201d and \u201c6:16 in LA\u201d) is the latest moment in a long-simmering feud between the two hip-hop titans, after they initially started out on friendly terms.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 mwLgW\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">(AFP\/REUTERS)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Here\u2019s a look at their relationship over the years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-kk992l-0 kOYyfb\">\n<h2><strong>2011 \u2013 Kendrick Lamar\u2019s career beginnings and initial friendship<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>Lamar and Drake were once on relatively friendly terms, with the Canadian artist inviting Lamar out on his Club Paradise headline tour.<\/p>\n<p>Lamar said in an early career interview that he and Drake \u201cclicked immediately\u201d, describing the fellow rapper as a \u201cgenuine soul\u201d and revealing that Drake was the first person outside of his immediate team to hear his debut album\u00a0<em>Section 80<\/em>. Drake later invited K-Dot to feature on his forthcoming second album,\u00a0<em>Take Care.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 kQEwzI\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Drake performing with Rihanna in 2011<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Getty Images)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Around the release of Lamar\u2019s critically acclaimed second album,\u00a0<em>Good Kid, MAAD City,<\/em>\u00a0on which Drake featured, tension appeared to begin brewing between the pair, seemingly in part due to their differing attitudes towards wealth and fame.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-1bgpgop-0 ljyKov\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Where Lamar tends to avoid sharing details of his personal life on social media, Drake is known for sharing frequent posts about his lavish lifestyle to his millions of Instagram followers, from private jets to couture and luxury cars. Lamar discussed this openly in interviews, hinting that he believed bragging about money and fame was superficial, and his own music tackled deeper matters.<\/p>\n<p>The two also seemed to grow colder towards one another as Lamar began to experience commercial and critical success, scooping major awards and receiving universal praise for\u00a0<em>Good Kid, MAAD City\u00a0<\/em>and being invited to star on tracks by other major artists.<\/p>\n<p>In public, Drake continued to congratulate Lamar for a number of his successes, until 2013, when Lamar dropped a verse on Big Sean\u2019s track \u201cControl\u201d that made it clear he considered himself above other rappers\u2026 including Drake.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 gprGeL\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kendrick Lamar performing at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2012<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Getty Images for BET)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While rappers such as A$AP Rocky, who was also name-checked, seemed pleased to be namechecked by Lamar at all, believing his competitive nature to be healthy for hip-hop, Drake seemed less enamoured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas that real or was that just for the people?\u201d he asked in an interview on Hot 97 after Lamar\u2019s guest verse came out. \u201cThose were harsh words, right? It\u2019s like, you can\u2019t just say that and then see me and be like, \u2018Yeah man\u2026\u2019 pretending like nothing ever happened. That\u2019s not real, man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Drake doubled down on this stance in a later interview where he implied that Lamar was more about a \u201cmoment\u201d than creating bodies of work, questioning whether he would release something that could top\u00a0<em>Good Kid, MAAD City.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He then released his third album, 2013\u2019s\u00a0<em>Nothing Was the Same,\u00a0<\/em>in which he appeared to take aim at Lamar on \u201cThe Language\u201d, rapping: \u201cF*** any n***a that\u2019s talking that s*** just to get a reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the same track, he referred to himself as \u201cthe kid with the motormouth \/ I am the one you should worry about.\u201d He also seemed to mock Lamar\u2019s attitude towards wealth, rapping: \u201cN***as downplaying the money but that\u2019s what you do when the money down.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 hlwxJR\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Artwork for Kendrick Lamar\u2019s 2012 album, \u2018Good Kid, MAAD City\u2019<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Kendrick Lamar)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On a recent episode of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2hjA_L7yjfY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>What\u2019s the Dirt\u00a0<\/em><\/a>YouTube show, in which host Matt delves into beefs between prominent hip-hop artists, it was suggested that Drake was being contemptuous of Lamar\u2019s rapid-fire delivery, and felt that his own music had more substance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s clearly about Kendrick,\u201d he said, citing instances where Lamar appeared to laugh at Drake\u2019s expense during interviews and suggesting K-Dot might have said something behind the \u201cHold On\u201d singer\u2019s back, which later made its way to him.