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Express Tribune
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Drake Kendrick Lamar beef explained timeline diss tracks and legal battles
The rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has evolved into one of hip-hop's most intense feuds, marked by lyrical attacks, personal allegations, and legal disputes. Once collaborators, the two rappers have become adversaries, exchanging multiple diss tracks and making public statements against each other. The conflict, which simmered for years, exploded in 2024, leading to some of the most talked-about moments in rap history. Early Years: Collaborations and Rising Tensions (2011-2013) Drake and Kendrick Lamar initially collaborated in 2011 when Lamar was featured on Take Care's "Buried Alive Interlude." In the song, Lamar acknowledged Drake's influence on his rise, rapping: "So blame it on Mr. OVOXO / The reason why I'm breathin' all the vanity I know." The relationship remained friendly as Drake invited Lamar to open for his Club Paradise Tour in 2012. They collaborated again on A$AP Rocky's 'F**kin' Problems' and Lamar's 'Poetic Justice.' However, after this, their working relationship ended. Tensions escalated in August 2013 when Lamar delivered a verse on Big Sean's 'Control,' where he named several rappers, including Drake, as competition: "I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you nas / Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you nas." Drake initially brushed it off but later suggested Lamar's verse was merely for attention. Lamar responded with a freestyle at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards: "Nothing's been the same since they dropped 'Control' / And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes." This subtle jab at Drake's 2013 album Nothing Was the Same was one of the first signs of animosity between the two. Tensions Build Through Subtle Shots (2015-2023) Following their initial fallout, the rivalry simmered for nearly a decade, with both artists throwing indirect shots in their music. In 2015, Lamar criticized ghostwriting in rap on 'King Kunta': "I can dig rapping, but a rapper with a ghostwriter? / What the f**k happened?" This was widely interpreted as a jab at Drake, who had faced allegations of using ghostwriters. Drake responded indirectly on The Game's '100': "I would have all of your fans / If I didn't go pop and I stayed on some conscious s**t." Lamar continued the jabs on Dr. Dre's Compton album with the song 'Deep Water': "They liable to bury him, they nominated six to carry him / They worry him to death, but he's no vegetarian / The beef is on his breath." While these lyrical exchanges fueled speculation, neither rapper engaged in an all-out lyrical battle—until 2024. The Feud Explodes: Diss Tracks and Direct Confrontation (March–May 2024) The conflict reignited on March 22, 2024, when Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole on Future & Metro Boomin's We Don't Trust You track "Like That": "Yeah, get up with me, f**k sneak dissin' / 'First Person Shooter,' I hope they came with three switches.' This line mocked Drake and J. Cole's Billboard No. 1 song 'First Person Shooter.' Lamar followed with: "Motherfk the Big Three, na, it's just big me."* Dismissing the idea that he, Drake, and J. Cole were equals, Lamar declared himself superior. Drake initially responded at a concert in Florida on March 25, saying: "I know that no matter what, there's not a na on this earth that could ever fk with me in my life!"* Weeks later, Drake released 'Push Ups' on April 19, mocking Lamar's physical stature and label deal: "You still in that deal, dumbass little boy / You my son, go sit in that corner and make better choices." Drake escalated with 'Taylor Made Freestyle' on April 24, using AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg to criticize Lamar for not responding quickly. However, Tupac's estate threatened legal action, and Drake removed the track. Lamar's response came on April 30 with 'Euphoria,' a six-minute track attacking Drake's credibility: "Yeah, Cole and Aubrey know I'm a selfish n**a / The crown is heavy, huh / I pray they my real friends, if not, I'm YNW Melly."* Three days later, on May 3, Lamar released '6:16 in LA,' accusing Drake's inner circle of betraying him: "Have you ever thought that OVO was workin' for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies." Drake replied hours later with 'Family Matters,' alleging Lamar's fiancée Whitney Alford had been unfaithful: "You the Black messiah wifin' up a mixed queen / And hit vanilla cream to help out with your self-esteem." Minutes later, Lamar released 'Meet the Grahams,' accusing Drake of fathering multiple children: "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." Legal Action and Industry Impact (May 2024–January 2025) As the lyrical battle intensified, real-world consequences followed. Lamar's 'Not Like Us' became a chart-topping hit, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 13, 2024. He performed it five times at his Los Angeles concert in June. Drake responded with legal action, filing lawsuits against Universal Music Group (UMG) in November 2024, accusing them of manipulating streaming numbers for 'Not Like Us.' UMG denied the allegations. Lamar's dominance in the feud was cemented when he won five Grammy Awards in early 2025, and the track surpassed one billion Spotify streams. At the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, he teased Drake by rapping: "I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue." Conclusion: Where Does the Feud Stand? While Lamar appears to have solidified his dominance through accolades and mainstream success, Drake's ongoing legal battle suggests he is still pushing back. Whether this feud continues or fizzles out remains to be seen, but its impact on hip-hop is undeniable.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Not Like Us' at Super Bowl 59? Origins of the song fueled by Drake, Kendrick Lamar's feud
