{"id":740,"date":"2024-04-27T20:07:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-27T20:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2024\/04\/kendrick-lamar-vs-drake-beef-explained\/"},"modified":"2024-04-27T20:07:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-27T20:07:01","slug":"kendrick-lamar-vs-drake-beef-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2024\/04\/kendrick-lamar-vs-drake-beef-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kendrick Lamar vs Drake Beef Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Two rap giants have been at odds for over a decade. To many, it wasn\u2019t general knowledge until Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar\u2019s song \u201cLike That\u201d shook up the 2024 rap game. But Drake and Kendrick Lamar have an extensive range of lyrical exchanges, and it wasn\u2019t until the iconic \u201cLike That\u201d verse where the melting pot finally spilled over to become of the most discussed rap beefs of the year. <\/p>\n<p>We bring you a comprehensive breakdown of the duo\u2019s history, equipped with extra context surrounding lyrics and related events.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2011-12: Collaborative beginnings<\/h1>\n<p>In July 2011, an up-and-coming Kendrick Lamar released his debut studio album, <em>Section.80<\/em>, and was yet to sign to a major record label. At the same time, Drake was a major label artist signed to Birdman\u2019s Cash Money and a part of Lil Wayne\u2019s Young Money roster. The pair met at Lamar\u2019s first show in Toronto, Canada\u2014Drake\u2019s hometown\u2014a month before the release of Lamar\u2019s album. On the night of release, Kendrick emailed <em>Section.80<\/em> to Drake, who enjoyed the album and invited him to record a song for his sophomore album he was working on, <em>Take Care<\/em>, released in November 2011. The song ended up being \u201cBuried Alive Interlude\u201d, track 7 on <em>Take Care<\/em> that is entirely performed by Lamar. On the song, he raps from his perspective of a rapper transitioning from underground to global fame, anxious around the toxic effects the ascent to fame comes equipped with.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Buried Alive Interlude\" width=\"792\" height=\"594\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kGO6a0T7f8w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;We never listen unless it comes with a 808&#8221; \u2013 Kendrick<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Drizzy (@Drake) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Drake\/status\/102224494608916480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2011<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In early 2012, Drake kicked off his <em>Club Paradise<\/em> tour and invited Kendrick Lamar to support him during the tour\u2019s first leg alongside ASAP Rocky and others, further building their relationship. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Come check me out live on the Club Paradise Tour. Let&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/makeitplatinum?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#makeitplatinum<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/paid?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#paid<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/t.co\/Jacgb6vC\">pic.twitter.com\/Jacgb6vC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kendricklamar\/status\/172570853731606529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 23, 2012<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In March 2012, it was announced that Kendrick Lamar signed with Dr. Dre\u2019s Aftermath and Interscope Records. His second album and major label debut was released in October, titled <em>Good Kid, M.A.A.D City<\/em>. Drake returns the guest appearance favour by featuring on the song \u201cPoetic Justice\u201d, and is granted a released as a single in early 2013 equipped with a music video.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kendrick Lamar - Poetic Justice (Explicit) ft. Drake\" width=\"792\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yyr2gEouEMM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Around the release of <em>Good Kid M.A.A.D City<\/em>, Drake and Kendrick collaborated on another song, \u201cFuckin\u2019 Problems\u201d by ASAP Rocky. The song was originally a collaboration between Drake and 2 Chainz, with the former passing on the track and handing it to ASAP Rocky for his debut album, <em>Long Live ASAP<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>As of April 2024, this was the last time Drake and Lamar collaborated on a song together.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2013: The \u201cControl\u201d Verse<\/h1>\n<p>At this point so far, Kendrick and Drake have had plenty of mainstream success both with and without each other. But one verse changed their entire dynamic.