Drake's beef with Kendrick Lamar, explained: Diss tracks leak from The Weeknd, Rick Ross, and others (2024)

But the feud widened on Friday when Future and Metro Boomin released another album, "We Still Don't Trust You," featuring the Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Rick Ross, Cole — and more insults aimed at Drake.

A day later, a diss track seemingly recorded by Drake surfaced on social media. In the song, the rapper fires shots at Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin, Ross, The Weeknd, and Cole.

Rocky was spared this time, but the "Hotline Bling" rapper previously dissed him on "Fear of Heights," from his 2023 album "For All the Dogs."

Some fans have questioned whether the track is real or AI-generated, but Drake has alluded to the track in recent Instagram posts. A representative for Drake did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Although the tension seems genuine, feuds can be a clever marketing tactic to help artists boost streams and sales. "Like That," for instance, has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the last two weeks, and "We Don't Trust You" debuted at the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200.

Here's what to know about Drake's feud with the rap world.

Drake and Lamar have been throwing digs at each other since 2013.

Lamar and Drake started out as friends, with Lamar opening for Drake's "Club Paradise" tour in 2012. The pair's feud began when Lamar rapped that he was better than all the rising rap stars, including Drake and Cole, when he featured on Big Sean's 2013 song "Control."

"And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller / I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you n*****," he rapped.

Drake appeared to respond on the track "The Language" from his 2013 album, "Nothing Was the Same," rapping: "I don't know why they been lyin' but your sh*t is not that inspirin'/ Bank account statement just look like I'm ready for early retirement / f*ck any n**** that's talking that sh*t just to get a reaction."

The two rappers last featured on the same song in 2013 and, since then, have made small digs at each other in their tracks and in interviews.

In 2015, many fans believe that Lamar accused Drake of using a ghostwriter, pointing to Lamar's 2015 track "King Kunta," where he raps, "I can dig rappin', but a rapper with a ghostwriter? / What the f*ck happened?"

Lamar hasn't confirmed if the "King Kunta" lyric is about Drake.

Later that year, Meek Mill also accused Drake of using a ghostwriter in a since-deleted post on X, which Drake denied in a 2019 interview with Rap Radar.

The pair have also taken different paths artistically, with Lamar earning critical acclaim, including winning a Pulitzer prize for "Damn" in 2018 and 17 Grammys. Drake is more commercially successful, with 15 songs with over a billion streams on Spotify compared to Kendrick's five.

Cole entered the beef after appearing on 'For All The Dogs.'

Drake's 2023 track "First Person Shooter," featuring Cole, is all about the two being the greatest rappers ever. Cole, who is friends with Lamar, references him in the song when talking about being the "Big 3" of the Hip Hop world.

"Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?" Cole raps, referring to Lamar's nickname, "K-Dot," and Drake's birth name Aubrey. "We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali."

Lamar was rumored to be featured in the song too, but it never materialized.

Drake ends the song by comparing his success to that of the late Michael Jackson, who is the sixth best-selling artist of all time. In October 2023, Drake scored his 13th Billboard Hot 100 No.1, tying with Jackson.

Lamar's verse in "Like That" alludes to these lyrics, the song title, "First Person Shooter," and Drake's 2023 album title, "For All the Dogs."

"Motherf*ck the big three, n****, it's just big me," Lamar raps, adding later. "f*ck sneak dissin', first-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches."

"N****, Prince outlived Mike Jack'," Lamar raps later, referencing a 2017 song, "Mask Off (Remix)," where he compares himself to Prince. Prince and Jackson also had a long-standing beef when they were alive.

Lamar ends the verse referencing Drake's latest album: "'Fore all your dogs gettin' buried /That's a K with all these nines, he gon' see Pet Sematary (Yeah)."

A week after the song dropped last month, Drake appeared to respond to Lamar during a concert in Florida as part of his "It's All A Blur Tour: Big As In What?" with Cole.

"A lot of people ask me how I'm feeling. I'mma let you know I'm feeling," Drake said in a video shared on X. "I got my f*cking head up high, my back straight, I'm 10 f*cking toes down in Florida and anywhere else I go. And I know that no matter what, it's not a n**** on this earth that could ever f*ck with me in my life!"

Cole fired back at Lamar and then apologized two days later.

Cole did not publicly comment on Lamar's "Like That" verse until April 5, when he released a 12-track EP, "Might Delete Later," which features Gucci Mane, Ari Lennox, and others.

The first verse of the final track, "7 Minute Drill," appears to be a direct response to Lamar, who Cole implies is losing popularity. Rolling Stone's Andre Gee wrote that the title refers to a military drill where officers have to explain how to respond to an enemy attack.

"He still doin' shows, but fell off like the Simpsons / Your first sh*t was classic, your last sh*t was tragic / Your second sh*t put n***** to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third sh*t was massive and that was your prime / I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine," Cole raps.

