Last Night Things Went Nuclear In The Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Rap Battle. With Each Releasing More Diss Tracks, Drake Having A Leak In His Camp, Possibly Being Baited, The Two Of Them Arguing Over Who Is Better Friends With Taylor Swift, And Things Being Taken To A Whole New Level Involving Family Members, Bastard Children, And Pedophile Accusations. An Extensive Breakdown
Disclaimer - Guys with big dumps in their pants will be quick to say, "40-year-old white men don't give a fuck about this stuff." To which I'll respectfully ask them to not worry about it then and move along. Women, and men trapped in the closet, have Bravo TV, Housewives, and rubbish reality television. Guys have wrestling and rap beefs. We all need mindless entertainment to escape to and enjoy once in a while. Let people like what they like, and worry about what you like. You'll be much better off.
The saga continued on and reached epic levels last night. This war of words has reached a point where it's not really that "fun" anymore. I can't remember Twitter going as nuts as it did last night over anything music-related before. I was stuck at work and not able to listen to the songs until I got home, so I was trying to follow the action on Twitter and get play-by-play from fans and other music accounts- realizing what I was missing was, what many were calling it, "a historical night in hip hop".
Once I got home and I listened to the songs, my thoughts changed. The first three songs fell in line with the standard rap disses. But Kendrick's rebuttal on "Meet The Grahams" was an extra level of vicious. I'll get to it below in detail, but it's so uncomfortable to listen to it's taken me hours to listen fully to it without clicking stop and comprehending it. I really don't see how Kendrick and Drake can ever make amends after this. This is definitely not Meek Mill attempting to hang with Drake, getting obliterated and humiliated, and then kissing his rings and asking for forgiveness.
Kendrick Lamar is a fucking animal. Built completely different, but also, arguably the best lyricist alive right now.
Let's delve into the labyrinth of depths of this feud, starting with the origins of their rivalry. Drake and Lamar, once collaborators and comrades-in-arms, found themselves on opposite sides of the ring as their careers skyrocketed to superstardom. What began as a friendly rivalry soon descended into a bitter feud, fueled by jealousy, ambition, and the unrelenting pressure of fame.
It all began innocently enough, back in the halcyon days of 2011. Drake, fresh off the success of his debut album Thank Me Later, extended a hand of friendship to Lamar, inviting him to collaborate on his sophomore effort, Take Care. Lamar's guest appearance on the track "Buried Alive Interlude" was met with critical acclaim, signaling the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
But as their respective careers flourished, tensions began to simmer beneath the surface. Lamar, emboldened by the success of his debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city, took aim at Drake and his peers in a blistering verse on Big Sean's "Control." In one fell swoop, he called out Drake, J. Cole, and a slew of other rappers, asserting his dominance in the rap game with the ferocity of a lion defending his territory.
Drake, never one to back down from a challenge, responded to Lamar's verbal assault with characteristic swagger. In interviews, he downplayed Lamar's threats, dismissing them as the musings of an ambitious upstart. But behind the scenes, the wheels were turning, and Drake was plotting his retaliation.
The feud reached a boiling point last month, when Lamar took aim at Drake and J. Cole in a scathing verse on Future and Metro Boomin's We Don't Trust You on the most talked about track, "Like That". His words cut deep, questioning Drake's authenticity and accusing him of hiding behind a facade of fame and fortune.
There have been rumors flying around that Drake has been silently given equity in Universal Music Group (Taylor Swift also). Which ties in to him laughing at other rappers who've come at him, telling them he essentially "owns them". It later came out that Drake's camp was aware of the track before it was released and tried to use the legal system to prevent it from seeing the light of day.
J Cole was first to respond, with his track "7 Minute Drill". Two days later he issued a statement regretting doing it, called it "the corniest thing he'd ever done", and even had the track removed from all streaming services.
(After last night, we all know how smart this move was and how smart J Cole is for doing this.)
In response, Drake unleashed a flurry of diss tracks aimed squarely at Lamar's jugular. From "Push Ups"
to the very corny, A.I. produced "Taylor Made Freestyle," featuring the voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg.
He pulled no punches, taking aim at Lamar's personal life, his music, and even his integrity as an artist. It was a brutal onslaught, leaving Lamar reeling and scrambling to mount a defense.
But Lamar, ever the cunning wordsmith, refused to go down without a fight. With each passing track, he escalated the conflict, launching blistering attacks on Drake's character and questioning his very essence as a human being. It was a battle of wills, with neither rapper willing to concede an inch of ground.
First, he dropped "Euphoria" on Tuesday (4/30)
"Euphoria," was the opening salvo in Kendrick's blistering assault on Drake, and it hit like a ton of bricks. From the moment the first bars dropped, it was clear that this was no ordinary diss track. With razor-sharp wit and a delivery that dripped with venom, Kendrick tore into Drake with a ferocity that bordered on the savage.