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2013, Big Sean releases the song \u201cControl\u201d featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. The 7-minute track was intended for Big Sean\u2019s second album, <em>Hall of Fame<\/em>, but left off the tracklist due to \u201csample clearance issues\u201d. On the track\u2019s second verse, Kendrick namedrops several fellow rappers, including Drake, stating he aims to be the best rapper amongst all his peers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I\u2019m usually homeboys with the same n****s I\u2019m rhymin\u2019 with<br \/>But this is hip-hop, and them n****s should know what time it is<br \/>And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale<br \/>Pusha T, Meek Millz, ASAP Rocky, Drake<br \/>Big Sean, Jay Electron\u2019, Tyler, Mac Miller<br \/>I got love for you all, but I\u2019m tryna murder you n****s<br \/>Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n****s<br \/>They don\u2019t wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n****s <br \/>What is competition?\u00a0I\u2019m tryna raise the bar high<br \/>Who tryna jump and get it?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In an interview with Angie Martinez, Drake responded to the \u201cControl\u201d verse, commenting: \u201cIt just wasn\u2019t real to me [\u2026] Let it be real, cause those were harsh words.\u201d He responded further in separate interviews with <em>Billboard<\/em> and Elliot Wilson, stating: \u201cI know good and well that Kendrick\u2019s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. In a talk with the latter, Drake categorises the verse as \u201cshock value\u201d, saying: \u201cHe\u2019s giving people moments. Are you listening to it\u00a0<em>now<\/em>, at this point in time?  It was real cool for a couple weeks. If I asked you, for example, how does that verse start?\u201d, while clarifying he felt \u201cNo malice\u201d by it.<\/p>\n<p>A month later, Drake released his third album, <em>Nothing Was the Same<\/em>. The song \u201cThe Language\u201d contains lines directed towards Lamar and the drama surrounding \u201cControl\u201d, most notably: \u201cI don\u2019t know why they been lying but your shit is not that inspiring\u201d, discrediting Lamar\u2019s attempt to inspire fellow rappers to get competitive. A further bar included is: \u201cI got to kill off the weak shit that\u2019s got all you n****s excited\u201d, a reference to the \u201cControl\u201d verse being the topic of discussion by rappers on social media, interviews and songs. Last but not least, Drake raps: \u201cI am the kid with the motormouth \/ I am the one you should worry \u2019bout\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In October, Kendrick Lamar joined fellow Black Hippy rappers Schoolboy Q, Jay, Rock, Ab-Soul  and Isaiah Rashad at the BET Hip Hop Awards to represent their label Top Dawg Entertainment in the show\u2019s annual cyphers. Over a classic Mobb Deep beat, Lamar responds to Drake\u2019s \u201cThe Language\u201d during the cypher, namedropping Drake\u2019s recently-released album during the lines: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>And nothing been the same since they dropped \u201cControl\u201d<br \/>And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pyjama clothes<br \/>Ha ha, joke\u2019s on you<br \/>High-five\u2026\u00a0I\u2019m bulletproof<br \/>Your shots\u2019ll never penetrate<br \/>Pin a tail on the donkey, boy, you been a fake<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Shortly after, Kendrick featured on the remix to Jay Rock\u2019s \u201cPay for It\u201d and responded to Drake\u2019s \u201cmotormouth\u201d bar off \u201cThe Language\u201d, rapping: \u201cBeen dissectin\u2019 your motormouth, \u2019til I break down the engine\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Drake rounded off this back-and-forth with a verse on the remix to Future\u2019s \u201cSh!t\u201d, opening up with the lines:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Took n****s out the hood like I\u2019m from there<br \/>So you know it\u2019s all good when I come there<br \/>I hear you talk about your city like you run that<br \/>And I brought my tour to your city, you my son there<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As far as peaks go, 2013 was the most heated the rift would be for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2014-22: Era of the subliminals<\/h1>\n<p>The next ten years saw a series of subliminal lyrics exchanged from track to track. We include the most notable and clear-cut examples.<\/p>\n<p>After a quiet 2014 for the beef, 2015 began with Drake releasing the mixtape <em>If You\u2019re Reading This It\u2019s Too Late<\/em> in February.  The Lil Wayne collaboration \u201cUsed 2\u201d opens up with the lines: \u201cThey gon say your name on them airwaves \/ They gon\u2019 hit you up right after like \u2018it\u2019s only rap\u2019.\u201d Drake refers to radio interviews where Kendrick downplayed his lyrics being jabs towards Drake.<\/p>\n<p>The same mixtape\u2019s final track is \u201c6PM in New York\u201d, with a few more lines aimed towards Kendrick:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Oh please, take it ease, where\u2019s the love and the peace?