<\/p>\n<p>Drake\u2019s resentment might have grown after Lamar seemingly mocked Drake for being \u201csensitive during a freestyle with ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab Soul and Isaiah Rashad: \u201cNothing\u2019s been the same since they dropped \u2018Control\u2019\/ And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pyjama clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-right\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 fjTzUp\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Drake performing in 2013<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Getty Images)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Fans were convinced he was talking about Drake, given he\u2019d cited the title of the fellow rapper\u2019s recent album, Nothing Was the Same.<\/p>\n<p>Drake then got personal a few weeks later on Future\u2019s track \u201cS**t\u201d, where he pointed out that Lamar played his biggest shows at the time around his hometown in Los Angeles while supporting Drake on tour in 2012: \u201cTook n***as out the hood like I\u2019m from there \/ So you know it\u2019s all good when I come there \/ I hear you talk about your city like you run that \/ And I brought my tour to your city, you my son there, n***a.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By the end of 2013, the relationship between the pair had grown distinctly chilly; they appeared on the same track for the last time with A$AP Rocky on \u201cF**kin\u2019 Problems\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-kk992l-0 kOYyfb\">\n<h2><strong>2014 \u2013 the public digs grow more frequent, even as Lamar plays down the beef<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>A few months after Drake appeared on Future\u2019s track, controversy erupted at the Grammy Awards when rapper Macklemore won Album of the Year over Lamar, who was nominated for\u00a0<em>Good Kid, MAAD<\/em>\u00a0City, now widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop records of all time.<\/p>\n<p>Macklemore, real name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, then shared a text on Instagram that he sent to Lamar after the win, in which he confessed that he felt the fellow rapper was \u201crobbed\u201d and that he\u2019d been rooting for Lamar to win.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-1bgpgop-0 ljyKov\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Drake was unimpressed by this, calling Macklemore out in an interview with<em>\u00a0Rolling Stone\u00a0<\/em>where he said the apology felt \u201ccheap\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>If Macklemore was going to hand out apologies, Drake said, he should have offered one to other nominees: \u201cThat s*** made me feel funny,\u201d he said. \u201cNo, in that case, you robbed everybody. We all need text messages!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lamar and Drake continued to take subtle swipes at one another on guest features, but K-Dot seemed to dismiss fan speculation and suggest they were \u201cdigging too far\u201d in a radio interview that aired later that year.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0<em>What\u2019s the Dirt,<\/em>\u00a0the host notes that despite this, Lamar continued to make digs about what he perceived to be the difference between his artistry and Drake\u2019s, leaning into the public perception that Drake was a glorified pop artist, rather than a credible hip-hop star skilled in the art of lyricism.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cComparing these projects makes zero sense,\u201d Matt said, referring to Lamar\u2019s Grammy-winning album<em>\u00a0To Pimp a Butterfly\u00a0<\/em>and Drake\u2019s\u00a0<em>If You\u2019re Reading This It\u2019s Too Late,<\/em>\u00a0both released in 2015.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 gdlovW\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Artwork for Kendrick Lamar\u2019s critically adored 2015 album \u2018To Pimp a Butterfly\u2019\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cDrake\u2019s project was great for club DJs, gym playlists, cruising in the car\u2026 whereas Kendrick\u2019s album touched on real-world issues, was chanted during protests, and is looked at today as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>In summer that year, controversy was sparked after rapper Meek Mill accused Drake of using a ghostwriter for his guest verse on Mill\u2019s recent LP, leading to a number of barbed exchanges in diss tracks.