Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud

CanadianrapperDrakeand American rapperKendrick Lamarhave been involved in arap feudsince at least March 22, 2024—the release date of the song "Like That" by Lamar,Future, andMetro Boomin.
The two began on favorable terms in 2011. In 2013, LamardissedDrake onBig Sean's "Control", but claimed his verse was "friendly competition". In the ensuing years, Drake and Lamar denied speculation that they had dissed each other in various songs.
In October 2023, Drake and rapperJ. Colereleased "First Person Shooter", where Cole claims that he, Drake, and Lamar are the "big three" of modern hip-hop. On "Like That" in March 2024, Kendrick responded that hip-hop is "just big me". In April, Cole dissed Lamar on "7 Minute Drill"—later apologizing and removing the song from streaming services—and Drake dissed Lamar on "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle".
Lamar dissed Drake in "Euphoria" on April 30 and "6:16 in LA" on May 3. Drake released "Family Matters" later on the 3rd, alleging Lamar is adomestic abuser, and that music producerDave Freebiologically fathered Lamar's son. Twenty minutes later, Lamar released "Meet the Grahams", accusing Drake ofsexual predation(includingsex trafficking) and fathering a second secret child (rapperPusha Trevealed ina 2018 diss trackthat Drake secretly had a son named Adonis). On May 4, on "Not Like Us", Lamar accused Drake ofpedophilia. On the 5th, on "The Heart Part 6", Drake denied Lamar's accusations, claiming Drake's team gave Lamar false information about a second child.
In November, Drake filed a petition against his and Lamar'srecord label,Universal Music Group(UMG), claiming UMG failed to halt the release of "Not Like Us"—a song Drake alleges isdefamatory—and inflated the song's popularity with illegal tactics. In 2025, Drake reflected on the feud on "Fighting Irish Freestyle", and sued UMG for defamation; "Not Like Us" won fiveGrammy Awards, and Lamar performed it and “Euphoria”at Super Bowl LIX.
Several publications have described Lamar as winning the feud in popular consensus. Commentators have either praised the feud's spectacle and the significance it gave to modern hip-hop, or criticized both artists for the way they made and responded to each other's accusations.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar began on favorable terms. The pair's first collaboration was seen in the form of Lamar's appearance on "Buried Alive Interlude", from Drake's 2011 studio albumTake Care.Their relationship continued to develop amicably after Lamar opened for Drake alongsideASAP Rockyduring Drake's 2012Club Paradise Tour. Later that year, both Lamar and Drake also made an appearance on ASAP Rocky's "Fuckin' Problems".In 2012, Drake featured on Lamar's hit single "Poetic Justice".
On August 14, 2013, Lamar took shots at Drake and several other rappers onBig Sean's "Control", claiming that he "had love" for all of them, but was trying to "murder" them in the rap scene.In an interview withBillboardtwo weeks later, Drake dismissed Lamar's verse, stating: "It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That's all it was. I know good and well that [Lamar]'s not murdering me, at all, in any platform".In September, Drake joinedElliott Wilson's live interview series#CRWN. When prompted about the "Control" verse, Drake replied that Lamar's in-person attitude contradicted the sentiments of his "Control" verse. "I saw him five days later at the VMAs and it was all love... If it's really 'fuck everybody' then it needs to be 'fuck everybody'. It can't just be halfway".
On September 24, 2013, Drake released his third studio albumNothing Was the Same. Multiple outlets interpreted the first verse on "The Language", the album's fifth single, as a response to Lamar's "Control" verse.Birdman, head of Drake's then-labelCash Money Records, stated the song was not about Lamar.In October, during the2013 BET Hip Hop Awards' fifthcypher, Lamar rapped: "Nothing's been the same since they dropped 'Control'/ And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes".These lines were popularly interpreted as further disses toward Drake and a response to "The Language", especially as Lamar appears to reference Drake'sNothing Was the Same.