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. Since Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" dropped in May, the song that served as a slap in the face to hip hop icon Drake has broken streaming records, won Lamar multiple Grammy awards and has become a hot topic ahead of the Compton rapper's highly anticipated Super Bowl 59 halftime performance. As contemporaries, Lamar and Drake have each carved out successful musical careers with multiple No. 1 songs (five for Lamar, 13 for Drake) on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The two have even appeared on songs together, including on Lamar's "Poetic Justice," A$AP Rocky's 'F**kin' Problems" and Drake's "Buried Alive Interlude." The feud between the rappers reached a new high last year after Lamar included the following on "Like That" by Metro Boomin and Future: "These (expletive) talkin' out of they necks. Don't pull no coffin out of your mouth, I'm way too paranoid for a threat. Ayy-ayy, let's get it, bro. D-O-T, the money, power, respect. The last one is better. Say, it's a lot of goofies with a check." Then the Californian and Canadian released diss songs about one another. Before the 2024 beef caused a stir among hip-hop fans across the globe, the two rappers seemed to be at odds for years, but not publicly as they both traded much more subtle shots at one another in several songs, including Lamar on Big Sean's "Control." "Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing," Drake said about "Control" during an interview with Vibe Magazine. "What am I supposed to say? Nah, we'll be buddy-buddy? Mind you, I never once said he's a bad guy [or] I don't like him. I think he's a … genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should." Now with the beef back in the headlines as Lamar prepares to perform at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, USA TODAY is looking back at the beef and how "Not Like Us" became a controversial and catchy mainstream hit. Drake and Lamar began as collaborators who respected one another's talents. In 2014, Drake even posted a now-deleted Instagram video of him rapping over Lamar's song 'Cut You Off' from his 2010 "Overly Dedicated" project, Vibes reported. In a 2011 interview with XXL, Lamar said he and Drake "clicked immediately," describing the rapper as a "genuine soul" and the first person outside of his own team to hear his debut album "Section 80." Drake soon invited Lamar to feature on "Buried Alive Interlude," which is off his second studio album, "Take Care." In addition to praising Drake during the interview with XXL, Lamar explained how they originally met during his first-ever show in Toronto on June 16, 2011. "My first show in Toronto. I think it was the same night, we was going back to the hotel, and he hit my phone," Lamar recalled. "We met up, chilled out, got to vibe, see where each other was at and (expletive) ... That's a real good dude." When Big Sean released "Control" featuring Lamar and New Orleans-born rapper Jay Electronica in 2013, the rap world went into a frenzy due to the subtle but clear jabs said throughout the record, primarily by Lamar. On the song, Lamar calls out most of his contemporaries, including J. Cole, Meek Mill, Drake, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, A$AP Rocky, Mac Miller, Big Sean, Jay Electronica and Tyler, the Creator. "I got love for you all but I'm trying to murder you (expletive). Trying to make sure your core fans never heard of you (expletive). They don't want to hear not one more noun or verb from you (expletive)," Lamar raps on "Control." Following Drake's interview with Vibe Magazine, the two rappers continued to trade subliminal shots at one another, Genius, a company that deciphers and annotates song lyrics, said. According to Genius, some of the songs the two have traded words on include Lamar's 'The Heart Part 4," Drake's "The Language," Lamar on rapper Jay Rock's song "Pay For It," Drake's "Used To," Drake's '6 PM In New York,' Lamar's "King Kunta," Drake on rapper The Game's song "100," Lamar's 'Darkside/Gone,' Lamar on rapper Dr. Dre's song "Deep Water," Drake's "Summer Sixteen" and Lamar's "Untitled 07 | 2014-2016.' During J. Cole's verse on his and Drake's 2023 hit song "First Person Shooter," he refers to himself, Drake and Lamar as the "big three" of the current rap game. He also likened himself to legendary boxer and activist Muhammad Ali. Months later, Lamar responded to J. Cole's verse on Metro Boomin and Future's 2024 song "Like That," in which he claims that there isn't a "big three" and "it's just big me." In April 2024, a month after "Like That" came out, Drake released "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle" as diss tracks toward Lamar. On April 30, 2024, nearly two weeks after Drake's songs, Lamar responded with "Euphoria," a six-minute diss track directed at Drake. The following week, on May 3, Lamar dropped "6:16 in LA" via his Instagram. This prompted Drake to release "Family Matters" the same day, which in turn led to Lamar dropping his "Meet the Grahams" response record. Both "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams" contained deeply personal accusations, including Lamar allegedly being unfaithful and domestically abusive to his fiancée, and Drake allegedly having a secret daughter. Both rappers have denied these claims publicly and scoffed at the accusations. Less than 24 hours after the barrage of diss songs, Lamar dropped "Not Like Us" on May 4, which led to a response from Drake two days later on "The Heart Pt. 6." When Lamar's "Not Like Us' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 13, 2024, people across the world were singing along to lyrics that accused Drake and his team of being pedophiles due to rumors of them liking younger women, hard drug users and cultural colonizers on account of them primarily being from Canada. Drake