<br \/>Why you rapping like you come from the streets?<br \/>I got a backyard where money seems to come from the trees<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Drake is rebuking the claim that Kendrick has gang affiliations, a topic that has cropped up across a majority of his albums. He also refers to Lamar\u2019s song \u201cMoney Trees\u201d off of <em>Good Kid, M.A.A.D City<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The following month, Kendrick Lamar releases his third album <em>To Pimp a Butterfly<\/em> to critical acclaim. On the song \u201cKing Kunta\u201d, Kendrick dropped the cryptic lines: \u201cBut a rapper with a ghostwriter? What the fuck happened? I swore I wouldn\u2019t tell.\u201d On the same album, Kendrick refers back to his \u201cControl\u201d verse on the song \u201cHood Politics\u201d by using a famous Jay-Z line (\u201cIt\u2019s funny how one rap verse can fuck up the game\u201d).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta\" width=\"792\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hRK7PVJFbS8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Unbeknown to the public at the time, Kendrick was referring to Drake using ghostwriters in his music. A few months later, Meek Mill fell out with Drake and tweeted that Drake uses ghostwriters. This further unravelled by DJ and radio host Funkmaster Flex leaking reference tracks recorded by the \u201cghostwriter\u201d Quentin Miller, many of which were songs from Drake\u2019s mixtape <em>If You\u2019re Reading This It\u2019s Too Late<\/em> which dropped a few months prior. Suddenly, the Kendrick Lamar line made much more sense.<\/p>\n<p>In June 2015, Drake returns jabs in his verse on The Game\u2019s \u201c100\u201d, rapping: \u201cI would have all of your fans \/ If I didn\u2019t go pop and I stayed on some conscious shit\u201d, making light of the fact Lamar\u2019s album <em>To Pimp a Butterfly<\/em> was developing a reputation of being socially-conscious. The song\u2019s music video was also shot in Compton, California\u2014The Game and Kendrick\u2019s hometown.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Game - 100 ft. Drake (Official Music Video)\" width=\"792\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b2AcxL88DoI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In August, Dr. Dre released his first album in fifteen years, <em>Compton<\/em>, loaded with three Kendrick Lamar appearances. On the song \u201cDarkside \/ Gone\u201d, Kendrick rapped: \u201cBut still, I got enemies giving me energy, I wanna fight now \/ Subliminal, sending me all of this hate\u201d, referencing Drake\u2019s song \u201cEnergy\u201d and the subliminal bars on his recent songs. Off the same album, Kendrick raps on \u201cDeep Water\u201d that \u201cThey liable to bury him, they nominated six to carry him\u201d, referencing Drake\u2019s nickname for Toronto (\u201cthe 6ix\u201d). The verse ends with the following: \u201cThe beef is on his breath, inheriting the drama better than a great white, n***a, this is life in my aquarium\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In March 2017, Kendrick released the fourth instalment to his \u201cThe Heart\u201d series, including lines targeting Drake and Big Sean. While several lines could be interpreted at either rapper, the Drake-centric lines are inclined to be as follows:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Tables turned, lesson learned, my best look<br \/>You jumped sides on me, now you \u2019bout to meet Westbrook<br \/>Go celebrate witcha team and let victory vouch you<br \/>Just know, the next game played I might slap the shit out you<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Kendrick paraphrases a line from Drake\u2019s \u201cPound Cake\u201d to note his disloyalty (\u201cTables turn, bridges burn, you live and learn\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Later in the verse, Kendrick raps: \u201cHo, JAY-Z Hall of Fame, sit yo\u2019 punk-ass down\u201d. While this is directly referencing Big Sean\u2019s album <em>Hall of Fame<\/em>, it could also be referencing Drake\u2019s \u201cHall of fame, hall of fame\u201d line from his 2016 song \u201cGrammys\u201d. On his 2016 single \u201cSummer Sixteen\u201d, he states that \u201cI turned into Jay\u201d. Kendrick refutes Drake\u2019s comparing himself to Jay-Z, who notably features on the aforementioned \u201cPound Cake\u201d that Kendrick references.<\/p>\n<p>In May 2017, Kendrick Lamar featured on the remix to Future\u2019s \u201cMask Off\u201d, responding to Drake\u2019s \u201cconscious\u201d line from 2015: \u201cHow y\u2019all let a conscious n***a go commercial while only making conscious albums?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On his 2018 song \u201cDiplomatic Immunity\u201d, Drake raps: \u201cThey try to compare us, but like a job straight outta high school there\u2019s no you and I \/ I taught you everything you know, now you got student pride.