A Complete Timeline of Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s Feud

Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s feud has grow to be probably the most storied rap beefs in historical past, however their relationship wasn’t at all times so fraught with stress.

Earlier than Lamar made his main label debut with 2012’s ​​Good Child, M.A.A.D Metropolis, the Compton native and Drake have been on good phrases. Lamar made a visitor look on Drake’s 2011 album, Take Care, and later opened for the Canadian rapper on his 2012 Membership Paradise tour. That very same yr, the duo contributed visitor verses to ASAP Rocky’s “F—in’ Issues,” and Drake appeared on Lamar’s monitor “Poetic Justice.”

Only one yr later, nevertheless, cracks of their skilled relationship began to indicate because the pair started taking photographs at one another of their music, beginning with Lamar’s verse on Large Sean’s “Management.” Within the decade-plus since, the drama has solely escalated — and there’s no signal that these two ever plan on burying the hatchet.

Hold scrolling for a whole timeline of Drake and Lamar’s feud:

August 14, 2013

The drama kicked off when Lamar took purpose at Drake — and each different widespread rapper of the period — in his verse on Large Sean’s “Management” with Jay Electronica. “I’m normally homeboys with the identical n—-s I’m rhymin’ with / However that is hip-hop, and them n—-s ought to know what time it’s / And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Large Okay.R.I.T., Wale / Pusha T, Meek Millz, ASAP Rocky, Drake / Large Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller / I obtained love for you all, however I’m tryna homicide you n—-s / Tryna ensure your core followers by no means heard of you n—-s / They don’t wanna hear not another noun or verb from you n—-s.”

On the time, Drake stated he was unbothered by the music, telling Billboard he “obtained dinner and stored it shifting” after listening to the monitor. “I didn’t actually have something to say about it,” he added. “It simply appeared like an formidable thought to me. That’s all it was. I do know good and nicely that Kendrick’s not murdering me, in any respect, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I assume we are able to revisit the subject.”

September 24, 2013

Drake launched his third studio album, Nothing Was the Similar, which included a monitor referred to as “The Language” that some followers believed was a response to Lamar’s “Management” boasts. “I don’t know why they been lyin’ however your s— isn’t that inspirin’ / Checking account assertion simply seem like I’m prepared for early retirement,” Drake rapped on the primary verse. “F— any n—- that’s speaking that shit simply to get a response.”

October 15, 2013

In the course of the BET Hip Hop Awards, Lamar seemingly snuck in a dig at Drake throughout his freestyle efficiency with the TDE cypher, rapping, “Yeah, and nothing been the identical since they dropped ‘Management’ / And tucked a delicate rapper again in his pajama garments.”

December 17, 2013

Drake hopped on a remix of Future’s monitor “S—” with Juicy J and hit again at Lamar, rapping, “I hear you discuss your metropolis such as you run that.” He additionally referenced Lamar mentioning him on “Management” with the traces, “And if a n—- say my title, he the new s— / But when I say the n—- title, he nonetheless the new s— / F—ed up, fortunate I don’t feed into the gossip.”

Days later, Vibe printed a canopy story that includes Drake, by which he claimed that “The Language” was not a direct rebuttal to “Management.”

“I don’t ever wish to get into responses,” he stated when requested instantly whether or not the monitor was a response to Lamar. “‘The Language’ is simply vitality. What it was impressed by, I’m positive that, and different issues. It’s simply me speaking my s—. I by no means as soon as felt the necessity to answer that report. The sentiment he was placing forth is what he ought to have. In fact you wanna be the very best. The place it turned a difficulty is that I used to be rolling out an album whereas that verse was nonetheless effervescent, so my album rollout turned about this factor. What am I alleged to say? ‘Nah, we’ll be buddy-buddy?’ Thoughts you, I by no means as soon as stated he’s a foul man [or] I don’t like him. I believe he’s a f—ing genius in his personal proper, however I additionally stood my floor as I ought to.”