has publicly denied all the claims. To this day, "Not Like Us" continues to chart as the song has seemingly expanded past the beef with Drake and become a phenomenon of its own. Lamar got to see the public's reaction to the song when he gave his first live performance of "Not Like Us" during his one-off Juneteenth concert, The Pop Off, at Kia Forum outside Los Angeles. Lamar closed the show by performing the song five times in a row. Things escalated when a company owned by Drake filed a motion in New York accusing Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify of inflating streaming numbers following the success of "Not Like Us" and the NFL's decision to make Lamar Super Bowl 59's halftime performer. Drake then filed a second motion in Texas alleging UMG engaged in a "pay-to-play" scheme and committed defamation by allowing "Not Like Us" to be released. Both rappers have distribution deals with UMG, which subsequently denied Drake's allegations. By mid-January, Drake's attorneys dropped those motions and filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against UMG, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. It accuses UMG of "corporate greed" in their promotion of Lamar's song, which alleges that Drake is a "certified pedophile." The document states that Drake was targeted by armed intruders at his Toronto home and had to remove his young son and the boy's mother from the city due to the song's popularity. "UMG wants the public to believe that this is a fight between rappers, but this lawsuit is not brought against Kendrick Lamar. This lawsuit reveals the human and business consequences to UMG's elevation of profits over the safety and well-being of its artists, and shines a light on the manipulation of artists and the public for corporate gain," Drake's legal team wrote in a statement to USA TODAY. UMG has responded to Drake's lawsuit, calling his claims "illogical" and "contrived," Complex reported. The music company also requested the lawsuit's dismissal, according to the outlet. Now Lamar may add more fuel to the fire if he performs "Not Like Us" during his Super Bowl halftime performance this Sunday. The Super Bowl 59 halftime show will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It will be broadcast nationally on FOX between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third quarter of the big football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Date: Sunday, Feb. 9 TV: FOX Time: 6:30 p.m. ET (Super Bowl start time) Streaming: Fox Sports app, Fubo (free trial) Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake: Origin of 'Not Like Us' ahead of Super Bowl
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef — from its beginnings to the Super Bowl — explained
Drake vs Kendrick Lamar is the biggest beef in recent rap history. It's a fight that's gone miles beyond the usual lyrical martial artistry, though there has certainly been plenty of that. It has spurred multiple court actions and a stunning rebellion against their shared record label. It spawned a song that just won two of the big four Grammys and will almost certainly be performed at the Super Bowl this weekend. It wasn't always this way. They once were collaborators: On Drake's 2011 track 'Buried Alive Interlude,' on Lamar's 2012 release 'Poetic Justice,' and on A$AP Rocky's '(Expletive) ' Problems" that same year. It didn't last long. In 2013, the Pulitzer Prize winner Lamar was featured on Big Sean's 'Control,' in which he called out a slew of contemporary rappers including J. Cole, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Big Sean himself and Drake. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. 'I got love for you all, but I'm trying to murder you,' he rapped. 'Trying to make sure your core fans never heard of you.' Drake responded in a Billboard cover story, saying 'Kendrick's not murdering me, at all, in any platform.' Lamar took another jab just afterward, at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards. The rappers launched occasional disses at each other in the following years. Drake beefed with other performers, most infamously Pusha T in 2018, where the latter rapper dropped "The Story of Adidon,' revealing Drake is a father. In October 2023, J. Cole may have accidentally reignited the beef on 'First Person Shooter' with Drake. He rapped 'Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?" referencing Lamar and Drake's birth name, Aubrey Graham. Then, just over a year ago, it exploded exponentially. Here's a timeline of the major developments. It should be noted that diss tracks between rappers often include exaggerated truths and unsubstantiated rumors for dramatic effect. March 22: Lamar disses Drake on Future and Metro Boomin's 'Like That' 'The big three,' Lamar raps, calling back to J. Cole, 'It's just big me.' He references Drake's 2023 album 'For All the Dogs," and also compares himself to Prince and Drake to Michael Jackson: "Prince outlived Mike Jack.' April 13: Drake's 'Push Ups' leaks Drake's response leaks. 'You ain't in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down,' he raps. (SZA would later be announced as Lamar's Super Bowl collaborator.) April 24: Drake responds with a second, AI-assisted diss track and pulls in Taylor Swift Drake's second diss track used artificial intelligence technology to include verses from Tupac and Snoop Dogg, two of Lamar's influences. In his own verse, Drake accuses Lamar of delaying his response track because of the imminent release of Taylor Swift 's 'The Tortured Poets Department.' (Lamar collaborated with Swift on 'Bad Blood.') Tupac's estate threatened to sue Drake in response, so he removed the song from his social channels. April 30: Lamar hits back with a nearly six-and-a-half-minute track, 'Euphoria' This is where it gets more complicated. Lamar's 'Euphoria' hits like an opus, unleashing a slew of allegations against Drake. He comes after Drake's skills as a rapper, use of AI, appearance, racial identity, and parenting. 