• BI's music reporter ranked the 20 best songs of 2024.
• Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Kendrick Lamar, and Raye round out the top five.
• Listen to the complete ranking on Business Insider's Spotify.

The defining songs of 2024 ran the gamut in every conceivable way: from vicious diss tracks to sapphic heartbreak anthems, from folksy indie gems to club-friendly bangers, from breakout hits by up-and-comers to chart-toppers by pop stars.

All that (and all the best stuff in between) is cataloged below. However, it may surprise you not to find Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, or other titans on this list; like last year, I've made the conscious choice to avoid overlap with my best albums ranking, in order to honor a wider array of music.

Thus, the songs that made the cut are either runaway smash hits (think Shaboozey, Kendrick Lamar, and Chappell Roan) or standout gems in their respective tracklists.

Keep reading to see my 20 top picks, ranked in ascending order.

20. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey

When a song resonates so broadly and intensely that it becomes the longest-reigning No. 1 hit in Billboard Hot 100 history, a music critic needs to pay attention. Thankfully, "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" is well worth the focus.

Shaboozey's breakout hit came on the heels of his star-making turn in "Cowboy Carter," an album that knows the value of an unpredictable, well-placed sample. Shaboozey used that strategy to great effect, flipping J-Kwon's 2004 club hit "Tipsy" into a heady pub chant. It was a Beyoncé-level stroke of genius; the hook has shown to transcend both genre and generation.

If you like this, listen to: "Anabelle," "My Fault (feat. Noah Cyrus)," "Vegas"

19. "You Need Me Now?" by girl in red featuring Sabrina Carpenter

Just one month before Sabrina Carpenter released "Espresso" and commenced her plan for world domination, she stole the show in "You Need Me Now?" with a cheeky fourth-wall break.

Carpenter presumably crossed paths with Marie Ulven, aka girl in red, the darling of sapphic bedroom pop, while they were both booked as openers for the Eras Tour. At first glance, this feels like an unlikely team-up — but Carpenter's polished vocal shimmer is the perfect foil for Ulven's grittier vibe.

"You Need Me Now?" was released as the third single from Ulven's sophomore album as girl in red, "I'm Doing It Again Baby!" Her unrelenting, feisty tone recalls the fan-favorite track "Serotonin," while the lyrics reveal a scathing kiss-off to an ex, which turns out to be Carpenter's specialty.

"You know what would be really fucking cool on this? Sabrina," Ulven declares in the bridge, turning a solidly good indie-rock song into a lively, interactive experience. Now that Carpenter is as famous as she is, Ulven's epiphany feels slightly prophetic — and Carpenter's enthusiasm is even more delightful.

"Oh my god, you're so right!" Carpenter cuts in, eager and prepared for her moment. "I'm gonna sing now."

If you like this, listen to: "Too Much," "Phantom Pain," "New Love"

18. "Care" by Hana Vu

Hana Vu is only in her early 20s, and she already has a timeless song under her belt.

The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter is truly of the millennium (she was born in 2000, making her the same age as Ice Spice and Reneé Rapp), and yet, her single "Care" is not mired in trends or modern touchstones. (Sure, there's a thinly veiled jab at consumerism, but it's not like Gen Z invented existential ire toward the status quo.)

This isn't the case for all of Vu's music; in 2019, she named her EP "Nicole Kidman/Anne Hathaway" after her two favorite actors. But "Care" is an extra special song, anchored by Vu's lush melodies, soulful delivery, and ever-relevant ruminations — about what it means to be human, to love, to hope, and to "find it all too much."

If you like this, listen to: "Hammer," "Dreams," "Find Me Under Wilted Trees"

17. "The Baton" by Katie Gavin

Katie Gavin is known as the lead singer of MUNA, but in her debut solo album, "What a Relief," she strips away much of the band's arena-sized bravado to make room for more intimate meditations.

"The Baton" is Gavin's masterpiece: stark, folksy, and acutely compassionate. The song pays homage to her mother, who guided Gavin's growth, and the hazy silhouette of her future daughter, for whom she'll follow her mother's example.

"I'd pass her the baton and I'd say you better run / 'Cause this thing has been going / For many generations," she sings, suggesting an optimistic inversion of Fiona Apple's "Relay." Still, Gavin's lens is not entirely rosy: "There is so much healing / That still needs to be done."

Unfortunately, "The Baton" hits way harder post election, now that women and queer people across the US are getting ready to fight for control over their own bodies — and, ideally in doing so, to protect future generations from having to do the same.

If you like this, listen to: "As Good As It Gets," "Sanitized," "Sparrow"

16. "Conocerla" by Reyna Tropical

Earlier this year, acting on little beyond a gut feeling, I was lucky enough to catch Fabi Reyna, aka Reyna Tropical, perform in Brooklyn. I found myself hypnotized by her organic production style, her seamless weave of multicultural traditions (Reyna was raised between Mexico, Texas, and Oregon), her tender embrace of queer themes, and, most of all, by "Conocerla."

Now, whenever I return to this song, I have a hard time putting my finger on what it is I love so much — but I always have the same recurring, insufficient thought: "This is the coolest thing I've ever heard."

Luckily, for Reyna, that instinctive pleasure is the whole point. She told Paper that "Conocerla" is about "personal exploration" and creating a space to nurture emotion, not logic. "Through art and music," Reyna explained, "we can hold more than we realize when we don't rely solely on our minds."

If you like this, listen to: "Cartagena," "Lo Siento," "Conexión Ancestral"

15. "In the Night" by Childish Gambino featuring Jorja Smith and Amaarae

Donald Glover's final release as Childish Gambino, "Bando Stone and the New World," is an apocalyptic concept album that follows his character, also a musician, while he navigates doomsday on a remote island.

