The Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef has been inarguably taking over all other major events on the internet since last week, eclipsing the allure of the Met Gala and the popularity of the NBA playoffs.
The two major rap stars have exchanged some damaging punches over the course of 40 days, so let’s look at the timeline of one of the biggest rap battles of all time.
Kendrick Lamar-Drake diss tracks timeline
“Like That” – Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar (March 22, 2024)
“Like That” is where it all started. Lamar lit the fuse by claiming that there are no “big three” in the rap industry, calling himself the undisputed king of hip hop. The “big three” is an allusion to the triumvirate of Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole, which was suggested in Drake and J. Cole’s 2023 song “First Person Shooter.”
“Push Ups” – Drake (April 19, 2024)
Drake’s response, “Push Ups,” was mysteriously leaked on April 13, followed by an official release on April 19. The Canadian rapper went after Lamar by mocking his height and shoe-size, along with taunting Lamar for his contributions to pop songs like Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” and Maroon 5’s “Don’t Wanna Know.”
“Taylor Made Freestyle” – Drake (April 19, 2024)
Drake doubled down by releasing “Taylor Made Freestyle,” a track featuring AI-generated voices of Lamar’s rap idols Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. The track had to be taken down later, following a cease-and-desist letter from Shakur’s estate. On the song, Drake also accused Lamar of not responding to him because he didn’t want the reply to clash with Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department.
“Euphoria” – Kendrick Lamar (April 30, 2024)
“Euphoria” can be called the turning point in the beef, where Kendrick Lamar came into his own and absolutely pulverized Drake. Lamar called out Drake’s parenting, accused him of getting plastic surgery, and even attacked him for his rap abilities.
“6:16 in L.A.” – Kendrick Lamar (May 3, 2024)
Kendrick Lamar went back-to-back, mocking Drake’s penchant for using time and locations in titles with “6:16 in L.A.” Interestingly enough, the song was produced by Jack Antonoff, a popular producer known for his work with Taylor Swift. The major takeaway from the song was Lamar claiming to have a mole in Drake’s posse, who was leaking all his secrets to Lamar.
“Family Matters” – Drake (May 3, 2024)
Drake went all guns blazing on “Family Matters,” claiming Lamar’s child was fathered by his manager, Dave Free. The Canadian rapper continued the personal attack by accusing Lamar’s fiancée, Whitney Alford, of cheating on him and claiming that Lamar was involved in domestic abuse.
“Meet the Grahams” – Kendrick Lamar (May 4, 2024)
Lamar responded with “Meet the Grahams” within hours, zeroing in on Drake’s son, Adonis. He mentioned “feeling sorry” for Adonis because of Drake being his father and also claimed that he is hiding a daughter.
“Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar (May 4, 2024)
Lamar went back-to-back again, this time going deeper into Drake’s personal life in “Not Like Us.” He accused Drake of being a pedophile, alluding to suspicions that have been circulating the internet for some time, while calling out his use of AI on “Taylor Made Freestyle.” This is inarguably the darkest song in the beef, featuring multiple disturbing accusations that have drawn a lot of reactions.
“The Heart Part 6” – Drake (May 5, 2024)
Drake’s response to “Not Like Us” proved to be self-sabotage, as he was mocked online after claiming he was aware of his team planting allegations about him with regards to him hiding a daughter. While “The Heart Part 6” was the last track to come out in this longstanding beef so far, there are no indications that the battle has ceased, and fans can brace themselves for more songs in the coming days.
(featured image: Gregg DeGuire/Getty/Mike Marsland/Getty)
Published: May 8, 2024 12:14 pm