Drake famous that he hadn’t seen Lamar for the reason that BET Hip Hop Awards, however he thought issues could be tremendous between them. “I’ve no in poor health emotions towards that man,” he stated. “It’s identical to, it’s there for me if I wanna fall for it. I’m simply too sensible for that. … We haven’t seen one another [since the BET cypher], however I’m positive we’ll see one another and it’ll be cool. And if it’s not, then I assume that’s how our story unfolds.”

March 15, 2015

Lamar launched his third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly, that includes the music “King Kunta.” One line particularly — “I can dig rapping, however a rapper with a ghost author? What the f— occurred?” — left followers questioning whether or not Lamar was acknowledging rumors that Drake doesn’t write his personal raps. (Lamar has by no means confirmed who that quip was about.)

June 26, 2015

The duo’s extra delicate beef continued throughout Drake’s visitor look on The Recreation’s “100,” by which he seemingly took a shot at Lamar’s fame for socially aware lyrics. “I’d have your whole followers / If I didn’t go pop and I stayed on some aware s—,” Drake boasted.

October 6, 2023

Whereas the pair traded a couple of extra delicate barbs after “King Kunta” and “100,” their feud didn’t actually kick off once more till 2023 when Drake launched his album For All of the Canines. On the monitor “First Individual Shooter,” J. Cole delivered the traces that seemingly impressed all of the back-and-forth that was but to come back: “Love once they argue the toughest MC / Is it Okay.Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the large three like we began a league, however proper now, I really feel like Muhammad Ali.” (Okay.Dot refers to Lamar’s authentic stage title, whereas Aubrey is Drake’s given first title.)

Drake, in the meantime, described himself as “large because the Tremendous Bowl” — a reference he’d arguably come to remorse in a while.

March 22, 2024

5 months later, Lamar responded to Cole’s “large three” traces on “Like That,” which appeared on Future and Metro Boomin’s album We Don’t Belief You. “Motherf— the large three, n—-, it’s simply large me,” he rapped.

Two days later, Drake seemingly responded to the dig on stage, telling a Florida crowd, “Lots of people ask me how I’m feeling. … I obtained my f—ing head up excessive, my again straight, I’m 10 f—ing toes down in Florida and wherever else I’m going. And I do know that it doesn’t matter what, it’s not a n—- on this Earth that might ever f— with me in my life!”

April 5, 2024

Cole launched a Lamar diss monitor referred to as “7 Minute Drill” on the mixtape Would possibly Delete Later, that includes pointed lyrics like, “Your first s— was traditional, your final s— was tragic.” Two days later, nevertheless, he issued a public apology, saying he “felt horrible” concerning the music, which he later faraway from streaming companies.

April 12, 2024

Future and Metro launched their collaborative album We Nonetheless Don’t Belief You, which included visitor appearances from ASAP Rocky and The Weeknd, each of whom followers believed insulted Drake on their respective tracks. On “Present of Fingers,” ASAP appeared to take photographs at For All of the Canines not making a lot of a cultural impression, whereas The Weeknd appeared to precise reduction that he hadn’t signed with Drake’s label, OVO Sound.

April 13, 2024

The diss monitor struggle started in earnest with the leak of Drake’s “Push Ups,” which mocked Lamar’s peak and referred to as him a “pipsqueak.”

April 19, 2024

Days later, Drake adopted up with “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which took purpose at Lamar’s connection to Taylor Swift (the pair collaborated on the “Dangerous Blood” remix in 2015). The music ended up making headlines for a distinct motive, nevertheless: It included an AI-generated pattern of Tupac Shakur. Shakur’s property despatched Drake a cease-and-desist over the usage of the pattern, and Drake eliminated the monitor from streaming companies.

April 30, 2024

Lamar hit again with “Euphoria” — the primary of a number of diss tracks — as a nod to the HBO drama of the identical title (which Drake govt produces). The six-minute music noticed Lamar hurling insults like, “I hate the best way that you just stroll, the best way that you just discuss, I hate the best way that you just costume / Stunned you wished that function request / You recognize that we obtained some shit to handle / I even hate once you say the phrase ‘n—-,’ however that’s simply me, I assume / Some s— simply cringeworthy, it ain’t even gotta be deep, I assume.”