"Bando Stone" is presented as a holistic body of work, but as with many survival epics, the hero is better off with some company. The album hits its peak when Glover is joined by Jorja Smith and Amaarae for "In the Night," which soundtracks a humid, nocturnal love affair. The women strike conspiratorial tones, singing about lustful dreams and illicit rendezvous; the mini-drama seems immaterial to the end of the world, but it succeeds in infusing the saga with fresh textures and intrigue.

If you like this, listen to: "Lithonia," "Talk My Shit (feat. Amaarae & Flo Milli)," "Running Around (feat. Fousheé)"

14. "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" by Ariana Grande

Immediately upon the release of "Eternal Sunshine," Ariana Grande's sixth studio album, "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" became the runaway favorite across the board. Fans sent it straight to No. 1 on the Hot 100. Keith Urban called it "audible heroin." Many critics (including myself) compared the sparkling synths and propulsive rhythm to Robyn's "Dancing on My Own," a compliment of the highest order among pop nerds. (Max Martin, who produced much of "Eternal Sunshine," has also worked with Robyn. The pair earned two top-10 hits in 1997.)

"We Can't Be Friends" is patently a reaction to Grande's recent divorce, but subtextually, it confronts the inevitable public fallout — that is, the stigma of being a famous woman with a string of romantic missteps. Still, at least in song, Grande can emerge from the fray with her ecstatic falsetto, unashamed and resilient as ever. "Know that you made me / I don't like how you paint me," she insists, "yet I'm still here hanging."

If you like this, listen to: "Don't Wanna Break Up Again," "Eternal Sunshine," "I Wish I Hated You"

13. "Don't Forget Me" by Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers has always been an exceptional producer, as evidenced by her famous Pharrell critique (or, more accurately, his lack of critique) that catapulted her from NYU student to indie darling.

In her underappreciated sophomore album "Surrender," Rogers pivoted from folk-electronica to a more organic rock sound as she came into her own as a vocalist. "I learned how to use my lower register," she told The New York Times, "to just sing with my whole body."

When it came time to record her third studio album, "Don't Forget Me," Rogers was already equipped with these polished-up skills. This time, it's her songwriting that comes into clearer focus, totally shorn of self-doubt and pretense.

This is especially true of the title track, in which every word has been chosen with keen precision. Throughout each verse and chorus, Rogers paints miniature portraits of Sally (a vision of domestic bliss), Molly (a besotted portent of mediocre love), and herself (an autonomous woman with a lust for emotional heirlooms).

As Rogers explained in her email newsletter, some of these details were invented for the song. "Pen to paper. Fully formed. There they were," she wrote. But that doesn't make them feel any less lifelike: "I think in this way, some of the deepest truths about my present were able to come forward."

If you like this, listen to: "The Kill," "If Now Was Then," "On & On & On"

12. "Common Man" by Grace Cummings

Grace Cummings makes music as though she's building a bridge between the old and the new. Her album "Ramona" is vivid and nostalgic, saturated with hues of old-school blues, yet dauntless in a distinctly modern way — the kind of music that a Gen X dad and Gen Z daughter could play on a roadtrip and equally enjoy.

The centerpiece is "Common Man," which juxtaposes vintage instrumentation and familiar pastoral imagery (thunder booming overhead, a sunrise on the horizon) with Cummings' singular, androgynous, anything-but-predictable voice.

Even in this wide-open landscape, her belting easily swells to fill the space. So when Cummings delivers the song's thesis, "I can't stand to be the common man," it's no challenge to believe her.

If you like this, listen to: "On and On," "A Precious Thing," "Help Is On Its Way"

11. "Too Sweet" by Hozier

"Too Sweet" is Hozier's highest-charting song ever on the Hot 100, which is kind of a miracle, since he didn't even bother to include it on his latest full-length album, 2023's "Unreal Unearth."

Thankfully, "Too Sweet" didn't get buried forever. It was released seven months later on the EP "Unheard," a brief collection of songs from the "Unreal Unearth" sessions that Hozier had scrapped "for different reasons."

Perhaps Hozier felt the song was too radiant and playful — or, ahem, too sweet — for the album's conceptual journey through the nine circles of hell. That could explain it, although the narrator is certainly at risk of being punished for gluttony (he has a whiskey habit and a 3 a.m. bedtime, so I'm assuming he's not a fan of moderation). Or perhaps Hozier sensed that he had a smash hit on his hands, and didn't want it to overshadow the rest of the project, like "Take Me to Church" did with his debut.

We may never know his reasons for unleashing "Too Sweet" when he did. We can only be grateful that he did it at all — and maybe consider this a learning experience. As his career trajectory has proven, he's a more patient man than most, and something this sweet is worth the wait.

If you like this, listen to: "Nobody's Soldier," "July," "Fare Well"

10. "Soup" by Remi Wolf

"Soup," the second track and fifth single from Remi Wolf's "Big Ideas," is a shining example of an earworm done right. Backed by Tame Impala-esque guitar riffs and bright '80s synths, Wolf delivers a series of airtight melodies and just the right amount of quirk.

Like all the greatest top-40 bops, the chorus is ideal for screaming in the car — yet there's no risk of tedium or replay-induced headaches. "Soup" can be played on a loop and Wolf's songcraft stays fresh.

If you like this, listen to: "Cinderella," "Toro," "Alone in Miami"

9. "Obsessed" by Olivia Rodrigo

As with the two singles from "Guts" that preceded it ("Bad Idea Right?" and "Get Him Back!"), I remain aghast that "Obsessed" wasn't a No. 1 hit.

Olivia Rodrigo is at her best when she's a little punk, a little rock, and completely unhinged — and this "Guts (Spilled)" deluxe track about developing a fetish for her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend ("I know her star sign, I know her blood type") may be the most loosely hinged track in her entire catalog.