<\/p>\n<p>Drake defended himself against the allegations in September, telling\u00a0<em>The Fader:<\/em>\u00a0\u201cI need, sometimes, individuals to spark an idea so that I can take off running. Music at times can be a collaborative process, you know? Who came up with this, who came up with that \u2013 for me, it\u2019s like, I know that it takes me to execute every single thing that I\u2019ve done up until this point. And I\u2019m not ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 hoVWkT\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Fans were convinced Kendrick Lamar took a swipe at Drake allegedly using a ghostwriter<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Getty)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>However, this didn\u2019t stop fans scrambling to point out that Lamar had hinted at a fellow rapper using ghostwriters in his hit single, \u201cKing Kunta\u201d, which featured on<em>\u00a0To Pimp a Butterfly:<\/em>\u00a0\u201cI can dig rappin\u2019, but a rapper with a ghostwriter? \/ What the f*** happened? \/ I swore I wouldn\u2019t tell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-kk992l-0 kOYyfb\">\n<h2><strong>2016 \u2013 Drake dominates sales and streams, but Kendrick is the critical darling<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>Both artists seemed to cool down as they focused on their respective projects, with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/drake-views-album-review-rarely-has-one-man-moaned-quite-so-much-a7013171.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drake dropping his fourth studio album, the Jamaican dancehall-influenced\u00a0<em>Views,\u00a0<\/em><\/a>in April 2016. The record spawned<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/drake-actually-dances-to-hotline-bling-like-a-dad-in-real-life-a6727441.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0a number of major hits including \u201cOne Dance\u201d, \u201cHotline Bling\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and \u201cControlla\u201d, leading to the Canadian star becoming the most-streamed artist of the year. It also resulted in Drake achieving his first ever UK No 1 album, as it also debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 hvZOqG\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Drake dancing to Hotline Bling<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Drake\/YouTube)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>However, Drake couldn\u2019t resist making a few digs around that time, rapping with The Game on his track \u201c100\u201d about the perception of him as a pop artist: \u201cI would have all of your fans if I didn\u2019t go pop \/ And I stayed on some conscious sh**.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A year later, Lamar released his own fourth album,\u00a0<em>DAMN,<\/em>\u00a0and received considerably more critical praise than Drake had for<em>\u00a0Views<\/em>. Where reviews of Drake\u2019s album were mixed, critics lavished praise on\u00a0<em>DAMN,\u00a0<\/em>even directly pitting it against\u00a0<em>Views.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s Mr Lamar\u2019s version of the creeping paranoia that has become de rigueur for midcareer Drake,\u201d Jon Caramanica wrote for the<em>\u00a0New York Times.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cAnd yet this is most likely Mr Lamar\u2019s most jubilant album, the one in which his rhymes are the least tangled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Drake seemed to try and squash any past beef, however, the month Lamar dropped\u00a0<em>DAMN,<\/em>\u00a0posting a comment on the Instagram page of Tidal\u2019s editorial director Elliot Wilson showing that<em>\u00a0DAMN\u00a0<\/em>had out-sold Drake\u2019s\u00a0<em>More Life<\/em>\u00a0mixtape in its opening week by 100,000 copies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 kiVJfd\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Artwork for Kendrick Lamar\u2019s album \u2018DAMN.\u2019<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Kendrick Lamar)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cAmazing to see our music moving!\u201d Drake wrote, also liking a comment by a fan who suggested he, Lamar and J Cole collaborate on a track.<\/p>\n<p>Three years after\u00a0<em>DAMN\u2019<\/em>s release, Lamar would become the first rapper in history to win the Pulitzer Prize for music, marking the first time a non-classical or jazz artist had won the distinguished award.<\/p>\n<p>Through this time, however, Lamar goes quiet with new music releases (with the exception of the\u00a0<em>Black Panther<\/em>\u00a0film soundtrack in 2018, which spawned a few extra Grammy nominations including Song of the Year for \u201cAll the Stars\u201d with SZA).<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Drake continues to dominate the charts with a string of releases including his\u00a0<em>Scary Hours<\/em>\u00a0EP and his fifth album, 2018\u2019s<em>\u00a0Scorpion<\/em>, which included the singles \u201cGod\u2019s Plan\u201d, \u201cNice for What\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Upset\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>By this point, the public interest in comparing the two artists was so pronounced that even the then-president,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/kendrick-lamar-or-drake-barack-obama-has-choosen-which-rapper-he-prefers-a6817866.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barack Obama, was asked to declare which one he favoured.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-kk992l-0 kOYyfb\">\n<h2><strong>2019 \u2013 Mr Morale &amp; the Big Steppers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>While Drake has seemed to make occasional attempts to hand Lamar an olive branch, the Compton rapper remains tight-lipped unless he\u2019s taking swipes on a track. But after K-Dot took almost five years to release the follow-up to\u00a0<em>DAMN<\/em>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/kendrick-lamar-review-mr-morale-b2078296.