On December 17, 2013, a remix ofFuture's "Shit" featuring Drake andJuicy Jwas released. Hip-hop fans and outlets alike speculated Drake's verse on the remix was a diss targeted towards Lamar.The same day, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith andPunch(both key figures at Lamar's record labelTop Dawg Entertainment) posted responses onTwitterto Drake's verse disregarding the supposed disses.Two days after the track's release, Drake addressed Lamar's 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher verse and "The Language" in a cover story forVibe, mocking the idea of them being "buddy-buddy" and stating he already "stood [his] ground" in response to "Control". Nevertheless, Drake maintained that "The Language" wasn't targeted towards Lamar. Drake also praised Lamar as a "genius in his own right" and insisted there was "no real issue".In June 2014, Drake posted a video onInstagramof himself rapping along to "Cut You Off (To Grow Closer)" from Lamar's 2010 mixtapeOverly Dedicated.
On October 29, 2014,Jay Rockreleased "Pay for It" featuring Lamar. The latter's verse contained lines seemingly taking shots at Drake while referencing lyrics from Drake's "The Language".However, in an interview withDazedpublished on November 3, 2014, Lamar clarified: "I got no beef with Drake".On November 4, 2014, Lamar made an appearance onWWPR-FM'sThe Breakfast Cluband further defused the prospect of a 'beef' between himself and Drake: "It wasn't no issue from the jump. I think people talk about beef... it's just a whole 'nother dynamic. I can't see myself going bar for bar with Drake. We're two different types of artists."
Despite Drake and Lamar's prior dismissals, their feud continued in the form ofsneak dissesBillboardidentified as "subtle shots fired from both sides, but nothing groundbreaking".Marc Griffin, writing a timeline of the feud forVibe, referred to this time as "theCold Warbetween the two men".
In a list of potential sneak disses on Drake's February 2015 mixtapeIf You're Reading This It's Too Late, Brandon Caldwell forBillboardclaimed "Used To" and the bonus track "6PM in New York" contained lines targeting Lamar.On March 15, 2015, Lamar released his third studio albumTo Pimp a Butterfly. The album's third single, "King Kunta", received little attention in the context of Drake and Lamar's feud until afterMeek Millaccused Drake of usingghostwriterson Twitter.After the accusations became public, the lines "A rapper with a ghostwriter? What the fuck happened? / I swore I wouldn't tell / But most of y'all sharing bars like you got the bottom bunk in a two man cell" from "King Kunta" were retrospectively interpreted by multiple outlets as subliminal Drake disses from Lamar.The songs "Darkside / Gone" and "Deep Water" fromDr. Dre's August 2015 studio albumComptonalso both featured Lamar verses with lines interpreted as Drake disses.
On January 15, 2016, PresidentBarack Obamasat down for a series of interviews conducted byYouTube influencers.In one such interview,Swoozieasked if Obama thought Drake or Lamar would win in arap battle. Obama responded: "Gotta go with Kendrick. I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer. But Kendrick, his lyrics—[To Pimp a Butterfly] was outstanding. Best album, I think, last year." Fifteen days later, Drake released "Summer Sixteen", dissing Obama and rapping: "Tell Obama that my verses are just like the whips that he in / They bulletproof".Vibe'sIyana Robertson said the ensuing conversation "... reignited a debate that has been going on since the conception of [Drake and Lamar's] respective careers".During a June 2016 airing ofESPN'sMax and Marcellus, sportscaster and former professionalAmerican footballplayerMarcellus Wileyclaimed there was a destroyed ESPNSportsNationinterview of either Drake or Lamar dissing the other in a way that would have "ignited [the feud] to proportions we have not seen since Ja Rule/50 [Cent], maybe even Ice Cube/N.W.A."In an August 2016 interview forVladTV, Wiley stated that the alleged SportsNation interview was destroyed because the inciting rapper's team intervened.On May 8, 2024, Wiley stated in hisYouTubeshowHydration Situationthat the interview took place in 2014, with Drake as the inciting party. Wiley claimed that Drake said he was better than Lamar, which he perceived as jealousy. He also accused Drake of personally intimidating ESPN into deleting the interview.
On March 23, 2017, Lamar released "The Heart Part 4", popularly perceived as a diss track towards Big Sean or Drake.Lamar would later explicitly reference lines from "The Heart Part 4" in his 2024 Drake diss track "Euphoria", seemingly confirming the perception of the former track as a Drake diss.