In polite society, it's rare that women are allowed to express the full spectrum of emotion — rage, envy, lust, self-loathing, and, of course, obsession — without getting labeled crazy. Rodrigo actively bucks against that sexist custom with her songwriting, flinging herself into the deepest trenches of her psyche and emerging even stronger. In her capable hands, "I can't help it, I've got issues" becomes less of a confession and more of a rallying cry.

If you like this, listen to: "So American"

8. "Starburster" by Fontaines D.C.

I tuned in to Fontaines D.C. last fall, when I saw them open for the Arctic Monkeys' The Car Tour. The Irish band had already released three albums and won a Brit Award, but it still felt like they were on the cusp of greatness, like they were building toward a true breakthrough.

That catalyst arrived seven months later with "Starbuster," the celebrated lead single from their new album, "Romance." The song is punchy and cinematic, like Kasabian's "L.S.F." meets Gorillaz's "Dare" meets the atmospheric, suburban angst of "Skins" (the original UK series, not the busted US version). But despite its traceable lineage, "Starburster" is no mere imitation; it synthesizes its post-punk and rap-rock influences to craft something new.

If you like this, listen to: "In the Modern World," "Sundowner," "Death Kink"

7. "Yeah x10" by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

In Luca Guadagnino's horny tennis drama "Challengers," the thrilling reveal of a young, headed-for-stardom Tashi Duncan ("The hottest woman I've ever seen," in the words of Patrick Zweig) is set to the equally thrilling thumps of "Yeah x10."

The aptly named song is the highlight of the movie's soundtrack, created by Nine Inch Nails maestros Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The Oscar-winning duo provides the precise mix of tension, delight, youthful awe, and "unending homoerotic desire" that's needed to match the characters' churning drama.

Tashi (played by Zendaya) struts onto the court, lithe and confident, as her two future suitors (Josh O'Connor as Patrick and Mike Faist as Art) revel in their shared surge of desire. The scene-and-song combo kicks off a riveting chain of events that dominated cinephile discourse this year. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," indeed.

If you like this, listen to: "I Know," "The Signal," "Challengers: Match Point"

6. "Eusexua" by FKA twigs

In 2022, FKA twigs launched a new era of pleasure with "Caprisongs," an aura-heavy, electro-pop mixtape designed to sweat out the demons.

This year, she doubled down with "Eusexua," the lead single from her upcoming album of the same name. The twigs-invented word seems to be derived from the Greek word "euphoria," modified to reflect something more erotic, something truly ineffable. The song is an intricate choreography of techno beats and cascading synths, the exact kind of soundscape where twigs and her peculiar mystique tend to thrive.

If I had to define "Eusexua" based on how the song makes me feel, it would be "feeling present in one's body." Not the body-positive platitude of "feeling comfortable in one's skin," per se, but a sensation of full aliveness — every hair on your arms standing in salute, your heartbeat thumping in your fingertips.

If you like this, listen to: "Perfect Stranger," "Drums of Death"

5. "Genesis." by Raye

Over the summer, shortly before the release of her new single, Raye told me how she's willing to sacrifice profit for her creative vision.

"It upsets me to do a half-assed gig or to do a half-hearted thing," Raye explained. "If I was in this to make money, I wouldn't even be releasing the kind of music that I am."

"Genesis." is proof positive of that credo; the amorphous, seven-minute song is the kind of big swing that artists take after years of hard work and honing their creative vision. During the three-part odyssey, Raye unspools everything weighing on her mind, from algorithmically encouraged envy, self-loathing, and substance abuse to political causes she cares about, like universal healthcare and worker rights. It's a lot to digest in one go, but this song deserves the time and effort.

If you like this, listen to: "Oscar Winning Tears."

4. "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar

The cultural impact of "Not Like Us" is self-evident. By many accounts, Kendrick Lamar was already winning in his rap beef with Drake, largely thanks to his Pulitzer Prize-winning lyrical skill. But then, Lamar did the most devastating thing he could to a chart-topping, best-selling behemoth. He dropped an absolute banger.

It takes a truly remarkable diss track to have consumers, gatekeepers, and corporations alike in a chokehold: No. 1 on the Hot 100 for two weeks; six Grammy nominations, including both record and song of the year; plus a much-anticipated performance at the Apple Music-sponsored Super Bowl in February.

Lamar may be the only artist alive who could've pulled it off — that is to say, the only rapper who's shrewd, ruthless, and respected enough to convince stuffy executives to let him call Drake a "certified lover boy, certified pedophile" on national TV.

If you like this, listen to: "Squabble Up," "Luther (with SZA)," "Heart Pt. 6"

3. "Nissan Altima" by Doechii

There was a time this summer when I couldn't go on Instagram without seeing "Nissan Altima" shared on someone's story. More recently, videos of Doechii performing the frantic first verse — in which she calls herself "the new hip-hop Madonna" and "the trap Grace Jones" — have taken over my TikTok feed.

Despite the never-ending clips, I have yet to see Doechii botch the lyrics or trip over her tongue. "Nissan Altima" puts her star power on full display; she's a formidable, top-tier rapper with a flair for eccentric phrasing.

Released as the lead single from Doechii's latest mixtape, "Alligator Bites Never Heal," this is the kind of cult-classic crowd-pleaser that, sooner or later, fans will hold up as a turning point in the artist's career.

Although "Nissan Altima" is still relatively niche and has yet to appear on the Hot 100, it has sparked an undeniable groundswell of support, even snagging a Grammy nomination for best rap performance. Don't be surprised when you start to hear Doechii's music everywhere.

If you like this, listen to: "Boiled Peanuts," "Denial is a River," "Beverly Hills"

2. "Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan

This time last year, I crowned Chappell Roan's "Red Wine Supernova" as the best song of 2023.