But it wasn't just the lyrical onslaught that made "Euphoria" so devastating, it was the precision with which Kendrick targeted his attacks. From questioning Drake's authenticity as a rapper to calling out his questionable behavior in his personal life, Kendrick left no stone unturned in his quest to dismantle his rival.
And then, last night (5/3), Kendrick followed that up and released "6:16 in LA," the follow-up punch that landed with all the force of a sledgehammer. If "Euphoria" was the opening salvo, then "6:16 in LA" was the knockout blow. With each bar, Kendrick upped the ante, ratcheting up the intensity until it reached a fever pitch.
In "6:16 in LA," Kendrick didn't just go for the jugular, he went straight for the heart. From exposing Drake's alleged secrets to questioning his loyalty to his own camp, Kendrick left no doubt that he was out for blood. It was a masterclass in lyrical warfare, a testament to Kendrick's skill as a wordsmith and a strategist. And it was layered in a shit load of subliminal that the Twittersphere has spent hours deciphering and unearthing.
The first pic accompanying the song, or "cover art" for the track Kendrick posted was just of a black Maybach glove.
He later released a zoomed out picture showing he was sent that glove, along with Drake's outfit, and fucking prescription bottles for Ozempic, and sleeping pills, alleging that Kendrick did indeed have somebody in Drake's OVO camp on his payroll, and who was leaking inside information, personal secrets (more on this), and news about Drake to him, telling him Drake's plans to retaliate so Kendrick could prepare, and also sending him personal effects.
As the feud raged on, it took on a life of its own, drawing in other rappers and celebrities like moths to a flame. From A$AP Rocky to Rick Ross, everyone had an opinion on the Drake versus Lamar showdown, and social media lit up with memes, hot takes, and impassioned debates.
And then, just when it seemed like the dust might settle, Drake dropped "Family Matters," his most scathing diss track yet. In it, he tore into Lamar with a ferocity unmatched by anything that had come before, dragging his name through the mud and leaving him battered and bruised.
This song is fire.
Drake wasted no time in diving deep into the trenches, targeting Lamar's personal life with surgical precision.
One of the central themes of "Family Matters" is Drake's scathing commentary on Kendrick's alleged relationship issues, particularly focusing on Lamar's fiancee, Whitney Alford. Drake pulls no punches, insinuating infidelity and questioning the stability of their relationship. Lines like "You the Black messiah wifing up a mixed queen" and "And hit vanilla cream to help out with your self-esteem" cut deep, painting a picture of a troubled partnership.
But Drake doesn't stop there. He takes aim at Lamar's fatherhood, casting doubt on his parenting skills and suggesting that Lamar may not even be the biological father of his children. The line "Why you never hold your son and tell him say cheese" is particularly biting, implying neglect and absenteeism on Lamar's part.
Beyond attacking Lamar's personal life, Drake also throws shade at his fellow artists in the industry, including A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, Metro Boomin, Future, and Rick Ross. He took shots at their music, their careers, and even their personal lives.
The most controversial aspect of "Family Matters" is Drake's allegations of domestic violence against Kendrick. Drake pulls no punches, accusing Lamar of mistreating his partner and painting a damning picture of a toxic relationship. Lines like "They hired a crisis management team/To clean up the fact that you beat on your queen" are as shocking as they are provocative.
Almost right on cue, less than an hour after Drake dropped "Family Matters", Kendrick released the atom bomb. "Meet The Grahams".
Social media was already ablaze with anticipation as fans waited with bated breath for the next salvo in this epic war of words. And then it came, like a thunderclap in the night, as Kendrick dropped "Meet the Grahams," a track so savage, so unrelenting, that it left even the most hardened rap aficionados speechless.
In "Meet the Grahams," (Drake's real name is Aubrey Drake Graham), Kendrick didn't pull any punches. With each verse, he peeled back the layers of Drake's carefully constructed persona, exposing the raw nerve beneath. He didn't just attack Drake's music or his public image – he went straight for the jugular, delving into his personal life with a ferocity that bordered on obsession.
Kendrick aims the first verse at Drake’s son Adonis, whose existence was famously first revealed in Pusha T’s “The Story of Adidon.”
I’m sorry that that man is your father, let me be honest
It takes a man to be a man, your dad is not responsive
I look at him and wish your grandpa woulda wore a condom
I’m sorry that you gotta grow up and then stand behind him
Life is hard, I know, the challenge is always gon’ beat us home
Sometimes our parents make mistakes that affect us until we grown
The second verse is addressed to Drake’s parents. In one especially scathing set of lines, Kendrick insinuates that Drake, who’s biracial, uses his father’s Blackness to enhance his own credibility.