In May 2022, Lamar released his fifth studio albumMr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The fifth song on the album, "Father Time" (featuringSampha), included a verse from Lamar which referencedKanye Westand Drake's brief peaceduringtheir respective feud: "When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused / Guess I'm not mature as I think, got some healin' to do". The lines were reported by some outlets as possible disses toward Drake and West, though they were also interpreted as Lamar expressing surprise at Drake and West's reconciliation.In September 2021,Joe Buddenalleged Lamar dissed Drake on the song "Family Ties", released the month prior byBaby Keemand Lamar.
In October 2023, on Drake's "First Person Shooter,"J. Colesuggested that he, Drake, and Lamar were part of the "Big Three" greatest rappers in modern hip-hop, as well as that he was currently the best of the three. On March 22, 2024,Lamar responded unfavorably to the "Big Three" notion on his,Metro BoominandFuture's song, "Like That", dissing Cole and Drake while rhyming "motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me".The diss prompted Cole to release a response song, "7 Minute Drill",in which he criticizesTo Pimp a Butterfly.In the days after, he publicly apologized onstage for releasing the song and removed it from streaming services.Drake did not directly acknowledge "Like That" on tour, simply stating at one concert: "I got my head up high... and I know no matter what there's not another nigga on this Earth that could ever fuck with me".
On April 13, 2024, early versions of Drake's "Push Ups" were leaked online.The song serves as a response to Lamar's verse on "Like That";Drake claims multiple artists are better than Lamar, including21 Savage,Travis Scott, andSZA.In addition, Drake disses several people for siding against him after Lamar's verse came out, including Metro Boomin, Future,the Weeknd, andRick Ross.On "Push Ups", Drake also mocks Lamar's short stature of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters).
On April 19, 2024, the same day as the official release of "Push Ups", Drake also released "Taylor Made Freestyle", another diss targeted at Lamar. The song featuredAI-generated vocalsimitating the rappersTupac ShakurandSnoop Dogg.Shakur's estate disapproved of the AI-generated verse and threatened Drake to pull the song from social media, citing the violation of Shakur'spersonality rightsand the decision to diss a friend of the estate: "The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupac's voice against Kendrick Lamar... who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult."Drake also accuses Lamar of not responding to "Push Ups" because Lamar did not want to stopTaylor Swift's new album,The Tortured Poets Department, fromchartinghigher; Drake criticized Lamar forcollaborating with Swiftand other pop artists. "Taylor Made Freestyle" was subsequently taken down by Drake on April 26, 2024.
On April 30, 2024, Lamar released adiss tracknamed "Euphoria" in response to Drake.The title has been interpreted as a reference to the TV showEuphoriafor which Drake serves as an executive producer.Vulturedescribed the track as Lamar showing his "pure hatred" towards Drake. In the track, Lamar criticizes Drake's parenting, saying: "I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that".He also claims that Drake's abs were made through plastic surgery.
On May 3, 2024, three days after "Euphoria", Lamar posted anInstagram Reelcaptioned "6:16 in LA", containing a new diss track,similar to how Drake released "Taylor Made Freestyle". The title parodies Drake's "[timestamp] in [city]" songs, like "8AM in Charlotte".The track was also produced by Taylor Swift's usual producer,Jack Antonoff, whichVultureguessed was a reference to Drake's comments on "Taylor Made Freestyle".Fans speculated that the cover references themurder trial of O.J. Simpsonwith a glove on the cover, alluding to the glove presented as evidence during the trial, as well as the title referencing June 16, the day ofNicole Brown Simpson's funeral, the submission date of the case, as well as the date ofFather's Dayin 2024.
On May 3, Drake released "Family Matters", a response to "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA".In the track, Drake alleges that one of Lamar's children is biologically fromDave Free, Lamar's friend and label co-founder.He also claims Lamar is a domestic abuser and unfaithful in his relationship with his fiancée Whitney Alford. The track is also directed atASAP Rockyand Metro Boomin, who collaborated with Future on the April 12 diss track "Show of Hands".
Drake promoted "Family Matters" on Instagram by posting "Buried Alive Interlude, Pt. 2", a short remix of "Buried Alive Interlude" in which he mentions Lamar opening for his Club Paradise Tour.