I'm willing to bet Roan wasn't stunned by the praise; "I'm not that surprised people like it because it's really good," she told Dork at the time. But the selection did get some pushback from friends and lurkers online. Back then, Roan was little known by mainstream standards, performing for crowds of a couple thousand at most on The Midwest Princess Tour. Upon its release, "Red Wine Supernova" debuted at No. 75 on the Hot 100 — nothing to sniff at, certainly, but nothing sensational.

Now, "sensation" is just one of many suitable labels for Roan's career. She's become a main character in pop music, performing for massive crowds at music festivals and millions of viewers on network TV. Her rise to stardom has been ferociously analyzed, nitpicked, and gawked at, but as Roan said herself, it should've come as no surprise. She boasts an exceptional, magnetic talent that, once witnessed, makes it impossible to ignore or forget.

This became clearer than ever at Coachella, where Roan performed the as-yet-unreleased single "Good Luck Babe!" with the conviction of a much bigger star. A clip of her singing the bridge while staring down the barrel of the camera, eyes alight with both anguish and clarity, went viral online. There, in the desert, standing face-to-face with "I told you so," she banished every flicker of doubt.

"Good Luck Babe!" is now a top-five hit on the Hot 100, a Grammy nominee for song of the year, and the epicenter of this year's so-called "lesbian renaissance."

In retrospect, it's no wonder that Roan's watershed moment was a song that nods to her own staying power, a magic touch that lingers for a lifetime. She was right all along: You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.

If you like this, listen to: Roan only released this one song in 2024, but keep an eye out for her much-teased sophomore album, expected to arrive next year.

It'll presumably feature unreleased songs "The Subway," which Roan has performed at several music festivals, and "The Giver," a sapphic Shania Twain-esque bop that Roan debuted on "Saturday Night Live."

1. "Girl, So Confusing featuring Lorde" by Charli XCX and Lorde

Charli XCX's "Brat" already earned the No. 2 slot on this year's best albums ranking — but I'm breaking my own rule, which forbids overlap on both end-of-year lists, for two reasons.

First, the "Girl, So Confusing" remix does not technically appear on the standard edition of "Brat." It was released as a single before its inclusion on the remix album, "Brat and It's Completely Different But Also Still Brat," which, as the name suggests, is a completely different thing. Second, the "Girl, So Confusing" remix is a force of nature unto itself and needs to be treated as such.

I can't remember another time there was such a consensus, from critics and fans alike, about the year's most affecting, most visceral pop song — let alone a spontaneous remix like this one.

Lorde had already heard the original "Girl, So Confusing" by the time Charli sent her a heads-up that, hey, long time no see, but there's a song about our unspoken rivalry on my album. Any Lorde fan would've expected her to respond with grace and mercy, but she went several steps further, offering a real-time resolution: "Let's work it out on the remix." She sent her entire verse over text, the same way it appears on the track, to which Charli reacted the same way everyone else did: "Fucking hell."

Cultural observers and political pundits have been asking each other all year, what makes someone or something "Brat"? Even Charli has struggled to articulate it, but of course, Lorde understood implicitly. Their public truce encapsulates the true essence and charm of the album: off-the-cuff, unedited, and vulnerable in the same way that throwing up in the club and letting a friend hold your hair back ends up bringing you closer.

If you like this, listen to: "Everything is Romantic featuring Caroline Polachek," "Apple featuring The Japanese House," "B2b featuring Tinashe"

Listen to BI's complete list of 100 best songs on Spotify.

• Only 82 songs have debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 since the chart was launched in 1958.
• Kendrick Lamar's "Squabble Up" is the most recent song to achieve this feat.
• Listen to the complete playlist on Business Insider's Spotify.

The Billboard Hot 100 is widely considered the definitive all-genre singles chart in the US.

Although it was officially launched in 1958, Billboard began using modern airplay and sales data in 1991 — allowing for more time-sensitive calculations and accurate rankings.

Well over 1,000 songs have reached the coveted No. 1 spot, but it's far more difficult for a song to debut in the top position; it typically means a much-promoted single has met high expectations, or at least that an artist is supported and beloved by a legion of fans.

Keep reading for a complete list of instant chart-toppers throughout history.

1. "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was the first-ever artist to achieve the feat with "You Are Not Alone," which debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 2, 1995.

It was the second single from Jackson's ninth studio album "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I."

2. "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey

"Fantasy" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 30, 1995. It was the lead single from Carey's fifth studio album "Daydream."

3. "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Whitney Houston

"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 25, 1995. It was the lead single from the soundtrack for the film "Waiting to Exhale."

4. "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men

"One Sweet Day" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated December 2, 1995. It was the second single from Carey's fifth studio album "Daydream."

5. "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans, featuring 112

"I'll Be Missing You" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 14, 1997. It was the second single from "No Way Out," the debut album from Diddy, then known as Puff Daddy.

6. "Honey" by Mariah Carey

"Honey" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 13, 1997. It was the lead single from Carey's sixth studio album "Butterfly."

7. "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John

"Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About The Way You Look Tonight" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 11, 1997. The double A-side single later became the first song ever to be certified diamond.

8. "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion

"My Heart Will Go On" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 28, 1998.

The famous ballad was written for the soundtrack of "Titanic" and served as the movie's main romantic theme. It was also released as a single from Dion's fifth English-language album "Let's Talk About Love."

9. "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith

"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 5, 1998. It was recorded for the film "Armageddon," starring Liv Tyler.

10. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill

"Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 14, 1998. It was the lead single from Hill's debut album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."

11. "This Is the Night" by Clay Aiken

"This Is the Night" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 28, 2003. It was Aiken's debut single after competing on season two of "American Idol."

12. "I Believe" by Fantasia

"I Believe" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 10, 2004. It was Fantasia's debut single after winning season three of "American Idol."