Dear Dennis, you gave birth to a master manipulator
Even usin’ you to prove who he is is a huge favor
I think you should ask for more paper, and more paper
And more, uh, more paper
I’m blamin’ you for all his gamblin’ addictions
Psychopath intuition, the man that like to play victim
You raised a horrible fuckin’ person, the nerve of you, Dennis
Kendrick continues to allege Drake messes around with underage girls, and harbors sex offenders in his camp
And we gotta raise our daughters knowin’ there’s predators like him lurkin’
Fuck a rap battle, he should die so all of these women can live with a purpose
I been in this industry twelve years, I’ma tell y’all one lil’ secret
It’s some weird shit goin’ on and some of these artists be here to police it
They be streamlinin’ victims all inside of they home and callin’ ’em Tinder
Then leak videos of themselves to further push their agendas
In the third verse, Kendrick raps to the 11-year-old daughter he claims Drake has abandoned. As with the Adonis verse, Lamar insists that Drake is a bad man who does bad things, and that his children deserve a better role model.
I’m sorry that your father not active inside your world
He don’t commit to much but his music, yeah, that’s for sure
He a narcissist, misogynist, livin’ inside his songs
Try destroy families rather than takin'’care of his own
Should be teachin’ you time tables or watchin’ Frozen with you
Or at your eleventh birthday, singin’ poems with you
Instead, he be in Turks payin’ for sex and poppin’ Percs, examples that you don’t deserve
The fourth verse is a message to Drake himself. In the closing lines, Kendrick accuses him of being a complete phony whose only real enemy is himself.
You lied about your accent and your past tense, all is perjury
You lied about your ghostwriters, you lied about your crew members
They all pussy, you lied on ’em, I know they all got you in ’em
You lied about your son, you lied about your daughter, huh
You lied about them other kids that’s out there hopin’ that you come
You lied about the only artist that can offer you some help
Fuck a rap battle, this a long life battle with yourself
From accusations of infidelity to allegations of neglecting his children, Kendrick spared no expense in his quest to eviscerate his rival. It was a masterclass in lyrical warfare, a symphony of destruction that left Drake scrambling to mount a defense.
But even as Drake licked his wounds, Kendrick showed no signs of letting up. With each passing verse, he dug deeper into Drake's psyche, unraveling the threads of his carefully curated image and exposing the man beneath the mask.
Did Kendrick plan all this out, and "bait" Drake by dropping "6:16 In LA" knowing that Drake had "Family Matters
As the dust settled on the battlefield, one thing became abundantly clear- Kendrick had drawn first blood, leaving Drake wounded and vulnerable. In the eyes of the rap world, Kendrick had emerged victorious, his brutal takedown of Drake cementing his status as the undisputed king of the rap game.
(Unless you're Nicky Smokes…)
Drake took to his instragram to post that picture asking people "to find his hidden daughter", refuting Kendrick's claim.
That's pretty much everything and where things stand at now.
Popular twitch streamer Kai Cenat had a hilarious reaction to listening live to Kendrick's response.
And he wasn't wrong.
I think "Meet The Grahams" is the harshest, most devastating "diss" record of all time. Like I wrote at the top, I don't see how this ever ends now because there's just no way you can kiss and make up after that.
The question now is how will Drake respond?
p.s. - Rick Ross continues to chirp
p.p.s. - for the Swifties wondering how Taylor Swift ties in to all of this, here you go.
Kendrick Lamar was featured in Swift's “Bad Blood" music video back in 2015, and was on board for the 1989 (Taylor's Version) re-recording in October 2023.
Then, in 2023, on Drake's track "Red Button", he had this to say about Taylor
Taylor Swift the only ni**a that I ever rated
Only one could make me drop the album just a little later
Rest of y'all, I treat you like you never made it
Then, on Drake's response to Kendrick, "Push Ups", he took a shot at Lamar for his collaboration with Swift.
“Maroon 5 need a verse you better make it witty,
You only need a verse for the Swifties.”
Five days later, Drake released the A.I. produced "Taylor Made" freestyle and in his verse, rapped the following-
The first one really only took me an hour or two
The next one is really 'bout to bring out the coward in you
But now we gotta wait a fuckin' week 'cause Taylor Swift is your new Top
And if you 'bout to drop, she gotta approve
This girl really 'bout to make you act like you not in a feud
She tailor-made your schedule with Ant, you out of the loop
In the song's outro, Drake again referenced Taylor, calling her the “biggest gangster in the music game right now." He continued, “You know, I moved my album when she dropped, I said that already. You know, she 'bout to milli' run through a milly rock on your head top. She got the whole pgLang on mute like that Beyoncé challenge, y'all boys quiet for the weekend."
Then, last night Lamar dropped his track “6:16 in LA”, which fans quickly realized was produced by Swift's longtime collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff.
Diabolical by Kendrick.
This league!