\u201d Drake references two songs from Lamar\u2019s <em>To Pimp a Butterfly<\/em>, \u201cU\u201d and \u201cI\u201d, while downplaying the notion that Kendrick is comparable to himself.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Diplomatic Immunity\" width=\"792\" height=\"594\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c57SJmqpp5g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Drake\u2019s 2018 album <em>Scorpion<\/em> also contains the following shot on \u201cSandra\u2019s Rose\u201d: \u201cI walk in godly form amongst the mortal men\u201d. Here, Drake references Kendrick Lamar\u2019s song \u201cMortal Man\u201d, the final track on <em>To Pimp a Butterfly<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Kendrick Lamar returned from a five-year solo hiatus in 2022, dropping the album <em>Mr. Morale &#038; the Big Steppers.<\/em> On the song \u201cFather Time\u201d, Kendrick references the Drake-Kanye beef:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused<br \/>Guess I\u2019m not mature as I think, got some healin\u2019 to do<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As the album is focused on therapy, Lamar is wondering whether he is able to drop his grudges. The line also implies he is not willing to end the feud.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kendrick Lamar - Father Time ft. Sampha (Live on SNL)\" width=\"792\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_IuAIp46xC4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2023-24: The battle turns to war<\/h1>\n<p>In April 2023, Drake previewed an unreleased song with Lil Uzi Vert on his Sound42 radio station. His verse included the lines:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Fake woke, n****s fake deep<br \/>You ain\u2019t know fame before me<br \/>Gave yo\u2019 ass a lil\u2019 sneak peek, yeah<br \/>Now you gotta take a back seat<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In these bars, Drake accuses Kendrick Lamar\u2019s conscious persona of being a facade and takes credit for propelling Kendrick to the mainstream. He also plays with the name of Kendrick\u2019s 2012 song, \u201cBackseat Freestyle\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>After a few quiet years on the subliminal side, this is arguably the most direct Drake has been.<\/p>\n<p>In October 2023, Drake released his highly-teased album, <em>For All the Dogs<\/em>. It featured album highlight \u201cFirst Person Shooter\u201d with J. Cole, the pair\u2019s first song together since 2013. On the song, J. Cole mentions the famous \u201cBig Three\u201d label that has encapsulated Drake, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar for over a decade. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Love when they argue the hardest MC<br \/>Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?<br \/>We the Big Three like we started a league<br \/>But right now I feel like Muhammad Ali<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Drake - First Person Shooter ft. J. Cole\" width=\"792\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xty2gi5cMa8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>A month after the release of <em>For All the Dogs<\/em>, Drake released a trailer for his <em>Scary Hours 3<\/em> EP, featuring a monologue that began with: \u201cI know I could go and disappear for six months, a year, two years. Even though I\u2019m not really into the super-lengthy disappearances for the sake of mystery.\u201d Kendrick Lamar is famously known for his lack of public appearances and going years without releasing material.<\/p>\n<p>Five months after \u201cFirst Person Shooter\u201d, Future and Metro Boomin release their first of two collaborative albums, <em>We Don\u2019t Trust You<\/em> on 22 March 2024, initially hiding the album features. It is also worth mentioning that Future and Metro Boomin are also at odds with Drake, having fallen out with the rapper during 2023. A surprise Kendrick Lamar verse appeared on track 6, \u201cLike That\u201d, after the song was previewed at Rolling Loud before the verse could play. Kendrick directly responds to \u201cFirst Person Shooter\u201d, directly dissing Drake while slighting J. Cole\u2019s \u201cBig Three\u201d reference.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Fuck sneak dissing, first-person shooter<br \/>I hope they came with three switches<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The final bars of the song reference Drake\u2019s album <em>For All the Dogs<\/em> and his self-comparison to Michael Jackson, while Kendrick refers to his own likeness to Prince, something he has mentioned earlier in his career on songs such as \u201cMask Off (Remix)\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Motherfuck the big three, n***a, it\u2019s just big me<br \/>N***a, bum<br \/>What? I\u2019m really like that<br \/>And your best work is a light pack<br \/>N***a, Prince outlived Mike Jack<br \/>N***a, bum<br \/>\u2018Fore all your dogs gettin\u2019 buried<br \/>That\u2019s a K with all these nines, he gon\u2019 see Pet Sematary<br \/>N***a, bum<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>At the time of release, Drake was finishing the final dates of his <em>It\u2019s All a Blur<\/em> tour. He addressed the drama on stage a few days after the song debuted, as well as referencing it on social media posts. \u201cLike That\u201d went on to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar - Like That (Official Audio)\" width=\"792\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N9bKBAA22Go?