Could 3, 2024

Days later, the pair have been at it once more, with Lamar dropping “6:16 in LA” and Drake releasing “Household Issues” in response. Lamar’s music claimed that there was a mole inside OVO sharing grime on Drake, whereas Drake accused Lamar of dishonest on his spouse, Whitney Alford.

Could 4, 2024

Lamar dropped two extra songs that the majority commentators agreed successfully ended the battle: “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us.” Within the former monitor, Lamar alleged that Drake has a secret daughter he’s by no means publicly acknowledged, and within the latter he famously accused him of pedophilia.

Could 5, 2024

Drake denied the allegations in “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us” with “The Coronary heart Half 6,” the title of which is a play on Lamar’s personal “The Coronary heart” sequence. In a single verse, Drake claimed that he baited Lamar into receiving faux intel concerning the alleged secret daughter, rapping: “We plotted for every week after which we fed you the data / A daughter that’s 11 years previous, I guess he takes it / We thought of giving a faux title or a vacation spot / However you so thirsty, you not involved with investigation.”

Metro Boomin, in the meantime, launched the immediately viral “BBL Drizzy” pattern and provided a prize to the one that delivered the very best rap over the beat. (The music’s title and hook is a reference to Rick Ross’ joking that Drake had a Brazilian butt raise.)

Could 24, 2024

Drake contributed a visitor verse on Sexxy Purple’s “U My All the pieces,” which included a pattern of “BBL Drizzy.”

June 19, 2024

At his Pop Out live performance on Juneteenth, Lamar carried out “Not Like Us” 5 consecutive occasions. Notable attendees included NBA stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in addition to actors Ayo Edebiri and LaKeith Stanfield.

July 4, 2024

Lamar launched the “Not Like Us” music video, which features a scene that reveals him beating up an owl puppet. (The emblem for Drake’s OVO model is an owl.)

September 8, 2024

The NFL introduced Lamar as the halftime show performer for Tremendous Bowl LIX, that means that he — not Drake — would formally be as “large because the Tremendous Bowl.”

September 11, 2024

After a number of musicians criticized the NFL for not selecting Lil Wayne because the halftime headliner (the sport will happen in his hometown of New Orleans), Drake seemingly weighed in by sharing a number of images of Wayne by way of his Instagram Story.

October 1, 2024

Drake denied speculation that he despatched a cease-and-desist letter to Lamar about performing “Not Like Us” on the halftime present. “The rumors are fully false,” a rep for the rapper instructed Us on the time.

November 22, 2024

Lamar stunned followers with the discharge of his sixth studio album, GNX, which options manufacturing by longtime Swift pal and collaborator Jack Antonoff. On the opening monitor “Wacced Out Murals,” he addressed the controversy surrounding his halftime present gig and hinted that he and Drake won’t ever kiss and make up: “I by no means peaced it up, that s— don’t sit nicely with me / Earlier than I take a truce, I’ll take ’em to hell with me.”

November 25, 2024

In a authorized grievance, Drake alleged that Lamar’s report label, Common Music Group (which can also be his personal report label), conspired to “artificially inflate” the recognition of “Not Like Us.” The submitting listed a number of strategies UMG allegedly used to popularize “Not Like Us,” together with hiring bots, paying influencers to spice up the music and charging Spotify lowered licensing charges in change for recommending the music to customers looking for “unrelated songs and artists.” The doc additionally accused UMG of paying Apple to have Siri “purposely misdirect” customers to Lamar’s monitor.

UMG vehemently denied Drake’s claims in an announcement, telling Billboard: “The suggestion that UMG would do something to undermine any of its artists is offensive and unfaithful. We make use of the very best moral practices in our advertising and promotional campaigns. No quantity of contrived and absurd authorized arguments on this pre-action submission can masks the truth that followers select the music they wish to hear.”