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">his 2022 album\u00a0<em>Mr Morale &amp; the Big Steppers,\u00a0<\/em><\/a>Drake apparently couldn\u2019t resist an opportunity to lash out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know it\u2019s summertime, I\u2019ve gotta give you s***!\u201d he told fans during a show for his It\u2019s All a Blur tour in 2023. \u201cI don\u2019t know about these guys that go away for three, four, five years and wanna chill out and all that s***. That\u2019s not me.\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/drake-lyrics-for-all-the-dogs-review-b2425450.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drake then announced the forthcoming release of his 2024 album,\u00a0<em>For All the Dogs<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 mwLgW\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Drake and For All the Dogs album cover<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Getty \/ Universal Music)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Drake had previously been criticised by some for his relentless string of singles, EPs, mixtapes and studio albums, while Lamar is notorious for leaving long gaps between releases\u2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-kk992l-0 kOYyfb\">\n<h2><strong>2024<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2026Which brings us to the present day, after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/kendrick-lamar-like-that-drake-j-cole-b2517226.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lamar made a surprise appearance on \u201cLike That\u201d,<\/a>\u00a0which appears on Future and Metro Boomin\u2019s collaborative album,<em>\u00a0We Don\u2019t Trust You.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>K-Dot appeared to directly respond to J Cole\u2019s verse on \u201cFirst Person Shooter\u201d from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/drake-lyrics-for-all-the-dogs-review-b2425450.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drake\u2019s<em>\u00a0For All The Dogs<\/em><\/a>, where Cole raps: \u201cLove when they argue the hardest MC \/ Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? \/ We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMotherf*** the big three, n***a, it\u2019s just big me,\u201d Lamar raps on \u201cLike That\u201d. \u201cN***a, bum, What? I\u2019m really like that\/And your best work is a light pack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/drake-kendrick-feud-like-that-j-cole-b2518595.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drake appeared to brush off Lamar\u2019s diss<\/a>\u00a0at a recent concert while on his tour with Cole, in support of<em>\u00a0It\u2019s All a Blur.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 ciXMmc\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kendrick Lamar dropped not one but two diss tracks in the space of a week, before Drake had even responded to the first<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cA lot of people asking me how I\u2019m feeling\u2026 listen, the way I\u2019m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out of here feeling tonight about your f***ing self,\u201d Drake told his audience, footage shared to social media on 25 March shows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you know how I\u2019m feeling? I got my head up high, my back straight, I\u2019m 10 f***ing toes down\u2026 and feeling like anywhere else I go\u2026 and I know no matter what, there\u2019s not a n**** on this Earth that can ever f*** with me in my life,\u201d he shouted. \u201cAnd that\u2019s how I want y\u2019all to walk out of here tonight\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut,\u201d he continued, \u201cyou know, you can get yourselves gassed up, riled up and move towards the future\u2026 Sometimes you\u2019ve got to acknowledge the mistakes you\u2019ve made in the past\u2026 right? So that\u2019s what I want you all to do. Everybody in here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lamar turned to openly naming Drake in his track \u201ceuphoria\u201d, seemingly a nod to Drake\u2019s role as a producer on the hit HBO teen drama, which he dropped on a random Tuesday, 30 April.<\/p>\n<p>The six-minute track sees Lamar open fire on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/drake-pusha-t-diss-song-blackface-radio-annie-mac-kanye-west-a8378306.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drake\u2019s racial identity,<\/a>\u00a0alleged use of ghostwriters, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/reviews\/drake-lyrics-for-all-the-dogs-review-b2425450.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent remarks and behaviour that have led to accusations of misogyny.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>One widely discussed moment on the track has been linked to a notorious interview with late rapper DMX. Asked whether he liked Drake in the interview, he simply said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pushed to elaborate, he said: \u201cI don\u2019t like anything about Drake. I don\u2019t like his f***ing voice, I don\u2019t like nothing he talks about. I don\u2019t like his face. I don\u2019t like the way he walks. Nothing. I don\u2019t like his haircut.