Just twenty minutes after the release of "Family Matters", Lamar released another diss track aimed at Drake, titled "Meet the Grahams," produced byThe Alchemist.On the track, Lamar speaks directly to members of Drake's family, telling his son Adonis that he is sorry that his father is Drake.Lamar alleges that Drake is hiding a second child (a daughter), that he is sexually attracted to minors, and that he is running a sex trafficking ring out of his mansion.Lamar also disses Drake'sOVOlabel affiliates—claiming they are sex offenders harbored by Drake—and security guard.He predicts that Drake's mansion "is 'bout to get raided too", referring to the recent federal raids onSean Combs' mansion as part of an unrelated investigation.
Lamar revealing an alleged second child came in the context ofPusha T's 2018 diss track "The Story of Adidon", in which Pusha T publicly revealed that Drake was hiding a son named Adonis.Drake responded to Lamar on Instagram: "Nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me ... these guys are in shambles", followed by multiple laughing emojis.Fans who were put off by the alleged "lie" about the hidden daughter, uploaded an edited version of the track to social media, where they edited out the third verse of "Meet the Grahams",prompting Lamar and his label to file a copyright violation.Charles Holmes ofThe Ringerwrote that with "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams", "the Doomsday Machine has been activated", and the feud was no longer inconsequential.
On May 4, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released "Not Like Us", produced byDJ Mustard. In the track, Lamar more explicitly refers to Drake and members of his inner circle as pedophiles, saying: "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one".Baka Not Nice, a member of Drake's security team, is mentioned in the line "Baka got a weird case, why is he around?", referring to when Baka was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, assault, and robbery of a 22-year-old woman he allegedly forced into prostitution in 2014. He was only convicted of an assault charge and an unrelated weapons charge.Lamar also says that using an A.I. version of Tupac's voice would bring Drake disrespect in theBay Area: "I think thatOaklandshow gon' be your last stop, nigga",and hints at having made many future diss tracks.The cover art for the track was a satellite image of Drake's mansion labeled with pins representing sexual predators.After the release of the song, onGoogle Maps, fans have found Drake's mansion and have labeled the house, using Google Maps' option to customize locations, as "Owned by Kendrick", as well as things like "A-Minor", referencing the first verse of "Not Like Us" and "Kendrick's Dog", which could be another reference to Drake's latest album,For All the Dogs.
On May 5, 2024, Drake released "The Heart Part 6". The title references Lamar's "The Heart" series, picking up after Lamar's critically acclaimed "The Heart Part 5".In the track, Drake denies the pedophile andgroomingallegations made against him.He claims Lamar's accusations were based on his own trauma stemming from abuse.TheAretha Franklinsong "Prove It" is sampled, and uses Franklin's lines "Now let me see you prove it / Just let me see you prove it".Drake says: "Only fuckin' with Whitneys, notMillie Bobby Browns, I'd never look twice at no teenager", referring to Drake's friendship with the actress that started when she was 14, and led to accusations on social media that Drake was grooming her.
Drake also alleges that his inner circle fed Lamar false information about having an 11-year-old daughter, which Lamar referenced in "Meet the Grahams".He continues claiming that there were cases of domestic violence in Lamar's relationship with Alford, and claimed that Lamar had not seen his children in 6 months.Writing on social media afterwards, Drake predicted Lamar would respond shortly, saying "And we know you're dropping 6 mins after so instead of posting my address you have a lot to address.""The Heart Part 6" received negative reviews from critics and fans, amassing an estimated over 1 million dislikes on YouTube.
In June 2024, Lamar announced a one-off concert at theKia ForuminInglewood, California, titledThe Pop Out: Ken & Friendsin reference to a lyric from "Not Like Us" ("Sometimes you gotta pop out and show niggas"). The concert was scheduled forJuneteenth, whichCharlamagne tha Godsuggested was a dig aimed at Drake.Lamar opened his part of the show with "Euphoria", which contained updated lyrics aimed at Drake's possession of Tupac Shakur's crown ring. Later in the show,Ab-Soulaccompanied Lamar for the debut performance of "6:16 in LA". Lamar performed his verse on "Like That" for the first time before inviting Dr. Dre on stage. Lamar and Dre performed Dre's hits "Still D.R.E." and "California Love", the latter of which Dre had recorded with Shakur. After these two songs, Dre performed the intro to "Not Like Us" ("Pssst, I see dead people"). Lamar concluded the concert with a "Not Like Us" encore, afterwards repeating the song five more times while dancing on stage with colleagues and members of many Los Angeles street gangs, including theCripsandBloods, before taking a group photo onstage.