'I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that," Lamar raps. The title is a reference to the HBO series 'Euphoria,' of which Drake is an executive producer. May 3: Lamar drops a follow-up, '6:16 in LA' In Lamar's next diss, titled after a time and location like Drake is wont to do, Lamar targets the company Drizzy keeps. 'Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies,' he raps, referencing Drake's record label. "You must be a terrible person.' According to Billboard, the song was produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff — the latter notably Swift's longtime producer. It samples Al Green's 'What a Wonderful Thing Love Is," on which one of Drake's relatives played guitar. May 3: Drake launches 'Family Matters' Drake hits back with a music video and a nearly eight-minute response, in which he alleges abuse and infidelity in Lamar's relationship with his fiancée. May 4: Lamar responds with 'Meet the Grahams' Almost immediately afterward, Lamar addresses Drake's son in 'Meet the Grahams:' 'I'm sorry that man is your father.' Lamar also addresses Drake's parents, and 'a baby girl,' alleging Drake has a secret daughter. He also labels Drake a 'predator," without elaborating. May 4: Less than 24 hours later, Lamar drops 'Not Like Us' Lamar doubles down, releasing 'Not Like Us," produced by DJ Mustard. 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one,' Lamar raps. It would later reach stratospheric levels for a diss track. May 5: Drake softens his blows on 'The Heart Part 6' Referencing Lamar's 'The Heart' series, Drake drops 'The Heart Part 6.' In the song 'Prove It," Drake challenges Lamar's allegations, doubles down on his own against him, and says that he does not have a secret daughter. He sounds notably lethargic on the song — potentially taking a final bow with verses like, 'You know, at least your fans are gettin' some raps out of you / I'm happy I could motivate you.' May 18: 'Not Like Us' hits No. 1 Lamar's 'Not Like Us' goes to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It will spend two weeks at the spot, 38 weeks on the chart, and end become the year's No. 6 song. It would also do stratospheric streaming numbers, ending 2024 atop Apple Music's global song chart. June 19: A hometown victory lap for Lamar Lamar takes a de facto victory lap with his Juneteenth 'Pop Out' concert at the Forum in Los Angeles. He performs 'Euphoria' and '6:16 in LA,' then is joined by Dr. Dre. The two West Coast titans perform 'Still D.R.E.' and 'California Love' before Dre quiets the roaring crowd. He then delivers the 'Sixth Sense' quote that opens 'Not Like Us': 'I see dead people.' A crowd of 17,000 including The Weeknd, LeBron James, Ayo Edebiri and Rick Ross rap along to every word. Lamar restarts it twice after the first verse and performs it four times in full. September 9: Lamar heading to the Super Bowl Lamar is announced as the halftime headliner at the Feb. 9 Super Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans. SZA is later announced as a guest performer, before the two tour together this spring. November 8: Lamar racks up Grammy nominations for Drake diss tracks Lamar is nominated for seven Grammys, all of them for Drake diss tracks. Two are for 'Like That,' the Metro Boomin' collaboration, and five are for 'Not Like Us,' including nods for record of the year and song of the year. November 25: Drake broadens the beef to courts and label After months of relative silence, Drake takes the fight to court, and takes the beef to another level. He alleges in a New York filing that Universal Music Group — the parent label for both him and Lamar — pumped up the popularity of 'Not Like Us' on Spotify and other streaming services. The filing is a precursor to a potential lawsuit that demands the two companies preserve documents. UMG calls the allegations in the filing 'offensive and untrue.' Spotify did not publicly respond but has broadly denied assertions that its streaming figures are or can be inflated. On the same day, Drake announces that he will tour Australia for the first time in eight years, starting on the day Lamar performs at the Super Bowl. November 26: Drake strikes in court again Drake strikes again, this time in a Texas court, where he aims at the radio play for 'Not Like Us.' His filing, another lawsuit precursor, alleges UMG conspired with iHeartMedia, the biggest owner of radio stations in the U.S., to inflate plays and numbers for the track. iHeartMedia did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press at the time, and did not immediately reply to a new request for a response. January 15: Drake drops the big legal bomb Drake makes his major legal move, for which the previous ones were only openers: A defamation lawsuit against UMG, alleging it put out and promoted 'Not Like Us' even though it promotes false pedophilia allegations against him and suggests listeners should resort to vigilante justice. It blames the label and the song for attempted break-ins and the shooting of a security guard at Drake's Toronto home, online hate and harassment and the devaluation of his brand. The suit does not name Lamar as a defendant. UMG responds that the allegations are not only untrue but illogical given their years of investment in Drake. February 2: Lamar wins five Grammys, including two of the biggest for 'Not Like Us' A week before his Super Bowl headlining gig, Lamar and 'Not Like Us' have an epic night at the Grammy Awards. The track wins song of the year and record of the year and Lamar takes five. He's gracious and positive in victory, not mentioning Drake and saying 'We're gonna dedicate this one to the city' before shouting out Los Angeles area neighborhoods. ___ This story first moved May 7, 2024, and was resent on Feb. 5, 2025, to update with legal developments, Lamar's Grammy wins and upcoming Super Bowl performance and Drake's Australia tour.
