When did it start? Why did it happen? What happened? These questions revolve around the recent drama between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. What happened between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and why are there rising tensions between the two of them?
The artist’s tensions were originally between three of the biggest hip-hop stars, including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J Cole. But as tensions grew, J Cole dropped out of the fight to not get backfire or any negative attention. This turned out perfectly for him, since his name is now nowhere to be seen in the press and the topic is seen as the tensions between solely Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Here is an explanation and examination of the provocation, alteration, and future of these hip-hop artists.
These tensions began with the successful debut of Kendrick Lamar’s first album, in 2013. In a certain guest show, Kendrick addressed many rappers, including Drake, and J Cole warning them: “I got love for all of you, but I’m going to murder you.” Of course, Drake didn’t let this comment go by without him addressing it himself. In which Drake gave Lamar a direct statement saying: “I know good and well that Lamar’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.” This statement suggests that Kendrick isn’t good enough or popular enough to make Drake fall out of popularity, which is what Kendrick had stated beforehand. Kendrick and Drake started throwing small jabs at each other, hiding some disses between lyrics over the years, yet their conflict was relatively small. Until… in March 2024, producer Metro Boomin and Future released a collaborative album called We Don’t Trust You. Hidden in the track listing, there was a song called Like That, and within this song, there was an uncredited verse by Kendrick Lamar… which was explosive.
With an expletive-laden delivery, Kendrick aimed at J Cole’s verse, and corrected it by claiming there was no “big three – just big me.” Kendrick then went ahead and called Drake and Cole’s best verses “light work” and declared that he was the Prince to Drake’s Michael Jackson. Throughout the rest of the lyrics, there was not much else, except in the end…
Kendrick promises that he will put all of Drake and J Cole’s “dogs” into the “pet cemetery”. Now you know a fuse has been lit… something that Drake cannot let go by without being addressed.
(Note: when Kendrick says “dogs”, he is not referring to the legitimate animal, but those who Drake and Cole hold nearest and dearest to them.)
To come back to this, Cole released a diss track to come back at Kendrick’s recent disses towards him, but later figured out that it was a huge misstep from him. Cole then went on stage to address this, apologised, and extinguished the once lit flame. Claiming that his own track was the “lamest, goofiest” thing he has ever recorded, J Cole stepped out of this pot, which was rising in heat by the moment. Until…
The Boiling Point
(Note: Diss tracks are defined as lyrics within a hip hop beat that directly targets a certain person. In this case, it is referencing Drake targeting Kendrick, and Kendrick targeting Drake. In these diss tracks everything is said, from small insults, to life changing accusations that could lead to the downfall of the other if taken in the wrong context and direction.)
Drake decided that he wanted to light the fire that J Cole had extinguished, and came up with yet another diss track. On April 13th, he released a track called “Push Ups”, in which Drake targeted Kendrick’s height, due to the fact that Kendrick is 165cm (5.41ft) and Drake is182(6.1ft). Drake called Kendrick a “midget” which Kendrick did not take lightly at all. He then also targeted Kendrick’s ego and came back to what Kendrick had said in his latest diss track:
“Pipe down pipsqueak, pipe down, you aint in no big three, SZA got you wiped down Travis got you wiped down Savage got you wiped down.” (Lyrics from “Push Ups” by Drake)
Kendrick came back, of course, with a diss track of his own. This went on for months. Both artists released, week after week, new disstracks of what they can curse and throw at each other in as many ways as possible.
That being said, the most famous and mind blowing of these diss tracks, was Kendrick’s diss track called “Not Like Us”. This was a diss track that called out Drake for being a pedophile and talking to minors, Kendrick’s track said
“Say, Drake, I hear you like them young,/Certified loverboy? Certified Pedophile?/Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-Minor.”
Kendrick went full-on with the accusations and made fun of Drake for this. Unfortunately for Drake, this diss track blew up, and it impacted Drake extremely negatively, since he was friends with Millie Bobbie Brown. This raised concerns and predictions of what was happening between them.
Although tensions were flaring up, the hype and popularity died down after both rappers had quieted down a little bit. Maybe they are making a new beat? Maybe they backed out? Maybe the fire was extinguished….?
Works Cited
Savage, Mark. “Drake and Kendrick Lamar Beef Explained – What Has Happened and Why?” BBC News, BBC, 9 May 2024, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68739398.