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Three weeks later on 13 April, a leaked appeared online dubbed as a Drake diss track towards Kendrick Lamar. Due to the low quality and unofficial nature of the track, many speculated it was AI impersonating drake. It was shortly later confirmed to be authentic by DJ Akademiks, who premiered the official version. The track sends shots towards Future, Metro Boomin, J. Cole, The Weeknd Rick Ross and Ja Morant, while Kendrick Lamar is accused of having a 50-50 royalties split with Top Dawg founder, Anthony \u201cTop Dawg\u201d Tiffith. Further disses include Kendrick appearing on pop records and discrediting his placement in the \u201cBig Three\u201d. Drake put the song on streaming services on 19 April, titled \u201cPush Ups\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Extortion baby, whole career, you been shook up<br \/>Cause Top told you, \u201cDrop and give me fifty,\u201d like some push-ups<br \/>[\u2026]<br \/>Your last one bricked, you really not on shit<br \/>They make excuses for you cause they hate to see me lit<br \/>Pull your contract cause we gotta see the split<br \/>The way you doing splits, bitch, your pants might rip<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On the same day, Drake uploaded a second diss track titled \u201cTaylor Made Freestyle\u201d, using his own voice to generate AI verses in the voices of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg; two of Kendrick\u2019s West Coast idols and inspiration. The third verse accuses Kendrick Lamar of having his upcoming album delayed due to Taylor Swift\u2019s album being released in April, with rumours existing that Kendrick is gearing up to drop an album outside of the track as well. A week later, Drake removed \u201cTaylor Made Freestyle\u201d from his social media after the Tupac Shakur Estate threatened to sue Drake for his usage of Tupac\u2019s voice in the song.<\/p>\n<p>On 30 April, Kendrick Lamar responded to the Drake disses with a 6-minute diss titled \u201cEuphoria\u201d via YouTube, before distributing it to streaming services hours after. In the diss, he takes digs at Drake\u2019s fatherhood, racial identity, ghostwriting allegations, contractual obligations and lack of response to Pusha T\u2019s \u201cThe Story of Adidon\u201d diss, while hinting that he could take the beef further based on information that he knows. Kendrick takes multiple comical angles, including cultural references to the late DMX\u2019s iconic anti-Drake Breakfast Club rant, and Kanye West\u2019s line \u201c<em>We don\u2019t wanna hear that weak shit no more<\/em>\u201d from 2004\u2019s \u201cGet Em High\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Yeah, my first one like my last one<br \/>It\u2019s a classic, you don\u2019t have one<br \/>Let your core audience stomach that<br \/>Then tell \u2019em where you get your abs from<br \/>[\u2026]<br \/>Ain\u2019t twenty-v-one, it\u2019s one-v-twenty if I gotta smack n****s that write with you<br \/>Yeah, bring \u2019em out too, I\u2019ll clean \u2019em out too<br \/>Tell BEAM that he better stay right with you<br \/>Am I battlin\u2019 ghost or AI?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The song\u2019s artwork depicts a dictionary definition of the song title. When peering closely, the second example of the definition reads as follows: \u201c<em>They had almost a week to recover from the euphoria of Tuesday\u2019s series-winning victory.\u201d<\/em> With \u201cEuphoria\u201d dropping on a Tuesday, Kendrick is hinting at another diss track incoming, giving Drake \u2018under a week\u2019 to \u2018recover\u2019 from \u201cEuphoria\u201d in the meantime. Kendrick also references Drake\u2019s \u201cBack to Back\u201d diss track towards Meek Mill in the song, further hinting he aims to release two disses in succession just like Drake did with \u201cCharged Up\u201d and \u201cBack to Back\u201d in 2015.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"euphoria\" width=\"792\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NPqDIwWMtxg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two rap giants have been at odds for over a decade. To many, it wasn\u2019t general knowledge until Future, Metro&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14044,"featured_media":902,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[10,9],"class_list":["post-740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-rss","tag-culture","tag-hip-hop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14044"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}