Themusic videofor "Not Like Us" was released on July 4, 2024, in celebration ofAmerican Independence Day,at approximately 3 p.m.PT,after four still images from the clip wereleakedto social media the day before.Dave Free and Lamar directed it, andCharm La'Donnahandled the choreography and is also credited as theassociate producer.The video featuresTommy the Clown,and is set in Lamar's hometown ofCompton, California.By the morning after, the video had reached over 13 million views on YouTube.CNNandNMEnoted widespread anticipation for the video up to its release.Numerous publications and websites called it another victory lap for Lamar in his feud with Drake.The video discredited many allegations and claims that Drake had used to diss Lamar with the appearance of his family dancing happily in the video, as well as the video credits reading "Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar".It was called a moment of re-ignition of the feud,and was seen as Lamar's "knockoutpunch" against Drake.
Schoolboy Qwas set to commence his Blue Lips Weekendsconcert tour, in support of his sixth studio albumBlue Lips(2024), on July 18, 2024, atHistoryinToronto.The music venue was established in 2021 through a creative partnership between Drake andLive Nation Entertainment.On the evening prior to opening night, Schoolboy Q announced that the sold-out concert was unexpectedly cancelled.He blamed the cancellation on Drake and Lamar's feud, citing his longtime friendship with Lamar, and claimed theToronto Police Serviceprohibited artists from Top Dawg Entertainment from performing in the city due to safety concerns.The police agency dismissed rumors of their involvement, saying the decision to cancel the performance was made solely by History.
On July 29, 2024,DJ Schemeplayed "Not Like Us" at History during his opening set forSki Mask the Slump God.The two artists taunted Drake and gloated over the move with Schoolboy Q on social media.Sir, who is also signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and has close associations with Lamar, announced the following day that his sold-out concert at History was also cancelled.
On November 25, 2024, Drake appeared on aKicklivestreamwith Canadian streamerxQc, describing himself as "fully intact, mind, body, and soul" and remarking that "you need facts to take me out, fairy tales won't do it".He also sent additional jabs at the Weeknd andSteve Lacy; the latter and Lamar reacted to the stream with amusement.On the same day, Drake filed a petition againstUniversal Music Group(UMG) andSpotifyalleging they violated theRICO Actby using illegal tactics to boost streams for "Not Like Us".UMG responded the same day, denying the allegations and stating that "no amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear".On November 26, Drake filed another petition against UMG, allegingdefamationand a "pay-to-play" scheme between UMG andiHeartRadio.
On December 20, 2024, Spotify released opposition papers in response to the original petition, denying allegations of "any arrangement" between themselves and UMG.Drake's legal representation responded the same day, stating Spotify and UMG "should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request" if they have "nothing to hide".On January 15, 2025, Drake filed a lawsuit against UMG for defamation; Lamar was not included as a defendant.
On January 3, 2025, producerConductor Williams, who had previously produced with Drake onFor All the Dogs, posted and then took down a link to a Drake freestyle dubbed "Fighting Irish Freestyle".Drake addresses the feud in the freestyle and, according to many commentators, takes shots atLeBron James.The title has been interpreted as a reference toJames's high school's mascot, and a line about an "Arabic dial" may to refer to a watch that James has worn in public.James, who Drake has a tattoo of, attended Lamar's Pop Out concert and has been seen dancing to "Not Like Us".Other lyrics in the song were read as targetingUMG,DeMar DeRozan, andLil Wayne.The song received mixed reactions, withHipHopDXwriting that "after retreating in his beef with Kendrick following the underwhelming reception to 'The Heart Part 6', the tough talk just feels empty".
"Not Like Us" was nominated in five different categories at the67th Annual Grammy Awards(Record of the Year,Song of the Year,Best Rap Performance,Best Rap Song, andBest Music Video) and won all of them.Though Lamar did not mention Drake in his speeches, rather dedicating them to the city of Los Angeles, his outfit at the ceremony – a denim top along with denim pants, known as a "Canadian tuxedo" – was seen as a playful jab at the Canadian-born Drake.