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lamar echoes this as he raps: \u201cI hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk\/ I hate the way that you dress\/ I hate the way you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it\u2019s gon\u2019 be direct.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other searing lines, Lamar dismisses rumours he has been looking for \u201cdirt\u201d on Drake: \u201cWhy would I try to call around and try to get dirt on you? You think my life is rap? That\u2019s ho s***. I got a son to raise. But I can see you don\u2019t know nothing \u2018bout that,\u201d he raps.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-1bgpgop-0 ljyKov\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The bars hark back to the now-infamous diss track from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/pusha-t-soundcloud-drake-baby-sophie-brussaux-story-of-adidon-listen-stream-a8375241.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US rapper Pusha T, \u201cThe Story of Adidon\u201d<\/a>, which revealed that Drake had fathered a son with French former adult actor Sophie Brussaux. Drake confirmed he had a son, Adonis, a month later when he released his fifth album,\u00a0<em>Scorpion.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Just a few days later and before Drake had properly responded, Lamar dropped another incendiary track, \u201c6:16 in LA\u201d, on his Instagram. The title is once again pointed as it nods to a favoured theme in Drake\u2019s work, seen in songs such as \u201c9am in Dallas\u201d, \u201c8am in Charlotte\u201d and \u201c4pm in Calabas\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Fans have also noticed that 6\/16 happens to be both Father\u2019s Day and Tupac Shakur\u2019s birthday. In another master stroke, the track was produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff, the latter best known for his collaborations with pop titan Taylor Swift.<\/p>\n<p>Drake\u2019s last diss against Lamar was \u201cTaylor Made Freestyle\u201d, in which he mocked Lamar for supposedly using his collab with Swift on 2016\u2019s \u201cBad Blood\u201d to gain mainstream popularity.<\/p>\n<p>With Antonoff, Lamar has ensured that his latest track is, in fact, \u201cTaylor Made\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-2 fGBTBo image align-none\">\n<div class=\"sc-482ou5-0 ghOSIT\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift at the Grammys<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gxuGRW\">\u00a0(AP)<\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Over a lush, mellow sample of Al Green, he regales listeners with the things he is thankful for before he turns to Drake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you finally ready to play Have You Ever? Let\u2019s see\/ Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me?\/ Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person\/ Everyone inside your team\u2019s whispering that you deserve it,\u201d he raps.<\/p>\n<p>Then, Lamar goes darker as he tells Drake he has moles in his camp, and that the people he views as close allies are actually working against him: \u201cNo, you can\u2019t sleep\/ These images trouble you\/ No, the wires in your circle should puzzle you\/ If you were street smart then you would have caught that your entourage is only to hustle you\/ A hundred n****s that you cut on salary\/ And 20 of \u2018em want you as a casualty\/ And one of them is next to you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/drake-kendrick-lamar-beef-diss-track-daughter-domestic-violence-b2539602.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">On Saturday (4 May), the Canadian artist released \u201cFamily Matters\u201d,<\/a>\u00a0made up of three parts, in which he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/george-the-poet-kendrick-lamar-hip-hop-b2531917.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accuses Lamar\u2019s pro-Black activism<\/a>\u00a0of hypocrisy. In the track he also accuses him of alleged\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/domestic-violence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">domestic violence<\/a>, and of \u201cbegging\u201d the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/kendrick-lamar-euphoria-drake-diss-tupac-b2537326.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tupac estate to sue Drake for his use of AI versions<\/a>\u00a0of the late rapper in a diss track.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou the Black messiah wifin\u2019 up a mixed queen,\u201d he says referring to Lamar\u2019s childhood sweetheart and fianc\u00e9e, Whitney Alford who is of mixed heritage.