The Real Reasons Kendrick Lamar & Drake Can't Stand Each Other
The rap game has always been a battlefield of lyrical showdowns. From Tupac Shakur and Biggie to Nas and Jay-Z, the cycle of epic rivalries never seems to end. Kendrick Lamar and Drake have become the latest round of rappers that can't stand each other, and there's a deep history between the two as to why.
Lamar and Drake's relationship didn't start on terrible terms. In 2011, the "Humble" rapper appeared on Drake's second album, "Take Care." Although he was only a feature on a track, it had a lasting impact on Drake, who invited Lamar and fellow rapper A$AP Rocky to open for him on his Club Paradise Tour. The rapper later recalled having to fight to have Lamar and A$AP on the tour in the track "4PM in Calabasas." He said, "When they told me take an R&B n**ga on the road/ And I told 'em no and drew for Kendrick and Rocky." From the outside, it appeared that Drake and Lamar's relationship held a lot of promise.
Lamar and Drake fans rejoiced in 2012 as it was a big collaborative year for the two. The rappers were featured on A$AP's track "F**kin' Problems" and later collaborated on Lamar's song "Poetic Justice." Little did fans know that following year, Lamar and Drake would become entangled in a feud that would stretch over a decade.
Kendrick Lamar's dig triggered feud with Drake
2013 was the year everything shifted between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The reason the feud started was because the "All The Stars" rapper threw some shade the OVO creator's way in Big Sean's track, "Control." On the song, Kendrick called out a handful of performers by name, Drake included, before rapping, "I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you n**gas / Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n**gas."
Drake seemed unfazed by Lamar's dig but did throw a little shade back at the rapper. "It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me," he told Billboard. "I know good and well that [Lamar] 's not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic." Despite Drake's response, Lamar didn't let up on his attacks toward the rapper.
In 2013, while appearing at the BET Awards, the Grammy-winning musician made it clear he was one of the many celebs who couldn't stand Drake after he took another shot at the rapper. In the cypher segment of the ceremony, Lamar rapped, "Yeah, and nothing been the same since they dropped 'Control' / And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes." The lyric was directed at Drake, who shared with Vibe Magazine that the only reason he was upset by Lamar's digs was because it ruined his album rollout, as everyone was more curious about the feud than his music.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar's feud reignited and tensions rose
Drake and Kendrick Lamar's feud was put on the back burner for years. But in 2024, all gloves were off as both rappers took major blows at one another. In 2023, J. Cole and Drake released a collaboration in which they referred to themselves and Lamar as the "big three" in the rapping world. Lamar dissed this notion in the 2024 single "Like That," which reignited the feud. He said, "Motherf**ker the big three, n**ga, it's just big me." In the past, Drake hasn't let Lamar's disses bother him too much, but this time around, it seems he's had enough.
Drake followed Lamar's diss with two shady singles, one that poked fun at the "HUMBLE" rapper's physical stature and his past work and another that was A.I. created with Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg criticizing Lamar. It was a game of back and forth as Lamar released a six-minute response titled "Euphoria." Drake then released the shady song "Family Matters," which alleges Lamar cheated on his wife. If you thought the diss tracks were over, you'd be wrong. In less than two days, Lamar responded with not one but three songs, hitting Drake hard. From alleging the rapper has a secret daughter on "Meet The Grahams" to accusing him of pedophilia on "Not Like Us," the jabs continued to build. With each new release, the tension escalates, and it's clear that the feud between them isn't going to cool off anytime soon.