On September 8, 2024, Lamar was announced as the headlining act for the February 2025Super Bowl LIXhalftime showat theCaesars SuperdomeinNew Orleans. In the video announcing his selection, Lamar said "You know it's only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos", which was interpreted as a shot against Drake, who posted a few weeks before that "we will win Game 2".Speculation arose as to whether he would incorporate "Not Like Us" into his performance.Justin Sayles ofThe Ringercalled the halftime performance announcement as the capstone of a year that had seen Lamar "ascend to the highest levels" of popular culture, and seen Drake "sink to the lowest levels" of his career.
Lamar performed "Euphoria" and "Not Like Us" during the show. He also wore a chain with a lowercase "a" on it, which was either referencingpgLangor A minor.In an interlude during the middle of the set, Lamar teased the latter song and alluded to Drake's litigation by quipping "I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue", which was followed by a brief audio clip of the song's introduction.In another interlude after performing "All the Stars" towards the end of the set, he said "they tried to rig the game but you can't fake influence", then launched into "Not Like Us".Lamar looked directly into the camera when he rapped "Say Drake, I hear you like 'em young". He censored the word "pedophile", but the audience could be heard shouting the lyric "tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor" along with him a few lines later. The performance featured cameos from two of Drake's ex-girlfriends,SZAandSerena Williams.Lisa Respers France of CNN called "Not Like Us" the star of the halftime performance, while Maria Sherman of theAssociated Presscalled Lamar performing the song on the biggest stage in U.S. sports a few days after it swept the Grammy Awards "another step in Lamar's continued victory lap".
Drake has been supported byBirdman,Azealia Banks,50 Cent,the Game,DJ Akademiks,Adin RossandJuelz Santana, among others.Lamar has been supported byMetro Boomin,Future,Pusha T,Kanye West,The Weeknd,ASAP Rocky,Rick Ross,Serena Williams,Joe BuddenandJay Rock, among others.
HotNewHipHopreferred to Metro Boomin as being a major part of the feud.In "Push Ups", Drake directly dismisses Metro's involvement in the feud with the line "Metro, shut your ho ass up and make some drums, nigga".On "Family Matters", Drake targeted Metro Boomin again, saying one of Metro's friends had sex with his girlfriend.On May 5, Metro responded to Drake's claim, saying: "what we not gon do is spread lies and have my loved ones involved nobody ever hit [had sex with] my girl nigga".He also posted the image of Drake inblackfacethat had been used for the cover of "The Story of Adidon".
Boosie Badazzcriticized both Lamar and Drake and their respective fanbases over the feud, expressing that the feud undermines their careers and respective contributions to the genre.Kurupt,Ice Cube, andQuestloveechoed similar sentiments, with Kurupt saying "Life is precious, my nigga. So if y'all ain't gonna fight, stop it...".The feud was also criticized byStevie WonderandMacklemorefor overshadowing ongoing international conflicts.
Outside of the music community, the feud attracted numerous reactions from various celebrities. ActressUma Thurmanjokingly offered herKill Billcostume to Drake for his feud with Lamar and other rappers.Former wrestler and currentWWEproducerShawn Michaels, whose Sweet Chin Music finishing move was mentioned in "Not Like Us", invited the pair to settle their feud onNXT.Tennis starNaomi Osakaclaimed that in her opinion, Kendrick is winning the feud, and that she used "Not Like Us" in coming out to the court before beatingClara Burelat theItalian Open.SingerSheryl Crowcriticized Drake's use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle," saying: "It's hateful. It is antithetical to the life force that exists in all of us."After defeating Canada in the2024 Copa América semifinals, theArgentine national football teamposted images with "Not Like Us" emblazoned above a photo of the team, a jab at Drake for betting $300,000 on the Canadian team.The feud was referenced onSaturday Night Live'sWeekend Updatesegment.Professional basketball playersStephen Curryand LeBron James, who were both mentioned in "Meet The Grahams", discussed the frequent usage of "Not Like Us" after aTeam USA basketballmatch. Curry said "it's not the only song in America" while James said he loves the song, while agreeing that "we gotta get something else."Curry later said in an interview withGQthat he's still a 'big Drake guy'.