Associated Press
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef — from its beginnings to the Super Bowl — explained
Drake vs Kendrick Lamar is the biggest beef in recent rap history. It's a fight that's gone miles beyond the usual lyrical martial artistry, though there has certainly been plenty of that. It has spurred multiple court actions and a stunning rebellion against their shared record label. It spawned a song that just won two of the big four Grammys and will almost certainly be performed at the Super Bowl this weekend. It wasn't always this way. They once were collaborators: On Drake's 2011 track 'Buried Alive Interlude,' on Lamar's 2012 release 'Poetic Justice,' and on A$AP Rocky's '(Expletive) ' Problems' that same year. It didn't last long. In 2013, the Pulitzer Prize winner Lamar was featured on Big Sean's 'Control,' in which he called out a slew of contemporary rappers including J. Cole, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Big Sean himself and Drake. 'I got love for you all, but I'm trying to murder you,' he rapped. 'Trying to make sure your core fans never heard of you.' Drake responded in a Billboard cover story, saying 'Kendrick's not murdering me, at all, in any platform.' Lamar took another jab just afterward, at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards. The rappers launched occasional disses at each other in the following years. Drake beefed with other performers, most infamously Pusha T in 2018, where the latter rapper dropped 'The Story of Adidon,' revealing Drake is a father. In October 2023, J. Cole may have accidentally reignited the beef on 'First Person Shooter' with Drake. He rapped 'Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?' referencing Lamar and Drake's birth name, Aubrey Graham. Then, just over a year ago, it exploded exponentially. Here's a timeline of the major developments. It should be noted that diss tracks between rappers often include exaggerated truths and unsubstantiated rumors for dramatic effect. March 22: Lamar disses Drake on Future and Metro Boomin's 'Like That' 'The big three,' Lamar raps, calling back to J. Cole, 'It's just big me.' He references Drake's 2023 album 'For All the Dogs,' and also compares himself to Prince and Drake to Michael Jackson: 'Prince outlived Mike Jack.' April 13: Drake's 'Push Ups' leaks Drake's response leaks. 'You ain't in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down,' he raps. (SZA would later be announced as Lamar's Super Bowl collaborator.) April 24: Drake responds with a second, AI-assisted diss track and pulls in Taylor Swift Drake's second diss track used artificial intelligence technology to include verses from Tupac and Snoop Dogg, two of Lamar's influences. In his own verse, Drake accuses Lamar of delaying his response track because of the imminent release of Taylor Swift 's 'The Tortured Poets Department.' (Lamar collaborated with Swift on 'Bad Blood.') Tupac's estate threatened to sue Drake in response, so he removed the song from his social channels. April 30: Lamar hits back with a nearly six-and-a-half-minute track, 'Euphoria' This is where it gets more complicated. Lamar's 'Euphoria' hits like an opus, unleashing a slew of allegations against Drake. He comes after Drake's skills as a rapper, use of AI, appearance, racial identity, and parenting. 'I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that,' Lamar raps. The title is a reference to the HBO series 'Euphoria,' of which Drake is an executive producer. May 3: Lamar drops a follow-up, '6:16 in LA' In Lamar's next diss, titled after a time and location like Drake is wont to do, Lamar targets the company Drizzy keeps. 'Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies,' he raps, referencing Drake's record label. 'You must be a terrible person.' According to Billboard, the song was produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff — the latter notably Swift's longtime producer. It samples Al Green's 'What a Wonderful Thing Love Is,' on which one of Drake's relatives played guitar. May 3: Drake launches 'Family Matters' Drake hits back with a music video and a nearly eight-minute response, in which he alleges abuse and infidelity in Lamar's relationship with his fiancée. May 4: Lamar responds with 'Meet the Grahams' Almost immediately afterward, Lamar addresses Drake's son in 'Meet the Grahams:' 'I'm sorry that man is your father.' Lamar also addresses Drake's parents, and 'a baby girl,' alleging Drake has a secret daughter. He also labels Drake a 'predator,' without elaborating. May 4: Less than 24 hours later, Lamar drops 'Not Like Us' Lamar doubles down, releasing 'Not Like Us,' produced by DJ Mustard. 'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one,' Lamar raps. It would later reach stratospheric levels for a diss track. May 5: Drake softens his blows on 'The Heart Part 6' Referencing Lamar's 'The Heart' series, Drake drops 'The Heart Part 6.' In the song 'Prove It,' Drake challenges Lamar's allegations, doubles down on his own against him, and says that he does not have a secret daughter. He sounds notably lethargic on the song — potentially taking a final bow with verses like, 'You know, at least your fans are gettin' some raps out of you / I'm happy I could motivate you.' May 18: 'Not Like Us' hits No. 1 Lamar's 'Not Like Us' goes to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It will spend two weeks at the spot, 38 weeks on the chart, and end become the year's No. 6 song. It would also do stratospheric streaming numbers, ending 2024 atop Apple Music's global song chart. June 19: A hometown victory lap for Lamar Lamar takes a de facto victory lap with his Juneteenth 'Pop Out' concert at the Forum in Los Angeles. He performs 'Euphoria' and '6:16 in LA,' then is joined by Dr. Dre. The two West Coast titans perform 