13. "Inside Your Heaven" by Carrie Underwood

"Inside Your Heaven" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 2, 2005. It was Underwood's debut single after winning season four of "American Idol."

Underwood was the first country artist to have a No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

14. "Do I Make You Proud" by Taylor Hicks

"Do I Make You Proud" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 1, 2006. Hicks first performed the song on the fifth season finale of "American Idol," and it was released as a single shortly after his victory.

15. "3" by Britney Spears

"3" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 24, 2009. It was the lead (and only) single from Spears' second greatest hits album "The Singles Collection."

16. "Not Afraid" by Eminem

"Not Afraid" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 22, 2010. It was the lead single from Eminem's seventh studio album "Recovery."

17. "We R Who We R" by Ke$ha

"We R Who We R" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 13, 2010. It was the lead single from Kesha's debut EP "Cannibal."

18. "Hold It Against Me" by Britney Spears

"Hold It Against Me" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 29, 2011. It was the lead single from Spears' seventh studio album "Femme Fatale."

19. "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga

"Born This Way" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 26, 2011. It was the lead single from Gaga's second studio album of the same name.

20. "Part Of Me" by Katy Perry

"Part of Me" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 3, 2012. It was the lead single from "Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection," a reissue of Perry's third studio album.

21. "Harlem Shake" by Baauer

"Harlem Shake" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 2, 2013.

The viral hit benefited from a recent adjustment to the Hot 100's formula, when the chart began incorporating YouTube data. The chart methodology is updated at least once a year, to reflect rapidly evolving listening trends. (YouTube song user-generated content was later removed from chart calculations in 2020.)

22. "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift

"Shake It Off" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 6, 2014. It was the lead single from Swift's fifth studio album "1989."

23. "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber

"What Do You Mean?" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 19, 2015. It was the lead single from Bieber's fourth studio album "Purpose."

24. "Hello" by Adele

"Hello" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 14, 2015. It was the lead single from Adele's third studio album "25."

25. "Pillowtalk" by Zayn

"Pillowtalk" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 20, 2016. It was the lead single from Zayn's debut solo album "Mind of Mine."

26. "Can't Stop the Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake

"Can't Stop the Feeling!" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 28, 2016. It was the lead single for the soundtrack of the film "Trolls."

27. "Shape Of You" by Ed Sheeran

"Shape of You" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 28, 2017. It was one of the lead singles, along with "Castle on the Hill," from Sheeran's third studio album "Divide."

28. "I'm The One" by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne

"I'm the One" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 20, 2017. It was the second single from Khaled's 10th studio album "Grateful."

29. "God's Plan" by Drake

"God's Plan" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 3, 2018. It was the lead single from Drake's fifth studio album "Scorpion."

30. "Nice for What" by Drake

"Nice for What" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 21, 2018. It was the second single from "Scorpion."

31. "This Is America" by Childish Gambino

"This Is America" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 19, 2018. It was released as a standalone single.

32. "Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande

"Thank U, Next" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 17, 2018. It was the lead single from Grande's fifth studio album of the same name.

33. "7 Rings" by Ariana Grande

"7 Rings" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 2, 2019. It was the second single from "Thank U, Next."

34. "Sucker" by the Jonas Brothers

"Sucker" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 16, 2019. It was the lead single from the Jonas Brothers' fifth studio album "Happiness Begins."

35. "Highest In The Room" by Travis Scott

"Highest in the Room" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 19, 2019. It was featured on "JackBoys," a compilation EP by Scott and other members of his label.

36. "Toosie Slide" by Drake

"Toosie Slide" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 18, 2020. It was the lead single from Drake's compilation mixtape "Dark Lane Demo Tapes."

37. "The Scotts" by The Scotts

"The Scotts" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 9, 2020. It was the debut single from newly formed hip-hop duo The Scotts, aka Travis Scott and Kid Cudi.

38. "Stuck With U" by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber

"Stuck With U" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 23, 2020. It was released as a charity single to raise money for the First Responders Children's Foundation.

39. "Rain On Me" by Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande

"Rain On Me" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 6, 2020. It was the second single from Gaga's sixth studio album "Chromatica."

40. "Trollz" by 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj

"Trollz" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 27, 2020. It became the fifth No. 1 debut in 2020 alone, marking a new single-year high.

41. "Cardigan" by Taylor Swift

"Cardigan" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated August 8, 2020 — the same week as its parent album "Folklore" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making Swift the first artist ever to debut at No. 1 on both charts in the same week.

"Folklore" received less than 24 hours' promotion before its release at midnight on July 24. The music video for "Cardigan" arrived at the same time.

42. "WAP" by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion

"WAP" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated August 22, 2020. It was Cardi B's first single since 2019's "Press" and became her fourth career No. 1.

The raunchy song also became the fourth all-female collaboration to hit No. 1 in 2020 — and just the ninth in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 — while setting a new record for first-week streams with 93 million.

43. "Dynamite" by BTS

"Dynamite," the septet's first all-English-language single, debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 5, 2020.

BTS is the first all-South Korean group to top the Hot 100.

44. "Franchise" by Travis Scott featuring Young Thug and M.I.A.

"Franchise" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 10, 2020.

It became Scott's third single to debut on top in less than a year — following "Highest in the Room" and "The Scotts" — setting a new record for "the fastest accumulation of three No. 1 entrances by any artist in the Hot 100's history.

It's Scott's fourth No. 1 song overall, Young Thug's second, and M.I.A.'s first.

45. "Positions" by Ariana Grande

"Positions" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 7, 2020. It was the lead single from Grande's sixth studio album of the same name.

Grande made history as the first artist with three No. 1 Hot 100 debuts in a single calendar year.

46. "Life Goes On" by BTS

"Life Goes On" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated December 5, 2020, the same week as its parent album "Be" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — making BTS the second artist in history to debut at No. 1 on both charts simultaneously, mere months after Swift became the first.

