Two of hip-hop鈥檚 biggest stars have beef and people are taking sides.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake have been engaged in a lyrical battle in recent weeks that escalated over the weekend. The two artists each released songs about the other, in one case with Lamar not even waiting a full hour before he dropped a track in response to one of Drake鈥檚.
Here鈥檚 what you need to know about the verses that have been a hot topic of cultural conversation.
There is plenty we don鈥檛 know in terms of why there is apparent animosity between the two superstar rappers, but we do know that there is history.
Back in 2011, Lamar appeared on Drake鈥檚 second album 鈥淭ake Care鈥 on 鈥淏uried Alive Interlude.鈥 It was the same year Lamar released his debut studio album 鈥淪ection.80.鈥
The two men were both carving a place for themselves in the industry at the time, with Drake then best known as an actor for his role as student Jimmy Brooks in the Canadian teen TV series, 鈥淒egrassi.鈥
The pair would go on to tour together and collaborate on the track 鈥淧oetic Justice鈥 on Lamar鈥檚 sophomore studio album, 鈥淕ood Kid, M.A.A.D. City.鈥
As one of hip-hop鈥檚 rising stars, Lamar leaned into his growing success with the swagger one would expect in the rap game during a guest appearance on Big Sean鈥檚 2013 single, 鈥淐ontrol.鈥
Multiple artists are name-checked in the song, including Drake. The lyrics include, 鈥淚 got love for you all but I鈥檓 tryna murder you,鈥 a euphemism for besting them professionally. Lamar proclaims himself both 鈥淜ing of New York鈥 and 鈥淜ing of the Coast.鈥
Drake told Billboard of the verse, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really have anything to say about it.鈥
鈥淚t just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That鈥檚 all it was,鈥 Drake said at the time. 鈥淚 know good and well that Kendrick鈥檚 not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.鈥
The pair have continued to take shots at each other on tracks over the years, but this latest skirmish appears to have begun in October 2023, when rapper J. Cole collaborated with Drake on the song, 鈥淔irst Person Shooter.鈥
On the track, Cole refers to himself, Lamar and Drake as the 鈥淏ig three鈥 in rap. Drake likened his own popularity in the game to the stardom of the late singer Michael Jackson.
Lamar seemingly took exception to the comparisons and hit back on a collaborative track with Future and Metro Boomin that caught fire in March 2024, titled 鈥淟ike That.鈥
Lamar makes clear on the song that there is no 鈥淏ig three鈥 just 鈥淏ig me.鈥 He casts himself as Prince to Drake鈥檚 Jackson, noting that the former outlived the latter.
鈥淟ike That鈥 is a cut on the album 鈥淲e Don鈥檛 Trust You,鈥 which many believe is filled with disses aimed at Drake. The apparent jabs surprised some listeners as Drake and Future have been longtime collaborators.
Things got even more heated when Future and Metro Boomin released the followup 鈥淲e Still Don鈥檛 Trust You,鈥 which Billboard magazine declared is 鈥渇illed with Drake disses, not only from Future, but from The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky as well.鈥
With so many coming after the Canadian rapper lyrically, it started feeling like Marvel Infinity War of hip-hop superheroes battling it out. The man who helped kick it all off, J. Cole, quickly exited the battle.
Cole released 鈥7 Minute Drill鈥 on a surprise project 鈥淢ight Delete Later鈥 in which he came after Lamar, only to later declare the song lame. He removed it from streaming services, publicly apologized and has gone quiet since.
Last month, Drake dropped the diss track 鈥淧ush Ups鈥 in which he poked fun at Lamar鈥檚 shoe size to his past collaborations with pop stars.
鈥淢aroon 5 need a verse, you better make it witty / Then we need a verse for the Swifties,鈥 Drake raps, appearing to mock Lamar鈥檚 work with Maroon 5 on their song 鈥淒on鈥檛 Wanna Know鈥 and with Swift on her song 鈥淏ad Blood.鈥
Drake also took a swipe at Rick Ross, who was featured on 鈥淲e Don鈥檛 Trust You.鈥 Ross then began a social media war of words with Drake, which included accusing Drake of having undergone plastic surgery.
Lamar, known also as K.Dot, responded with multiple volleys.
First there was 鈥淓uphoria,鈥 which is now as famous for the insults lobbed at Drake as it is for making the general public aware that the rapper was also an executive producer on the hit HBO drama. (HBO is owned by CNN鈥檚 parent company.)
Within days, Lamar followed that with 鈥6:16 in LA,鈥 which many interpreted to be making fun of Drake鈥檚 penchant for titling songs with times and locations.
Things got increasingly personally in this rap battle on Saturday, when Drake dropped the eight-minute diss track, 鈥淔amily Matters.鈥 He makes allegations about abuse and infidelity involving Lamar and his fianc茅e, Whitney Alford, on the song.
Lest we forget that Lamar made history in 2018 by becoming the first rapper to win a prestigious Pulitzer Prize for his album 鈥淒AMN,鈥 he didn鈥檛 even let an hour go by after the release of 鈥淔amily Matters鈥 to drop a response, titled 鈥淢eet The Grahams.鈥 (Drake鈥檚 legal name is Aubrey Graham.)
The song gets heavy as Lamar addresses Drake鈥檚 parents and Drake鈥檚 parenting, accusing him of have a secret daughter. Lamar followed that within hours with another song, titled 鈥淣ot Like Us,鈥 in which accuses Drake of being attracted to underage girls.
Drake again had his say on Sunday with 鈥淭he Heart Part 6.鈥 On this song, Drake claims he鈥檚 the one who fed Lamar fake information about a secret child.
鈥淲e plotted for a week and then we fed you the information/A daughter that鈥檚 11 years old, I bet he takes it,鈥 Drake raps.
CNN has reached out to representatives for both artists for comment.
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