'Still D.R.E.' and 'California Love' before Dre quiets the roaring crowd. He then delivers the 'Sixth Sense' quote that opens 'Not Like Us': 'I see dead people.' A crowd of 17,000 including The Weeknd, LeBron James, Ayo Edebiri and Rick Ross rap along to every word. Lamar restarts it twice after the first verse and performs it four times in full. September 9: Lamar heading to the Super Bowl Lamar is announced as the halftime headliner at the Feb. 9 Super Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans. SZA is later announced as a guest performer, before the two tour together this spring. November 8: Lamar racks up Grammy nominations for Drake diss tracks Lamar is nominated for seven Grammys, all of them for Drake diss tracks. Two are for 'Like That,' the Metro Boomin' collaboration, and five are for 'Not Like Us,' including nods for record of the year and song of the year. November 25: Drake broadens the beef to courts and label After months of relative silence, Drake takes the fight to court, and takes the beef to another level. He alleges in a New York filing that Universal Music Group — the parent label for both him and Lamar — pumped up the popularity of 'Not Like Us' on Spotify and other streaming services. The filing is a precursor to a potential lawsuit that demands the two companies preserve documents. UMG calls the allegations in the filing 'offensive and untrue.' Spotify did not publicly respond but has broadly denied assertions that its streaming figures are or can be inflated. On the same day, Drake announces that he will tour Australia for the first time in eight years, starting on the day Lamar performs at the Super Bowl. November 26: Drake strikes in court again Drake strikes again, this time in a Texas court, where he aims at the radio play for 'Not Like Us.' His filing, another lawsuit precursor, alleges UMG conspired with iHeartMedia, the biggest owner of radio stations in the U.S., to inflate plays and numbers for the track. iHeartMedia did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press at the time, and did not immediately reply to a new request for a response. January 15: Drake drops the big legal bomb Drake makes his major legal move, for which the previous ones were only openers: A defamation lawsuit against UMG, alleging it put out and promoted 'Not Like Us' even though it promotes false pedophilia allegations against him and suggests listeners should resort to vigilante justice. It blames the label and the song for attempted break-ins and the shooting of a security guard at Drake's Toronto home, online hate and harassment and the devaluation of his brand. The suit does not name Lamar as a defendant. UMG responds that the allegations are not only untrue but illogical given their years of investment in Drake. February 2: Lamar wins five Grammys, including two of the biggest for 'Not Like Us' A week before his Super Bowl headlining gig, Lamar and 'Not Like Us' have an epic night at the Grammy Awards. The track wins song of the year and record of the year and Lamar takes five. He's gracious and positive in victory, not mentioning Drake and saying 'We're gonna dedicate this one to the city' before shouting out Los Angeles area neighborhoods. ___ This story first moved May 7, 2024, and was resent on Feb. 5, 2025, to update with legal developments, Lamar's Grammy wins and upcoming Super Bowl performance and Drake's Australia tour.
USA Today
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Why are Drake and Kendrick Lamar beefing? What to know ahead of Super Bowl halftime show
Why are Drake and Kendrick Lamar beefing? What to know ahead of Super Bowl halftime show Show Caption Hide Caption Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance will give him one last jab at Drake in their ongoing feud. Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance will give him one last jab at Drake in their ongoing feud. The rap beef that dominated headlines in 2024 is about to get a Super Bowl spotlight. Kendrick Lamar's headlining performance at this year's Super Bowl halftime show is also expected to add another chapter to his long-running feud with Drake. The two traded allegations and insults in diss tracks last spring, part of a very public escalation in hostility between two high-profile hip-hop artists that culminated with Lamar's "Not Like Us" becoming a No. 1 smash hit last May and a federal lawsuit about the song filed this month by Drake. Lamar appears set to feature "Not Like Us" at halftime when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9 despite the pending litigation. FOX used an instrumental version of the song in the background of promos for the Super Bowl halftime show during the NFC championship game. It is likely to thrust the issues between Drake and Lamar, which has roots dating back at least a decade, back into the national conversation during the biggest television event in the country. So what happens during Lamar's halftime show performance might carry as much intrigue as the football game at Super Bowl 59. Here's what to know about the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar before Lamar takes the stage at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, including a timeline of events: KENDRICK LAMAR vs. DRAKE: 'Not Like Us' gets record, song of the year Grammy nominations Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud timeline: How their beef started There is a certain cinematic quality to how the conflict developed between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, with their relationship gradually evolving from collaborators to rivals to enemies over the past 15 years. Here's a recap of events that pushed these stars to this point: 2011 : Lamar was featured on Drake's song, "Buried Alive Interlude." : Lamar was featured on Drake's song, "Buried Alive Interlude." 