The hip-hop world is currently ablaze with a lyrical firestorm as two of its titans, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, have transitioned from collaborators to rivals. For years, fans have witnessed a seemingly amicable, if competitive, relationship between these giants. Both Drake and Kendrick Lamar rose to prominence in the late 2000s and early 2010s, even appearing on each other’s tracks early in their careers, hinting at a mutual respect and understanding. However, beneath the surface of collaboration, tensions were simmering, eventually erupting into a full-blown feud in 2024. The catalyst for this explosion was Kendrick Lamar’s incendiary guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s album, We Don’t Trust You, released on March 22, 2024.
In the track “Like That,” Lamar didn’t hold back, directly attacking Drake and J. Cole with lines that reverberated throughout the music industry. His lyrics, including, “Yeah, get up with me, f–k sneak dissing/’First Person Shooter,’ I hope they came with three switches,” and the even more pointed, “Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD/ Motherf–k the Big Three, n—a, it’s just big me,” were unmistakable shots fired in the direction of his former colleagues. The “Big Three” line is particularly significant, referencing the perceived hierarchy of Drake, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar at the top of the rap game, a hierarchy that Lamar now boldly rejects.
Drake, while initially silent in recorded response, addressed Lamar’s diss track during a concert in Sunrise, Florida, on March 24, 2024. Without explicitly naming Lamar, Drake made his feelings clear to the audience. “A lot of people ask me how I’m feeling. I’m a let you know how I’m feeling,” he stated, before adding defiantly, “Listen, the same way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out this building tonight. 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!”
This public declaration, though not a lyrical rebuttal, signaled that Drake was not backing down and acknowledged the brewing conflict. The initial friendly competitiveness that once marked Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s relationship has now seemingly devolved into a heated rivalry. Billboard continues to follow the developments of this evolving situation, examining the complex history and future trajectory of this now-antagonistic relationship between two rap icons.
