Kendrick Lamar and Drake were always throwing subliminal at one another, but now, in 2024, there was no more holding back from either party. What started out as J. Cole shouting his friends out in a line, quickly became the hottest rap fued of 2024.
How It All Started in 2024
The spark that lit the fire was actually a seemingly innocuous lyric by J. Cole on his 2023 track “First Person Shooter,” where he declared Drake, Kendrick, and himself as the “Big Three” of modern rap. Kendrick, who has long viewed himself as above the rest, responded in March 2024 with a venomous verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s track Like That, stating, “Motherf*** the big three, n****, it’s just big me.” This diss was aimed squarely at both Drake and J. cole, signalling the start of a full-blown lyrical war.
Drake Fires Back with tracks “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” (April 2024)
Drake, never one to back down, responded quickly with two diss tracks, Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle, both released on April 19, 2024. In Push Ups, Drake took shots at Kendrick’s height and accused him of using his “conscious rapper” image as a shield. He also threw jabs at other rappers, including The Weeknd and Metro Boomin’, but Kendrick remained his main focus.
Taylor Made Freestyle took things to a whole new level in celebrity rap beef, using AI technology to generate audio of rappers Tupac and Snoop Dogg, to diss Kendrick in their own “voice”. Drake also made a bold reference to Taylor Swift, hinting that Kendrick might have held back from dissing him earlier because of the media’s focus on Swift’s success.
Kendrick’s Response: “Euphoria” and “6:16 in LA” (April-May 2024)
Kendrick’s response came just 11 days later with Euphoria, a six-minute track that took the beef to more than just insults towards Drake, questioning the core of character. With lines like, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress,” Kendrick didn’t hold back, going after Drake’s public persona, his fashion choices, and even his authenticity. The track shot to the top of the Spotify charts, and its impact was immediate.
Just days later, Kendrick doubled down with 6:16 in LA, where he suggested there might be traitors within Drake’s OVO Sound label, adding an insidious layer to the beef. At this point, fans and critics alike were captivated by the back-and-forth between the two artists.
Drake’s “Family Matters” (May 2024)
On May 3, 2024, Drake released Family Matters, an intense seven-minute diss track. Here, Drake accused Kendrick of infidelity and accused Kendrick of domestic abuse, topics that hit close to home due to Kendrick’s previous admissions of cheating in his 2022 album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The diss also suggested that Kendrick’s child might have been fathered by another man, a claim that shocked fans.
Kendrick’s “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us” (May 2024)
Kendrick responded to Family Matters almost immediately with Meet the Grahams, a track that ruthlessly attacked Drake’s family, more so than how Drake attempted to in Family Matters. The song didn’t just stop at Drake—it included jabs at his son, mother, and father. Kendrick even hinted at some deeply personal allegations, claiming Drake might be hiding another child, which was reminiscent of Pusha T’s infamous The Story of Adidon diss from 2018, this time with a hidden daughter.
The following day, Kendrick released Not Like Us, arguably the hardest diss track of the feud. The line “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles,” referencing Drake’s past controversial interactions with younger stars like Millie Bobby Brown, set the internet on fire. The track’s cover art—featuring Drake’s mansion marked with red circles, made it known it was a direct target.
Drake’s “The Heart Part 6” (May 2024)
In an attempt to close out the beef, Drake released The Heart Part 6 on May 5, 2024, a direct nod to Kendrick’s long-running The Heart series. However, the reception was overwhelmingly negative, with critics calling it a weak effort compared to Kendrick’s sharp lyricism. Drake even deleted the promotional post from his social media, which many saw as a sign of defeat.
As of now, Kendrick Lamar seems to have the upper hand in this ongoing beef, with his tracks widely praised for their lyrical precision and devastating personal attacks. Drake, known for his commercial dominance, has struggled to match Kendrick’s ferocity in this battle. While both artists remain at the top of the rap game, this feud has added a new chapter to the ongoing saga of hip-hop rivalries.
This beef has proven to be one of the most public and personal in recent years, showing just how deep the competition runs between two of the biggest names in the industry. Fans are eagerly watching to see if Drake will recover from this round of diss tracks or if Kendrick will continue to reign supreme.