2012 : Lamar served as an opening act for Drake on the 2012 Club Paradise tour. By October 2012, Drake had also appeared on Kendrick Lamar's debut album for the hit song, "Poetic Justice." : Lamar served as an opening act for Drake on the 2012 Club Paradise tour. By October 2012, Drake had also appeared on Kendrick Lamar's debut album for the hit song, "Poetic Justice." August 2013 : Lamar called out several big name hip-hop artists, most notably Drake, during a guest verse on "Control" by rapper Big Sean. A few months later, at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards, Lamar seemed to subtly take another shot at Drake during a freestyle rap as part of the show. : Lamar called out several big name hip-hop artists, most notably Drake, during a guest verse on "Control" by rapper Big Sean. A few months later, at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards, Lamar seemed to subtly take another shot at Drake during a freestyle rap as part of the show. December 2013 : Drake discussed "Control" in an interview with Vibe Magazine: 'Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing. What am I supposed to say? Nah, we'll be buddy-buddy? Mind you, I never once said he's a bad guy [or] I don't like him. I think he's a ... genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should." : Drake discussed "Control" in an interview with Vibe Magazine: 'Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing. What am I supposed to say? Nah, we'll be buddy-buddy? Mind you, I never once said he's a bad guy [or] I don't like him. I think he's a ... genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should." November 2014 : In the midst of increasing speculation that he and Drake were at odds, Lamar insisted there was no beef between the two. "It wasn't no issue from the jump," Lamar said in an interview on The Breakfast Club. "I think people talk about beef ... it's just a whole 'nother dynamic. I can't see myself going bar for bar with Drake. We're two different types of artists." : In the midst of increasing speculation that he and Drake were at odds, Lamar insisted there was no beef between the two. "It wasn't no issue from the jump," Lamar said in an interview on The Breakfast Club. "I think people talk about beef ... it's just a whole 'nother dynamic. I can't see myself going bar for bar with Drake. We're two different types of artists." July 2015 : Fellow rapper Meek Mill accused Drake of using ghostwriters, which shined renewed attention on the previously released Kendrick Lamar single, "King Kunta," from his 2015 album, "To Pimp a Butterfly." The lyrics included a reference to a rapper with a ghostwriter. : Fellow rapper Meek Mill accused Drake of using ghostwriters, which shined renewed attention on the previously released Kendrick Lamar single, "King Kunta," from his 2015 album, "To Pimp a Butterfly." The lyrics included a reference to a rapper with a ghostwriter. January 2016: President Barack Obama was asked whether Lamar or Drake would win in a rap battle. Obama said Lamar and praised "To Pimp a Butterfly" as the best album of 2015. Drake responded to Obama in "Summer Sixteen," a song that included the line, "Tell Obama that my verses are just like the whips that he in – they bulletproof." Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef timeline: Why the feud escalated The simmering feud between Lamar and Drake moved to the periphery of the mainstream hip-hop conversation for the next five years, though several songs released by Lamar during that time included lyrics that were construed as subtle digs directed toward Drake. It wasn't until 2023 that their problems resurfaced in a dramatic way that would captivate the music world and beyond. October 2023 : Drake teams up with J. Cole for the hit song, "First person shooter." Includes a verse by J. Cole in which the rapper proclaims he, Drake and Lamar to be the "big three" of the modern rap game and proclaims himself Muhammed Ali. : Drake teams up with J. Cole for the hit song, "First person shooter." Includes a verse by J. Cole in which the rapper proclaims he, Drake and Lamar to be the "big three" of the modern rap game and proclaims himself Muhammed Ali. March 22, 2024 : Lamar responded to the notion of a big three during an appearance on the song, "Like that," by Metro Boomin and Future, rapping that "it's just big me." : Lamar responded to the notion of a big three during an appearance on the song, "Like that," by Metro Boomin and Future, rapping that "it's just big me." April 19, 2024 : Drake officially releases two diss tracks in response to Lamar: "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle." In the former, the Canadian star names multiple current rappers he believes to be better than Lamar. For the latter, Drake used A.I. vocals to rap in the voices of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg – who Lamar considers two of his biggest influences – and criticized Lamar further. Drake eventually had to remove the song from his social media accounts after Shakur's estate threatened to sue. : Drake officially releases two diss tracks in response to Lamar: "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle." In the former, the Canadian star names multiple current rappers he believes to be better than Lamar. For the latter, Drake used A.I. vocals to rap in the voices of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg – who Lamar considers two of his biggest influences – and criticized Lamar further. Drake eventually had to remove the song from his social media accounts after Shakur's estate threatened to sue. April 30, 2024 : Kendrick Lamar responded with "Euphoria," a six-minute diss track directed at Drake. : Kendrick Lamar responded with "Euphoria," a six-minute diss track directed at Drake. May 3, 2024 : Lamar