Fans think Cole's bar about Lamar's second album references the critically-acclaimed "To Pimp a Butterfly," as most people don't count 2011's "Section.80" as his first. "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City," is Lamar's actual second album.

Rolling Stone's Gee and Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre panned Cole's track for not being aggressive enough.

"He doesn't have the heart for the lying, disrespect, and animosity it requires to make an effective diss track," Pierre wrote.

Two days after the song was released, Cole apologized to Lamar during his performance at the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina. It came after hip-hop's loudest voices, namely Joe Budden, expected Cole to continue the beef onstage. Instead, he shocked the hip-hop world and apologized.

"I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest sh*t," Cole said in a video shared on X. "And I pray that y'all are like, forgive a n**** for the misstep and I can get back to my true path. Because I ain't gonna lie to y'all. The past two days felt terrible."

Cole said he felt conflicted because he respected Lamar but felt pressure from his peers and fans to respond.

Cole said his diss verse, and the discourse surrounding it, didn't "sit right with my spirit," adding that he hoped Lamar, who he describes as "one of the greatest motherf*cker's to ever touch a f*ckin' microphone," wasn't hurt by his words.

"If he did, my n****, I got my chin out. Take your best shot, I'ma take that sh*t on the chin boy, do what you do. All good. It's love," he said.

Representatives for Lamar and Cole did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Future and Metro Boomin stirred more trouble with 'We Still Don't Trust You.'

On Friday, Future and Metro Boomin released their second collaborative album, "We Still Don't Trust You." While neither rapper directly diss Drake, they enlist The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky to do their bidding. Ross and Cole also appear on the album but don't diss Drake.

In the track "All To Myself," The Weeknd references declining to sign with Drake's OVO label, which has led to a frostiness between the two stars.

"They could never diss my brothers, baby / When they got leaks in they operation / I thank God that I never signed my life away / And we never do the big talk / They shooters makin TikToks / Got us laughin in the Lambo," The Weeknd rapped.

In the track "Show of Hands," Rocky references the rumor that he slept with Sophie Brussaux, the mother of Drake's child Adonis, before the "God's Plan" rapper.

"N****s in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or something? / I smash before you birthed, son, Flacko hit it first, son," Rocky rapped.

Rocky and Drake were also friends until the "f*ckin' Problems" rapper began to date Rihanna, who had an on-again-off-again relationship with Drake.

Drake referenced Rocky and Rihanna in "For All the Dogs." In the track "Fear of Heights," Drake disses both stars, saying sex with Rihanna was "average" and that Rocky is now stuck with her due to their children.

A 'Drake' diss track appears online –but fans are wary it's AI-generated.

On Saturday, a day after the release of "We Still Don't Trust You," a diss track surfaced on social media that appears to have been recorded by Drake.

Drake appeared to allude to the track being genuine when he shared an Instagram story post of a scene from "Kill Bill," where multiple enemies with swords surround Uma Thurman's character, The Bride.

Although Drake spends most of the four-minute track dissing Lamar, there are a few shots toward The Weeknd, Ross, Cole, Future, and Metro Boomin.

Drake mocked Lamar's latest album, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," his appearances on Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift's pop songs, and suggested that Lamar's former label, Top Dawg Entertainment, took 50% of profits from the "Humble" rapper's songs.

"How the f*ck you big steppin with a size 7 mens on? / Your last one bricked, you really not on sh*t," Drake rapped. "Maroon 5 need a verse, you better make it witty / Then we need a verse for the Swifties / Top say drop, you better drop and give him 50."

Drake also rapped that SZA, Travis Scott, and 21 Savage were bigger names in the hip-hop world than Lamar.

Later in the track, Drake references Cole's diss track and apology.

"And that f*ckin' song y'all got is not starting beef with us / This sh*t brewin' in a pot, now I'm heating up / I don't care what Cole think, that Dot sh*t was weak as f*ck," Drake rapped.

Later in the track, Drake raps that he gave Future his first No. 1 hit, referring to Drake's 2021 song "Way 2 Sexy," which he features on. Drake also say The Weeknd wastes his money, and Metro Boomin should "shut your ho ass up and make some drums, n****."

Taking aim at Ross, he says the 48-year-old rapper is too old to join the rap beef and owes his chart success to him. Drake also appears to refence Ross' friendship with Diddy, who was accused of sexual misconduct by four people in the last year.

"Spend that lil' check you got and stay up out my business / Worry 'bout whatever goin' on with you and…," Drake says, trailing off at the end.

Ross quickly recorded and released a response, "Champagne Moments," where he calls Drake a "white boy," claims the rapper got a nose job, and stole his flow from Lil Wayne. Ross also repeats the ghostwriter allegations, and has continued to make fun of Drake's nose on social media.

On Sunday, Drake shared a text message with his mother where she asked about the nose job rumor. Drake responded in the message that Ross is just "angry and racist" and he'll "handle it" — which likely means the rap beef is far from over.