47. "Willow" by Taylor Swift

"Willow" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated December 26, 2020 — the same week as its parent album "Evermore" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Swift became the first artist in history to debut on top of both charts simultaneously — twice.

She previously became the first artist to do so with "Folklore," less than five months previously.

"Willow" was also the 12th song in 2020 to arrive on the chart in its top position, handily setting a single-year record.

48. "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Drivers License," Olivia Rodrigo's official debut single, debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 23, 2021.

At just 17 years old, the Disney Channel star is the youngest solo artist in history to arrive atop the Hot 100. The record was previously held by Fantasia, who was 20 when "I Believe" debuted at No. 1. 

49. "What's Next" by Drake

"What's Next" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 20, 2021.

The rapper became the first artist in history to have three songs arrive in the Hot 100's top three simultaneously. "What's Next" was joined by "Wants and Needs," featuring Lil Baby, at No. 2 and "Lemon Pepper Freestyle," featuring Rick Ross, at No. 3.

50. "Peaches" by Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon

"Peaches" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 3, 2021. It was the fifth single from Bieber's sixth studio album "Justice," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 the same week, and the singer's fourth instant chart-topper.

51. "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" by Lil Nas X

"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 10, 2021. It was the lead single from Lil Nas X's debut studio album "Montero."

52. "Rapstar" by Polo G

"Rapstar" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 24, 2021. It was the third single from Polo G's third album "Hall of Fame."

53. "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Good 4 U" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 29, 2021. It was the third single from Rodrigo's debut studio album "Sour."

54. "Butter" by BTS

"Butter," the second all-English single from BTS, debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated June 5, 2021.

55. "Permission to Dance" by BTS

"Permission to Dance" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 24, 2021, giving BTS their fourth instant chart-topper in less than one year.

56. "Way 2 Sexy" by Drake featuring Future and Young Thug

"Way 2 Sexy" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 18, 2021. It was the lead single from Drake's sixth studio album "Certified Lover Boy," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 the same week.

57. "My Universe" by Coldplay and BTS

"My Universe" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 9, 2021. It was the second single from Coldplay's ninth studio album "Music of the Spheres."

Thanks to their feature, BTS tied Grande for the second-most No. 1 debuts in history (five).

58. "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift

"All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 27, 2021.

It was released alongside Taylor Swift's rerecorded album "Red (Taylor's Version)," which simultaneously debuted atop the Billboard 200.

"All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" was included on the updated "Red" tracklist in two different iterations: its original five-minute length, as well the long-awaited 10-minute version, both of which are combined into one listing on Billboard's charts.

At 10 minutes and 13 seconds long, "All Too Well" is officially the longest No. 1 hit of all time.

The record was previously held by Don McLean's 1972 hit "American Pie (Parts I & II)," which clocked in at 8 minutes and 37 seconds.

59. "As It Was" by Harry Styles

"As It Was" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 16, 2022. It was released as the lead single from Styles' third solo album "Harry's House."

The song dropped out of first place in its second week of tracking, but returned to the No. 1 spot for 15 nonconsecutive weeks, setting a new record for a British performer.

60. "First Class" by Jack Harlow

"First Class" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 23, 2022. It was released as the second single from Harlow's sophomore album "Come Home the Kids Miss You."

61. "Wait For U" by Future featuring Drake and Tems

"Wait For U" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 14, 2022. It was released as the seventh track on Future's album "I Never Liked You."

62. "Jimmy Cooks" by Drake featuring 21 Savage

"Jimmy Cooks" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 2, 2022. It was released alongside Drake's album "Honestly, Nevermind," which also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

63. "Super Freaky Girl" by Nicki Minaj

"Super Freaky Girl" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated August 27, 2022.

64. "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift

"Anti-Hero" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 5, 2022.

It was released alongside Taylor Swift's 10th studio album "Midnights," which also arrived atop the Billboard 200 — making Swift the first and only artist in history to debut at No. 1 on both charts simultaneously on four separate occasions.

Swift also became the first artist in history to debut 10 songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, as "Anti-Hero" was joined by nine fellow tracks from "Midnights."

65. "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus

"Flowers" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 28, 2023. It was released as the lead single from Cyrus' eighth album "Endless Summer Vacation."

66. "Like Crazy" by Jimin

"Like Crazy" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 8, 2023, making Jimin the first South Korean soloist to top the Hot 100. (He previously achieved the feat as a member of BTS.)

67. "Vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Vampire" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 15, 2023. It was released as the lead single from Rodrigo's sophomore album "Guts."

Rodrigo is now the only artist in history to have both lead singles ("Drivers License" and "Vampire") from her first two albums ("Sour" and "Guts," respectively) arrive in the chart's top position.

68. "Seven" by Jung Kook featuring Latto

"Seven" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated July 29, 2023, making Jung Kook the second member of BTS to have a chart-topping solo hit.

69. "Rich Men North of Richmond" by Oliver Anthony Music

"Rich Men North of Richmond," Oliver Anthony Music's breakout single, debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated August 26, 2023.

The controversial country singer is the first artist to achieve the feat without any previous entries on a Billboard chart.

70. "I Remember Everything" by Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves

"I Remember Everything" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 9, 2023. It was released on Bryan's self-titled album, which simultaneously arrived atop the Billboard 200.

71. "Slime You Out" by Drake featuring SZA

"Slime You Out" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated September 30, 2023. It was released as the lead single for Drake's eighth studio album "For All the Dogs."

72. "First Person Shooter" by Drake featuring J. Cole

"First Person Shooter" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated October 21, 2023. It was released alongside "For All the Dogs," which simultaneously debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Drake holds the record for the most No. 1 song debuts in history, with nine to his name.

