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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The artist\u2019s 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.\u00a0Here is an explanation and examination of the provocation, alteration, and future of these hip-hop artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These tensions began with the successful debut of Kendrick Lamar\u2019s first album, in 2013. In a certain guest show, Kendrick addressed many rappers, including Drake, and J Cole warning them: \u201cI got love for all of you, but I’m going to murder you.\u201d Of course, Drake didn’t let this comment go by without him addressing it himself.\u00a0In which Drake gave Lamar a direct statement saying: “I know good and well that Lamar\u2019s 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\u2019t 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\u2026 in March 2024, producer Metro Boomin and Future released a collaborative album called We Don’t Trust You.<\/em> Hidden in the track listing, there was a song called Like That<\/em>, and within this song, there was an uncredited verse by Kendrick Lamar\u2026 which was explosive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With an expletive-laden delivery, Kendrick aimed at J Cole’s verse, and corrected it by claiming there was no \u201cbig three – just big me.\u201d Kendrick then went ahead and called Drake and Cole’s best verses\u00a0\u201clight work\u201d and declared that he was the Prince to Drake\u2019s Michael Jackson. Throughout the rest of the lyrics, there was not much else, except in the end\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kendrick promises that he will put all of Drake and J Cole\u2019s \u201cdogs\u201d into the \u201cpet cemetery\u201d. Now you know a fuse has been lit\u2026 something that Drake cannot let go by without being addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Note: when Kendrick says \u201cdogs\u201d, he is not referring to the legitimate animal, but those who Drake and Cole hold nearest and dearest to them.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To come back to this, Cole released a diss track to come back at Kendrick\u2019s 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 \u201clamest, goofiest\u201d thing he has ever recorded, J Cole stepped out of this pot, which was rising in heat by the moment. Until\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Boiling Point<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (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.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u201cPush Ups\u201d, in which Drake targeted Kendrick\u2019s height, due to the fact that Kendrick is 165cm (5.41ft) and Drake is182(6.1ft). Drake called Kendrick a \u201cmidget\u201d which Kendrick did not take lightly at all. He then also targeted Kendrick\u2019s ego and came back to what Kendrick had said in his latest diss track: 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That being said, the most famous and mind blowing of these diss tracks, was Kendrick\u2019s diss track called \u201cNot Like Us\u201d. This was a diss track that called out Drake for being a pedophile and talking to minors, Kendrick\u2019s track said 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2026.? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Works Cited<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPipe down pipsqueak, pipe down, you aint in no big three,\u00a0 SZA got you wiped down Travis got you wiped down Savage got you wiped down.\u201d (Lyrics from \u201cPush Ups\u201d by Drake)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSay, Drake, I hear you like them young,\/Certified loverboy? Certified Pedophile?\/Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-Minor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n