November 26, 2024

Drake filed a second movement towards UMG in Texas, accusing the label of allegedly utilizing payola to advertise “Not Like Us” with iHeartRadio. He additionally accused UMG of defamation, claiming they might have prevented the music’s launch due to its lyrics “falsely accusing him of being a intercourse offender.”

December 20, 2024

Spotify weighed in on the authorized motions filed towards UMG, denying Drake’s claims that the streaming platform was concerned in falsely inflating the streaming numbers of “Not Like Us.”

“Spotify and UMG have by no means had any such association,” the corporate stated in a court docket submitting, noting that they’d additionally discovered no proof to help claims of an alleged bot assault.

In response, Drake’s authorized workforce stated in an announcement, “It’s not stunning that Spotify is making an attempt to distance themselves from UMG’s allegedly manipulative practices to artificially inflate streaming numbers on behalf of one among its different artists. If Spotify and UMG don’t have anything to cover then they need to be completely tremendous complying with this primary discovery request.”

January 3, 2025

Drake kicked off the brand new yr with one other freestyle addressing his feud with Lamar. In “Combating Irish” — which was shared by way of YouTube by producer Conductor Williams and rapidly deleted — the Canadian rapper seemingly addressed buddies (like LeBron James) who attended Lamar’s Pop Out live performance in June 2024. “The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers obtained tickets / Appeared like they cherished each minute,” he rapped. “Simply know this s— is private to us, and it wasn’t simply enterprise.”

The Grammy winner additionally hinted at his authorized dispute with UMG within the line, “I’d hate to see the empire crumble on choose’s convictions.”

January 14, 2025

Drake formally withdrew his authorized petition accusing UMG of artificially inflating the recognition of “Not Like Us” utilizing bots and different strategies of promotion, per Billboard. The rapper’s firm Frozen Moments LLC stated it could voluntarily withdraw the motion “with out prices to any social gathering.”

A separate motion filed in Texas accusing UMG of defamation and payola stays pending.

January 15, 2025

Sooner or later after withdrawing his authentic authorized petition, Drake filed a federal lawsuit accusing UMG of defamation and harassment, claiming that the label “selected company greed over the security and well-being of its artists.” In an 81-page grievance, Drake’s attorneys alleged that Lamar’s security impressed quite a few break-in makes an attempt at his Toronto house in addition to a capturing that left a safety guard injured.

UMG denied his allegations, telling Us in an announcement: “Not solely are these claims unfaithful, however the notion that we’d search to hurt the fame of any artist — not to mention Drake — is illogical. We’ve invested massively in his music and our staff all over the world have labored tirelessly for a few years to assist him obtain historic industrial and private monetary success. All through his profession, Drake has deliberately and efficiently used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to interact in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to precise his emotions about different artists. He now seeks to weaponize the authorized course of to silence an artist’s artistic expression and to hunt damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.”

The assertion continued: “We’ve not and don’t have interaction in defamation — towards any particular person. On the identical time, we’ll vigorously defend this litigation to guard our individuals and our fame, in addition to any artist who would possibly instantly or not directly grow to be a frivolous litigation goal for having achieved nothing greater than write a music.”

February 9, 2025

After weeks of hypothesis about whether or not Lamar would truly perform “Not Like Us” on the Tremendous Bowl, he did — and introduced out Drake’s rumored ex Serena Williams throughout the music. As Lamar completed his halftime present set, the tennis icon danced on stage in a blue and white outfit. (Lamar and Williams are each natives of Compton, California.)

Drake and Williams have been romantically linked within the early 2010s. Whereas neither ever confirmed their relationship, Drake stated in 2024 that he wrote the music “Too Good” from his 2016 album, Views, about her. “It’s humorous as a result of after I make songs about ladies, I additionally make songs for them,” he defined in behind-the-scenes video footage. “If I’m gonna discuss them, I’ll at the very least do them the justice of constructing them a music that they like. So, I do know Serena very nicely and I do know that she’ll hear it loud and clear, however she’ll additionally not hate me for it as a result of it’s lighthearted.”