73. "Is It Over Now?" by Taylor Swift

"Is It Over Now?" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 11, 2023.

The vault track from "1989 (Taylor's Version)" dethroned Swift's own "Cruel Summer," which had reigned for two weeks. (It later returned to the summit for two more weeks.)

Swift is the only woman ever to replace herself atop the Hot 100; she previously achieved the feat in 2014 with the original "1989," when "Blank Space" climbed the chart to replace "Shake It Off."

74. "Yes, And?" by Ariana Grande

"Yes, And?" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated January 27, 2024. It was released as the lead single for Grande's seventh album "Eternal Sunshine."

75. "Hiss" by Megan Thee Stallion

"Hiss" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated February 10, 2024.

76. "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" by Ariana Grande

"We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated March 23, 2024. It was released as the second single from "Eternal Sunshine," which simultaneously arrived atop the Billboard 200.

The song marked Grande's seventh instant chart-topper, the most among women and second-most in history.

77. "Like That" by Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar

"Like That" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated April 6, 2024.

78. "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

"Fortnight" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 4, 2024. It was released as the lead single from Swift's 11th studio album "The Tortured Poets Department."

The Post Malone duet earned 76.2 million streams in its first week, breaking the record previously set by Rodrigo with "Drivers License" (76.1 million), according to Billboard.

Swift is now tied with Grande for the second-most No. 1 debuts of any artist in history (seven apiece), while Drake holds the all-time record.

79. "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar

"Not Like Us" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 18, 2024.

The diss track was released amid a heated feud with Drake, ignited by Lamar's verse on "Like That."

Another of Lamar's anti-Drake songs, "Euphoria," appeared on the same chart at No. 3, while Drake's response, "Family Matters," debuted at No. 7.

80. "I Had Some Help" by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen

"I Had Some Help" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated May 25, 2024.

The country duet is Malone's second song to arrive in the top spot after "Fortnight" — both within the same month — and his sixth No. 1 song overall.

As for Wallen, "I Had Some Help" marks his second Hot 100 leader after "Last Night" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks in 2023, setting a record for a solo song.

81. "Love Somebody" by Morgan Wallen

"Love Somebody" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated November 2, 2024, becoming Wallen's second song to arrive in the top spot and third No. 1 hit overall.

82. "Squabble Up" by Kendrick Lamar

"Squabble Up" debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated December 7, 2024, making Kendrick Lamar the first solo male artist in history with three instant chart-toppers in a single year.

The song was released alongside Lamar's "GNX," which also arrived atop the Billboard 200.

• Eighteen different songs have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024.
• Kendrick Lamar has three hits on the list, the most of any artist.
• "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey had the longest run with 19 weeks atop the chart.

The Billboard Hot 100 is widely considered to be the definitive all-genre chart for songs in the US.

Although it offers only one way to measure popularity, earning Billboard's highest rank is a notable achievement in an artist's career, whether it's a predictable No. 1 debut like Taylor Swift's "Fortnight", a new star's coronation like Sabrina Carpenter's "Please Please Please," or a surprise indie leader like Hozier's "Too Sweet."

Like last year, when Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, and Zach Bryan scaled the chart, country music continues to resonate far beyond Nashville; after Shaboozey was featured on Beyoncé's No. 1 album "Cowboy Carter," which also spawned a No. 1 song, he went on to dominate the Hot 100 with his own breakout hit.

Ariana Grande, Post Malone, and Wallen have also enjoyed massive commercial success this year, earning two chart-toppers on the Hot 100 apiece. Kendrick Lamar has three, setting a record for the most among solo male artists in a single calendar year.

Below is a list of every song that took the top spot in 2024, in chronological order of the original peak date.

1. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee

It took 65 years for Brenda Lee's holiday classic to climb the Hot 100, finally reaching No. 1 in December 2023.

As the holiday season came to a close, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" remained atop the chart for the first week of the new year.

2. "Lovin On Me" by Jack Harlow

"Lovin On Me" originally topped the Hot 100 for one week at the end of 2023, but proved to have staying power when it returned to No. 1 after the holiday surge.

This year, the song collected five more nonconsecutive weeks at the summit, becoming Jack Harlow's biggest hit to date.

3. "Yes, And?" by Ariana Grande

"Yes, And?" was released as the lead single from Ariana Grande's latest album "Eternal Sunshine." It debuted at No. 1 in January.

4. "Hiss" by Megan Thee Stallion

"Hiss" was released as the second single from Megan Thee Stallion's third album "Megan." It debuted at No. 1 in February.

5. "Texas Hold 'Em" by Beyoncé

Beyoncé surprise-released a pair of singles, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages," during the 2024 Super Bowl.

The former debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100, then rose to No. 1 after its first full week of tracking. (Billboard tracks sales and streams from Friday to Thursday.) The song remained atop the chart for a second consecutive week.

"Texas Hold 'Em" also reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the first song by a Black artist to hold both positions.

6. "Carnival" by ¥$ featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti

"Carnival" was released as a single from "Vultures 1," the first collaborative album by Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign. It rose from No. 2 to No. 1 for one week in March.

7. "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" by Ariana Grande

"We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" was released as the second single from "Eternal Sunshine." It debuted at No. 1 in March, becoming Grande's seventh song to arrive in the chart's top position.

Grande is tied with Taylor Swift for the most No. 1 song debuts among women and the second-most ever, trailing only Drake.

8. "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims

"Lose Control" was originally released in June 2023 and debuted at No. 99 on the Hot 100.

The soul-rock ballad gradually gained traction and broke into the top five by the end of January.

In late March, Teddy Swims released two new versions of the song: a Tiësto remix and a radio edit. That boosted streaming numbers, which helped "Lose Control" finally reach No. 1 after a 32-week climb.