drops another diss track, "6:16 in LA," via Instagram. Drake responded later that day with "Family Matters," accusing Lamar of being unfaithful and guilty of domestic violence in his relationship with fiancée Whitney Alford. He also alleged that one of Lamar's children biologically belongs to Lamar's friend and business associate, Dave Free. Minutes later, Lamar struck back again with "Meet the Grahams" – Drake's legal name is Aubrey Graham – in which Lamar claimed Drake is concealing a daughter. He also made reference to potential sex trafficking and pedophilia by either Drake or his associates. : Lamar drops another diss track, "6:16 in LA," via Instagram. Drake responded later that day with "Family Matters," accusing Lamar of being unfaithful and guilty of domestic violence in his relationship with fiancée Whitney Alford. He also alleged that one of Lamar's children biologically belongs to Lamar's friend and business associate, Dave Free. Minutes later, Lamar struck back again with "Meet the Grahams" – Drake's legal name is Aubrey Graham – in which Lamar claimed Drake is concealing a daughter. He also made reference to potential sex trafficking and pedophilia by either Drake or his associates. May 4, 2024 : The feud reached new heights once Lamar released, "Not Like Us," less than 24 hours after "Meet the Grahams." The song made clear Lamar called Drake a "certified pedophile" and the accompanying artwork for the track contained an aerial view of Drake's mansion outside of Toronto, with red sex offender symbols placed on the home. : The feud reached new heights once Lamar released, "Not Like Us," less than 24 hours after "Meet the Grahams." The song made clear Lamar called Drake a "certified pedophile" and the accompanying artwork for the track contained an aerial view of Drake's mansion outside of Toronto, with red sex offender symbols placed on the home. May 6, 2024 : Drake responded with 'The Heart Pt. 6' in which he denied Lamar's accusations of pedophilia and sex trafficking and claims to have fed Lamar the information about an alleged daughter. : Drake responded with 'The Heart Pt. 6' in which he denied Lamar's accusations of pedophilia and sex trafficking and claims to have fed Lamar the information about an alleged daughter. May 13, 2024 : Lamar's 'Not Like Us' debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 'Euphoria' was also No. 3 for the week. : Lamar's 'Not Like Us' debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 'Euphoria' was also No. 3 for the week. June 19, 2024 : Lamar gives the first live performance of "Not Like Us' at his one-off Juneteenth concert, The Pop Off, at Kia Forum outside Los Angeles. Rick Ross, The Weeknd, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan and James Harden were among those in attendance. Lamar opened his set with "Euphoria" and memorably performed "Not Like Us" five times in a row during the encore. : Lamar gives the first live performance of "Not Like Us' at his one-off Juneteenth concert, The Pop Off, at Kia Forum outside Los Angeles. Rick Ross, The Weeknd, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan and James Harden were among those in attendance. Lamar opened his set with "Euphoria" and memorably performed "Not Like Us" five times in a row during the encore. July 4, 2024 : Lamar released the music video for "Not Like Us," which included Lamar hitting an owl piñata in reference to the logo of Drake's OVO brand. : Lamar released the music video for "Not Like Us," which included Lamar hitting an owl piñata in reference to the logo of Drake's OVO brand. September 8, 2024: Kendrick Lamar was named headlining performance for the Super Bowl 59 halftime show. Drake-Kendrick Lamar lawsuit, explained The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached its legal stage in November when attorneys representing a company owned by Drake filed a motion in New York accusing Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify of inflating the streams for "Not Like Us" through bots and other questionable tactics. Drake then filed a second motion in Texas alleging UMG engaged in a "pay-to-play" scheme and committed defamation by allowing Lamar's song to be released. Drake and Lamar both have distribution deals with UMG, which subsequently denied the allegations. By January, Drake's attorneys dropped those legal actions and filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York aimed at UMG, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. It accused UMG of "corporate greed" in their promotion of the Lamar song, which alleges that Drake is a "certified pedophile." The filing states that Drake was targeted by armed intruders at his Toronto home and had to remove his son and his son's mother from Toronto as a result of the song's popularity. "UMG wants the public to believe that this is a fight between rappers, but this lawsuit is not brought against Kendrick Lamar. This lawsuit reveals the human and business consequences to UMG's elevation of profits over the safety and well-being of its artists, and shines a light on the manipulation of artists and the public for corporate gain," Drake's legal team wrote in a statement to USA TODAY. How to watch Super Bowl halftime show 2025 The Super Bowl 59 halftime is slated to occur on Sunday, February 9, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It will be broadcast nationally on FOX between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third quarter of the football game. Date: Sunday, Feb. 9 Sunday, Feb. 9 TV : FOX : FOX Time : 6:30 p.m. ET (Super Bowl start time) : 6:30 p.m. ET (Super Bowl start time) Streaming: Fox Sports app, Fubo (free trial) Fox Sports app, Fubo (free trial) Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) Watch Super Bowl 59 with Fubo We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
