The hip-hop world is currently ablaze with a lyrical battle between two of its titans: Drake and Kendrick Lamar. For years, fans have eagerly anticipated a showdown between these giants, and in 2024, it has erupted in spectacular fashion. What began as mutual respect and collaboration in their early careers has devolved into a full-blown feud, ignited by Kendrick Lamar’s incendiary guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s album We Don’t Trust You, released on March 22, 2024. This track served as the catalyst for the escalating tensions, leaving fans and the industry dissecting every bar and public statement.
Lamar’s feature on “Like That” was anything but subtle. He directly challenged Drake and J. Cole, delivering lines that were impossible to misinterpret as anything other than diss tracks. “Yeah, get up with me, f–k sneak dissing/’First Person Shooter,’ I hope they came with three switches,” Lamar rapped, before escalating his venom, “Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD/ Motherf–k the Big Three, n—a, it’s just big me.” The lines immediately sent shockwaves through the music industry, explicitly rejecting the perceived hierarchy of the “Big Three” rappers, which often included Drake, J. Cole, and Lamar himself, and asserting Lamar’s dominance.
Drake, while initially silent in the studio, responded to Lamar’s aggression during a concert in Sunrise, Florida, on March 24, 2024. Addressing the swirling rumors and Lamar’s direct attack, Drake made a clear statement to his audience and, by extension, to Lamar. “A lot of people ask me how I’m feeling. I’m a let you know I’m feeling,” Drake stated to the crowd. “Listen, the same way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out this building tonight,” he continued, projecting confidence and defiance. “I got my f–king head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 f–king toes down in Florida and anywhere else I go. And I know that no matter what, it’s not a n—a on this earth that could ever f–k with me in my life!”
The beef marks a significant shift from the early days of their careers when Drake and Kendrick Lamar appeared to be on good terms, even collaborating on each other’s tracks. This escalating feud is now a central storyline in hip-hop, with fans and critics alike eagerly awaiting the next lyrical volley in this high-stakes rap civil war. The industry watches closely to see how this rivalry will further unfold and impact the landscape of contemporary rap music.
