The Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Beef: A Breakdown of Rap's Most Explosive Feud
By Hot Club Tracks - Published on: 2025-02-11
2011–2012: The Friendship Phase
In 2011, everything seemed good between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick was still emerging as a force in rap, and Drake was riding high on the success of his debut album. When Drake released his sophomore album "Take Care", he included Kendrick on a track called "Buried Alive" — a sign of the camaraderie that was brewing. Kendrick wasn’t as famous as Drake at the time, but this collaboration marked the start of their early bond.
Fast forward to 2012, and things were still on the up-and-up between the two. Drake, seeing Kendrick's growing potential, decided to invite him and fellow rapper A$AP Rocky to open for him on his tour. At the time, the idea seemed like a good move to give Kendrick a bigger platform. Of course, that tour would go down in history for more reasons than one — but that’s a whole other story for later.
2013: Kendrick Fires the First Shot
In 2013, the mood started to shift. Kendrick dropped a verse on Big Sean’s track Control, and it was nothing short of a seismic event in the hip-hop world. In this verse, Kendrick called out numerous rappers, including Drake. He famously said, “I got a lot of love for y’all but I’m tryna unalive y’all.” While Kendrick didn’t explicitly name Drake, it was clear who he was targeting, especially when he rapped about challenging the top dogs in rap.
Drake’s response? Well, he didn’t take too kindly to Kendrick’s claims. He told Billboard a month later that the verse sounded like an “ambitious thought” — a dismissive comment that only fueled the fire. But Kendrick wasn’t done just yet. Later that year, at the BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher, he once again took aim at Drake, saying, “Nothing’s been the same since they dropped Control and tucked a sensitive rapper back into his pajama clothes.” Ouch. It was clear now that the gloves were off.
2014–2016: Subliminal Disses
For the next few years, the two kept the beef simmering with subtle digs in their songs and interviews. No direct diss tracks came from either side, but it was clear there was tension. The rivalry was more like a slow burn than a full-out war, with each rapper taking the occasional shot without fully escalating the conflict. They were clearly on each other’s radar, but the feud remained more under the surface — for a while.
2023: The Big Three Controversy
In October 2023, things took another turn. Drake and J. Cole dropped the song First Person Shooter, and in J. Cole’s verse, he mentioned the Big Three of rap, referring to himself, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar. J. Cole rapped, “Love when they argue the hardest MC, is it K-Dot, is it Aubrey, or is it me? We the big three, like we started the league.” To some, it seemed like a subtle nod to their status in rap — but to Kendrick, it was a challenge.
Kendrick wasn’t having it. In March 2024, Kendrick dropped the track Like That with Future and Metro Boomin. In his verse, he made it clear that there was no Big Three, just Kendrick. He rapped, “It’s just big me,” signaling that he saw himself as the sole top dog in the rap game. The line hit hard, and it was clear that the stage was set for a showdown.
April 2024: The Diss Tracks Begin
And just like that, the diss tracks were officially here. Drake fired back with Push Ups, where he poked fun at Kendrick’s height and even made a joke about Kendrick’s 5’5” stature. The track wasn’t just a physical jab, though — Drake also went after Kendrick’s career moves. In a more biting line, he referenced Kendrick’s old label, Top Dawg Entertainment, and called Kendrick’s deal a “fifty-fifty split.” This was a direct attack on Kendrick’s business side, implying that Kendrick didn’t own his own success.
Drake wasn’t done there. He followed up with Taylor Made Freestyle, where he subtly suggested that Kendrick was waiting for Taylor Swift to release her new album before dropping his own diss track. This was a reference to Kendrick’s earlier career boost, when his collaboration with Taylor Swift on Bad Blood helped catapult him to superstardom. Drake’s implication? That Kendrick’s rise to fame was more about timing than talent.
May 2024: Kendrick Strikes Back
As you might expect, Kendrick wasn’t going to let Drake’s comments slide. In Euphoria, Kendrick came back swinging, accusing Drake of being fake and calling out his credibility. He rapped, “How many more black features do you need until you feel black enough?” — a direct challenge to Drake’s authenticity in the hip-hop world. Kendrick also made accusations about Drake’s rumored plastic surgery, taking shots at everything from Drake’s music to his public persona.
But Kendrick didn’t stop there. In 6:16 in LA, Kendrick dropped an even more explosive verse, hinting that someone inside Drake’s camp was working against him, leaking information to Kendrick. Drake quickly responded with Family Matters, where he accused Kendrick of being a fake activist and claimed that Kendrick was hiding behind his own personal struggles to push a narrative.
The Ultimate Blow: Meet the Grahams and Not Like Us
In what was arguably the most shocking blow in this entire feud, Kendrick released Meet the Grahams, a track where he addressed Drake, his mother, his son Adonis, and even a mysterious “baby girl” Drake was allegedly hiding. The song’s lyrics were loaded with personal jabs, and in his verse to Adonis, Kendrick rapped, “Don’t cut corners like your daddy did.” The song sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community, as Kendrick took the gloves off completely, taking on not just Drake but his entire family.
But the real knockout punch came with Not Like Usi>. In this song, Kendrick’s dominance in the rap game was undeniable. It was so bold, so outrageous, that it seemed like Drake’s next move wouldn’t even matter. Kendrick’s lyrical assault had become a cultural moment in its own right, and no response Drake could offer would ever quite top the audacity of Not Like Us.
Final Thoughts
And that, my friends, is the full history of the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. From humble beginnings to explosive diss tracks, it’s been a wild ride. Whether this feud is truly over remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: Kendrick’s impact on this battle has been monumental. It’s a rivalry that has reshaped the rap game and left fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter — whatever that may be.
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