On May 5, 2024, Metro Boomin started a contest where he would give a free beat and $10,000 to whoever recorded the best diss against Drake over a semi-instrumental track called "BBL Drizzy", whose chorus is based on the rumor that Drake has had aBrazilian butt lift. The song samples anAI generatedR&Bparody songevocative of1970s musiccreated by comedic performer King Willonius.The instrumental received more than 3.3 million streams on SoundCloud within a week and managed to maintain the number one spot on the platform's "New and Hot" chart.The track also drew responses on social media, with celebrities and internet personalities includingElon Musk,Dr. Miami, and more reacting.In addition to freestyle raps, users also recreated the song beyondhip hoptohouse,merengueandBollywoodstyles.Some also created covers of the song on a variety ofmusical instruments, includingsaxophone,guitarandharp.
According toThe Ringer, the feud has been considered the "last great rap beef", with Holmes asserting that "[I]n terms of size, scale, and capital, we're witnessing the last rap beef of this magnitude."Multiple commentators, includingTodd Boyd, compared the feud to theEast Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalryfrom the 1990s,which culminated with thedrive-by shootingdeaths of bothTupac ShakurandThe Notorious B.I.G.in 1996 and 1997, respectively.The feud was also considered a debate about the future of the genre and its culture, specifically in regards towards its commercial appeal and authenticity; anMSNBCarticle drew parallels to the feud betweenJay-ZandNas.Likening the feud to literary debates,The Independent's Ryan Coogan opined that the two rappers' poetic talents had elevated their conflict from celebrity gossip to art. He further claimed that the feud "has caused both men to dig deep and produce some of their best work in years".Alphonse Pierre ofPitchforklabeled the feud "the most miserable spectacle in rap history", calling it a "disinformation campaign that has turned rap's all-time biggest beef into a messy, confusing conflict that, at its core, is nothing but ugly" and stated it "doesn't even sound like rap beef anymore, but the death knell of an entire era", specifically noting both the severity of the accusations leveled against the parties involved and how the feud had been received on social media in light of those accusations.
Among other beefs in 2024, the feud has also been regarded as an example of social media's influence in shifting the nature of rap beefs. In anNBC Newsarticle,Howard Universityprofessor Tia Tyree compared the past release of diss tracks on radio and CD to the instantaneous nature of social media releases. The prevalence ofStan culturewas also noted as a factor in the feud.Holmes noted that unlike Drake's leverage ofmeme culturein his feud againstMeek Mill, he was at a disadvantage compared to Lamar's less accessible nature on the internet.
Both artists received criticism for their use of women and family members as "punchlines" in their respective diss tracks.The Ringerargued hypocrisy in both parties' messaging, stating that Drake, who went after Lamar for allegedly abusing women, had shouted outChris Brownon "Family Matters" and posted his support on social media ofTory Lanez, both of whom had been arrested for domestic violence.Similarly, Lamar was accused of hypocrisy for attacking Drake for allegedly being a sexual predator, despite featuringKodak Blackon his last studio albumMr. Morale & the Big Steppersafter Kodak had previously taken a plea deal in a first-degree criminal sexual assault case.In addition, criticism resurfaced of a threat from Lamar's label head, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, to remove Lamar's catalogue fromSpotifyin 2018, in opposition to Spotify announcing they would removeXXXTentacion's andR. Kelly's songs from official playlists after the two artists were accused of various forms ofdomesticandsexual abuse.
UMG, the label of both Lamar and Drake, denied rumors that they had been mediating an end to the feud.
By early May, various music outlets such asPitchfork,The Ringer,andRolling Stonecited Lamar as winning in the feud. AnInsiderarticle claimed that both music critics and social media users conceded Lamar as the victor.However, Alphonse Pierre ofPitchforkavowed that Lamar's victory was "pyrrhic",while Charles Holmes forThe Ringersimilarly claimed Lamar was in the lead despite the victory feeling hollow.The RootsdrummerQuestlovecondemned both for engaging in "wrestling match level mudslinging", opining that neither can reasonably be considered to have emerged victorious, concluding, "Hip Hop truly is dead."Other writers took a contrary view, arguing that the feud was a net positive for hip-hop. Yemi Abiade ofBBC Newssaid the feud "entertained the entire world, enhancing the legacies of two generational rap artists" and claimed that "rap music wins, yet again".
With the release of Lamar's "Not Like Us" music video, numerous critics and publications recognized Lamar as the victor of the feud.In September 2024, aNew Yorkerarticle about the feud opened with the line "Has there ever been as clear a loser as Drake?"