<\/p>\n<p>He denied ordering a cease and desist on Lamar, insisting such an order \u201cis for h*es\u201d. He raps: \u201cYou called the Tupac estate and begged \u2018em to sue me and get that s*** down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In perhaps his most controversial lyric, heard over the end of the song as the music tails off, he adds: \u201cThey hired a crisis management team, to clean up the fact that you beat on your queen. The picture you painted ain\u2019t what it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-1bgpgop-0 ljyKov\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-svc i-amphtml-loading-container i-amphtml-fill-content amp-hidden\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-loader-background\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader i-amphtml-new-loader-size-default\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-new-loader-spinner-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/drake-kendrick-lamar-beef-diss-track-daughter-domestic-violence-b2539602.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lamar hit back within minutes, releasing \u201cMeet The Grahams\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/music\/news\/kendrick-lamar-drake-diss-track-euphoria-b2539282.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">his third diss track this week<\/a>, in which he accused the rapper of harbouring a secret daughter, and of having a series of addictions to gambling, alcohol, drugs, sex, and spending.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-looa6c-0 bFFRwb\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cYou got gambling problems, drinking problems, pill-popping and spending problems, bad with money, whore house. Therapy\u2019s a start,\u201d he rapped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou lied about your son, you lied about your daughter, huh, you lied about them other kids that\u2019s out there hoping that you come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>MORE:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"wpp-post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adomonline.com\/nkwanta-south-mce-begs-chiefs-on-his-knees-to-give-peace-a-chance\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Nkwanta South: MCE begs chiefs on his knees to give peace a chance<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a class=\"wpp-post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adomonline.com\/shatta-wale-bursts-into-tears-kneels-to-apologize-to-mahama\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Shatta Wale bursts into tears, kneels to apologize to Mahama<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a class=\"wpp-post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adomonline.com\/afronita-abigail-get-standing-ovation-for-britains-got-talent-performance\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">Afronita, Abigail get standing ovation for Britain\u2019s Got Talent performance<\/a><\/strong><\/p>        <div class=\"booster-block booster-reactions-block\">\n            <div class=\"twp-reactions-icons\">\n                \n                <div class=\"twp-reacts-wrap\">\n                    <a react-data=\"be-react-1\" post-id=\"6626\" class=\"be-face-icons un-reacted\" href=\"javascript:void(0)\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/wp-content\/plugins\/booster-extension\/\/assets\/icon\/happy.svg\" alt=\"Happy\">\n                    <\/a>\n                    <div class=\"twp-reaction-title\">\n                        Happy                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"twp-count-percent\">\n                                                    <span style=\"display: none;\" class=\"twp-react-count\">1<\/span>\n                        \n                                                <span class=\"twp-react-percent\"><span>100<\/span> %<\/span>\n                 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src=\"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/wp-content\/plugins\/booster-extension\/\/assets\/icon\/angry.svg\" alt=\"Angry\">\n                    <\/a>\n                    <div class=\"twp-reaction-title\">Angry<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"twp-count-percent\">\n                                                    <span style=\"display: none;\" class=\"twp-react-count\">0<\/span>\n                                                                        <span class=\"twp-react-percent\"><span>0<\/span> %<\/span>\n                        \n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n                <div class=\"twp-reacts-wrap\">\n                    <a react-data=\"be-react-5\" post-id=\"6626\" class=\"be-face-icons un-reacted\" href=\"javascript:void(0)\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/wp-content\/plugins\/booster-extension\/\/assets\/icon\/surprise.svg\" alt=\"Surprise\">\n                    <\/a>\n                    <div class=\"twp-reaction-title\">Surprise<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"twp-count-percent\">\n                                                    <span style=\"display: none;\" class=\"twp-react-count\">0<\/span>\n                                                                        <span class=\"twp-react-percent\"><span>0<\/span> %<\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n    ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One is\u00a0a chart-dominating artist who pops streaming records\u00a0as frequently as he does champagne bottles; the other is\u00a0possibly the greatest rapper of all time, with multiple Grammy wins and a Pulitzer&hellip; 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