February 14, 2025

Drake seemingly made a number of references to his feud with Lamar on his and PartyNextDoor’s album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, launched days after the Tremendous Bowl. The music “Gimme a Hug,” for instance, included traces like, “F— a rap beef, I’m tryna get the social gathering lit” and “N—-s is hating the boy for positive, the ladies in love.”

On “Brian Metal,” Drake joked that he’s “vegan now” after an earlier line requested for “all the meat on the facet.”

March 17, 2025

UMG filed to dismiss Drake’s lawsuit towards them, claiming in court docket paperwork that the rapper solely sued as a result of he “misplaced a rap battle that he provoked and by which he willingly participated.”

The submitting continued, “As an alternative of accepting the loss just like the unbothered rap artist he usually claims to be, he has sued his personal report label in a misguided try to salve his wounds. [Drake’s] Grievance is completely with out benefit and ought to be dismissed with prejudice.”

UMG went on to notice that Drake beforehand signed a petition criticizing “the pattern of prosecutors utilizing artists’ artistic expression towards them” by deciphering rap lyrics as reality. “Drake was proper then and is incorrect now,” they continued by way of the court docket submitting. “Grievance’s unjustified claims towards UMG are not more than Drake’s try to avoid wasting face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar.”

June 2, 2025

Pusha T, who beforehand engaged in his personal rap battle with Drake, claimed that Drake’s lawsuit negatively affected his personal relationship with report label Def Jam (whose mother or father firm is UMG). In an interview with GQ, Pusha claimed Def Jam tried to get him to change a Lamar visitor function on the brand new Clipse album within the aftermath of the “Not Like Us” drama.

“They wished me to ask Kendrick to censor his verse, which after all I used to be by no means doing,” he alleged. “After which they wished me to take the report off.”

Pusha refused to take away Lamar’s verse or the monitor he seems on, and Def Jam determined to launch Clipse from their contract and dropped Pusha as a solo artist. The brand new Clipse album will now come out on Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, Lamar verse included. Pusha, in the meantime, nonetheless has nothing good to say about Drake.

“I don’t charge him no extra,” he instructed GQ. “The suing factor is greater than some rap s***. I simply don’t charge you. Rattling, it’s prefer it simply form of cheapens the artwork of it as soon as we gotta have actual questions on suing and litigation. Like, what? For this?”

July 5, 2025

Drake mirrored on the aftermath of his 2024 feud with Lamar on the monitor “What Did I Miss?” Within the music, Drake took photographs at each Lamar himself and different buddies and colleagues who seemingly sided with Lamar over Drake. “I don’t give a f*** in the event you love me, I don’t give a f*** in the event you like me / Askin’ me, ‘How did it really feel?’ Can’t say it didn’t shock me,” he started. Later within the music, he rapped, “It’s love for my brothers and loss of life to a traitor, let’s go / She would possibly determine to say no to me now, however say yеs to me later, let’s go.”

The monitor additionally referenced Lamar’s Pop Out live performance the place he performed “Not Like Us” 5 occasions in a row within the line, “I noticed bro went to Pop Out with them, however been d***-riding gang since ‘Headlines.’” It was not clear who the road was referring to, however some followers speculated that it was about LeBron James.

July 2025

The most important feud in hip-hop was revived as soon as once more throughout Drake’s headlining set on the Wi-fi Pageant in London on July 12. Fans captured footage of Drake seemingly acknowledging anti-Lamar chants from the group throughout his efficiency.

When followers began chanting “F*** Kendrick” throughout a break between songs, Drake cracked a smile and requested for a drink to toast to his followers’ boisterous help.

“Seize me a shot,” Drake requested, including: “I’ll drink to that!”

Moments earlier, Drake challenged any “artist” to come back up on stage to face him in the event that they thought they might prime his competition efficiency.

“You title one other artist who can do it, and we are able to carry them up right here. We will conflict proper now. No person [can],” Drake stated. “That’s what I’m right here for. I’m right here for ya’all tonight!”