Drake vs Kendrick Lamar

The Drake and Kendrick Lamar Beef: A Complete Timeline of Their Epic Rap Rivalry

The Early Days: Subtle Shots and Hidden Meanings

The tension between Drake and Kendrick Lamar dates back to the early 2010s when both artists were rising stars in the rap game. While they collaborated on tracks like “Buried Alive Interlude” (2011) and “Poetic Justice” (2012), fans began to notice subtle disses in their lyrics.

  • Kendrick’s “Control” Verse (2013): The feud arguably began when Kendrick name-dropped Drake in his iconic “Control” verse, calling out several rappers and declaring himself the king of the genre.
  • Drake’s Response: Drake initially downplayed the diss, but fans speculated that tracks like “The Language” and “5AM in Toronto” contained indirect responses.
The Drake and Kendrick Lamar Beef: A Complete Timeline of Their Epic Rap Rivalry
Drake

2015-2018: The Beef Heats Up

Over the next few years, the rivalry simmered, with both artists taking occasional shots at each other.

  • Kendrick’s “The Heart Part 4” (2017): Lamar released this track, which many interpreted as a diss toward Drake, with lines like “Y’all got til April the 7th to get y’all s** together.”*
  • Drake’s “Duppy Freestyle” (2018): While primarily aimed at Pusha T, this track also contained lines that fans believed were directed at Kendrick.

2023: The Beef Goes Mainstream

In 2023, the feud escalated, with both artists releasing tracks that directly targeted each other.

  • Kendrick’s “Euphoria”: Lamar dropped this scathing diss track, calling out Drake’s authenticity and questioning his place in hip-hop.
  • Drake’s “Family Matters”: Drake fired back with this track, addressing Kendrick’s personal life and career choices.

April 2024: Drake Drops “Push Ups”

The beef took another turn in April 2024 when Drake released “Push Ups” on streaming services. The track was packed with clever wordplay and direct jabs at Kendrick, reigniting the rivalry and sparking debates among fans.

  • Key Lyrics: In “Push Ups,” Drake mocks Kendrick’s stature in the industry and questions his relevance, with lines like “You’re doing push-ups for clout, but you’re still at the bottom.”
  • Fan Reactions: Social media exploded with reactions, with some praising Drake’s lyrical prowess and others defending Kendrick’s legacy.

February 2025: Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show

The Drake and Kendrick Lamar Beef: A Complete Timeline of Their Epic Rap Rivalry
Lamar

The rivalry reached new heights on February 9, 2025, when Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show. His performance was a visual and lyrical masterpiece, featuring hits like “HUMBLE.”“Alright”, and “DNA.”

  • Highlight: Lamar ended his set with a fiery freestyle that many interpreted as a direct shot at Drake, with lines like “I’m the king of the throne, no room for pretenders.”
  • Fan Reactions: Social media exploded with praise for Lamar’s performance, with fans calling it one of the best halftime shows in history.

Drake’s Subtle Instagram Response

True to form, Drake didn’t stay silent for long. Shortly after Lamar’s performance, Drake subtly responded by liking an Instagram post that questioned the authenticity of the crowd sounds during the show.

  • The Post: Streamer Kai Cenat shared a video on Instagram questioning whether the crowd reactions during Lamar’s performance were genuine or enhanced. Drake’s like on the post was seen as a subtle jab at Lamar’s showmanship.
  • Fan Reactions: The move sparked debates online, with some fans calling it a clever dig and others dismissing it as petty.

Drake’s Diss Track: “Crown Jewel”

Not stopping at a subtle Instagram like, Drake took his response to the next level by dropping “Crown Jewel” on streaming platforms just two days after the Super Bowl. The track was a scathing diss aimed directly at Lamar.

  • Key Lyrics:
    • “You had the stage, but I’ve got the crown.”
    • “Halftime’s over, it’s my time now.”
    • “You’re a poet, but I’m the king of the game.”
  • Fan Reactions: The track divided fans, with some praising Drake’s lyrical prowess and others defending Lamar’s legacy.

Why This Feud Matters

The Drake and Kendrick Lamar rivalry is more than just a battle of words—it’s a reflection of the competitive nature of hip-hop. Both artists have used their music to assert dominance, challenge each other’s artistry, and keep fans engaged for over a decade.

What’s Next?

As of February 2025, the beef shows no signs of slowing down. Fans are eagerly waiting for Kendrick’s response to “Crown Jewel,” and the rap world is buzzing with speculation about what’s to come.

The Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud is one of the most captivating rivalries in modern hip-hop. From hidden disses to explosive tracks, show-stopping performances, and subtle social media jabs, their beef has kept fans talking for years. Whether you’re Team Drake or Team Kendrick, one thing is certain: this rivalry is far from over.

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Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Adele Top 2023 Grammy Nominees

Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Adele will all vie for multiple prizes at the 65th Grammy Awards, taking place on Feb. 5, 2023.

Beyoncé led all nominees this year, earning nine for her celebrated album, Renaissance. Lamar’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers helped him earn eight nominations, while Adele and Brandi Carlile tied with seven for their records, 30 and In These Silent Days, respectively.

All four of those artists, and their aforementioned albums, are up for Album of the Year, alongside ABBA’s comeback record Voyage, Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous, Coldplays’ Music of the Spheres, Lizzo’s Special, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, and Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. The nod for Bad Bunny is particularly significant as it marks the first time an album from the Latin music field has ever been nominated for Album of the Year.

Beyoncé, Adele, Lamar, and Carlile are also up for Record of the Year for “Break My Soul,” “Easy on Me,” “The Heart Part 5,” and “You and Me on the Rock” (featuring Lucius), respectively. The rest of that category includes ABBA’s “Don’t Shut Me Down,” Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Doja Cat’s “Woman,” Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” and Styles’ “As It Was.”

And rounding out the big three categories, Song of the Year boasts “Break My Soul,” “Easy on Me,” “The Heart Part 5,” “As It Was,” “About Damn Time,” and “Bad Habit,” alongside Gayle’s TikTok hit “Abcdefu,” DJ Khaled’s monster posse cut “God Did,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That,” and Taylor Swift’s indomitable “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”

As for the final major category — Best New Artist — there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut favorite like Olivia Rodrigo last year (in fact, none of this year’s nominees are up for one of the other big three prizes). There’s also an interesting mix of genuinely new artists, but also some that have been around for a few years but may finally be “new” to Grammy voters: Anitta, Omar Apollo, Latto, Wet Leg, DOMi and JD Beck, Muni Long, Samara Joy, Molly Tuttle, Tobe Nwigwe, and 2021 Eurovision winners Måneskin.

While the big categories at the 2023 Grammys are stacked with heavy pop hitters, it seems inevitable that the narrative around next year’s show will distill down to Beyoncé and Adele. While Beyoncé is the most decorated female artist in Grammy history, she’s only won a major category once (Song of the Year for “Single Ladies”) and feels especially overdue for an Album of the Year award. Her last big chance to win Album, Song, or Record of the Year was in 2017 with Lemonade and “Formation” — but Adele ended up sweeping all three with 25 and “Hello.” (Adele even seemed put off by it all, spending a chunk of her Album of the Year victory speech raving about Lemonade.)

Even if Beyoncé doesn’t earn one of the major prizes this year, she’s still on course to make more Grammys history. Renaissance and “Break My Soul” offer up her first chance at taking home a prize in the Dance/Electronic categories. And if she wins four of the nine awards she’s up for, she’ll top Hungarian conductor Georg Solti to become the most decorated Grammy winner of all time.

Beyond the big narrative, however, the 65th Grammy nominations offer plenty to chew on. Bad Bunny’s historic Album of the Year nomination was accompanied by a look for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Moscow Mule,” as well as a Best Música Urbana Album for Un Verano Sin Ti. Mary J. Blige’s six nominations mark her first since 2015 and her first as a solo artist since she won Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2009 for Growing Pains. And last year’s Best R&B Album and Performance winner, Jazmine Sullivan, will be back for more, picking up nominations for Best R&B Performance and Song for “Hurt Me So Good,” as well as Best Traditional R&B Performance for “’Round Midnight” with Adam Blackstone.

In the pop categories, heavyweights like Lizzo and Styles will be up against the likes of Doja Cat, Camila Cabello, and Sam Smith and Kim Petras. ABBA — who scored a surprise nomination last year — will have another shot at finally winning their first Grammy with looks in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Pop Vocal Album categories. Meanwhile, over in country, Miranda Lamber, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, and Willie Nelson will all compete for multiple prizes.

Drake — despite his pointed efforts to effectively boycott the Grammys by not submitting his work for consideration — is still up for Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song thanks to collaborations with Jack Harlow (“Churchill Downs”) and Future (“Wait For U,” also featuring Tems). Gunna and Young Thug, who are both in prison while awaiting trial on alleged RICO Act violations, earned Best Rap Song and Performance nominations for their hit collaboration with Future, “Pushin P.” And Latto picked up a Best Melodic Rap Performance look for “Big Energy” to go along with her Best New Artist nod.