It was eventually crowned as Billboard's top-performing hit of 2024, while Taylor Swift was named the year's top Hot 100 artist.

9. "Like That" by Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar

"Like That" was released as a single from "We Don't Trust You," a collaborative album by Future and Metro Boomin. It debuted at No. 1 and remained atop the chart for two more consecutive weeks.

It also ignited an explosive rap feud between Kendrick Lamar, who's featured on the hit song, and Drake, whom Lamar alludes to in the lyrics.

10. "Too Sweet" by Hozier

"Too Sweet" was released as the first track and only single from Hozier's EP "Unheard," a small collection of songs that had been scrapped from his previous album.

"Too Sweet" debuted at No. 5 in April and topped the chart later that month, becoming the Irish rocker's first No. 1 song on the Hot 100. (Hozier's breakout hit, 2013's "Take Me to Church," peaked at No. 2.)

11. "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

"Fortnight" was released as the opening track on Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," and promoted as the lead single.

When the song debuted at No. 1, it was accompanied by every other track from the album — 31 in total, plus "Cruel Summer," a straggler hit from 2019 — setting a record among women for the most songs charting on the Hot 100 simultaneously.

Swift's songs also occupied the entire top 10 of the Hot 100. (She is the only artist ever to achieve that feat, and she's now done it twice.)

"Fortnight" remained atop the Hot 100 for a second consecutive week.

12. "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar

"Not Like Us," a scathing diss track aimed at Drake, was released as a standalone single in May. It debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, giving Lamar a clear leg-up in their battle.

After the music video premiere in July, "Not Like Us" returned to No. 1 for a second nonconsecutive week.

13. "I Had Some Help" by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen

"I Had Some Help" was released as the lead single from Post Malone's sixth studio album, "F-1 Trillion."

The song debuted at No. 1 in May and remained atop the chart for five consecutive weeks. After a brief interruption by Sabrina Carpenter, it returned for one more week.

14. "Please Please Please" by Sabrina Carpenter

"Please Please Please" was released as the second single from Sabrina Carpenter's sixth studio album, "Short n' Sweet." It debuted at No. 2 in June but quickly rose to the top spot, becoming Carpenter's first No. 1 song.

While massively popular, the song's predecessor, "Espresso," never managed to rise past No. 3 on the Hot 100. It did, however, reign atop the Billboard Global 200 for three weeks (a worldwide tally, as opposed to the Hot 100's US-focused formula) and was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA as of September 6, 2024.

Both songs were joined by another of Carpenter's singles, "Taste," in the top 10 of the Hot 100 for eight weeks this year — the longest streak for three simultaneous top-10 hits in history among female artists.

15. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" was released as a single from Shaboozey's third studio album, "Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going."

It became a country-pop crossover smash, topping both Hot Country Songs and the Hot 100 in July — the second song in history by a Black artist to do so, following Beyoncé with "Texas Hold 'Em."

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has continued to dominate the Hot 100, accumulating 19 nonconsecutive weeks atop the chart. It's the longest-leading solo hit in Hot 100 history and tied with "Old Town Road" for the all-time record.

16. "Love Somebody" by Morgan Wallen

"Love Somebody" managed to briefly interrupt Shaboozey's reign when it was released in October, debuting atop the Hot 100 before falling to No. 8 in its second week.

17. "Squabble Up" by Kendrick Lamar

"Squabble Up" was released as the second track on Kendrick Lamar's "GNX" and promoted as the album's lead single.

It debuted at No. 1 in the first week of December, accompanied by four other songs from "GNX" in the chart's top five.

18. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" was originally released in 1994 and didn't reach No. 1 for 25 years.

The song finally topped the Hot 100 in 2019, and since then, it has returned to the peak position for multiple weeks every December.

In 2024, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" experienced another seasonal resurgence and spent two more weeks at No. 1, bringing the song's grand total to 16 weeks atop the chart.

• Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been embroiled in rap beef for the better part of 2024.
• Shortly after Lamar dropped his new album, Drake filed a petition against UMG and Spotify.
• Here's what you need to know about the feud that took over hip-hop this year.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake's long-running feud reignited in March when Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin's track "Like That" from their latest collaborative album, "We Don't Trust You." This spiraled into a diss-track war in April and May, with Cole, Drake, Rick Ross, and Lamar all releasing new songs.

At first, fans encouraged the beef between Lamar and Drake. Diss battles, which rappers use to prove themselves, are common in hip-hop, and it was seen as some friendly competition between the genre's heavyweights.

Feuds can also be a clever marketing tactic to help artists boost streams and sales. "Like That," for instance, topped the Hot 100 for three weeks, and "We Don't Trust You" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Lamar's "Euphoria" and Drake's "Push Ups" also climbed the Billboard chart in May.

But as the beef has continued to intensify over several months, Drake has escalated his attacks legally, launching two legal actions against Universal Music Group (to which both Drake and Lamar are signed) and Spotify, accusing both companies of artificially inflating streams of Lamar's No. 1 hit "Not Like Us."

But how did we get here? Here's everything to know about the beef that took over hip-hop in 2024.

Hannah Getahun contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Drake and Lamar have been making 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 shit is not that inspirin' / Bank account statement just look like I'm ready for early retirement / Fuck any n**** that's talking that shit 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 fuck 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 Drake's '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, though that 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 those lyrics, the song title "First Person Shooter," and Drake's 2023 album title, "For All the Dogs."

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

A week after the song dropped in March, 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 fucking head up high, my back straight, I'm 10 fucking 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 fuck with me in my life!"

Cole fired back at Lamar, 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," featuring 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 in which officers have to explain how to respond to an enemy attack.

"He still doin' shows, but fell off like the Simpsons / Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic / Your second shit put n***** to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third shit was massive and that was your prime / I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine," Cole raps.

Fans believe 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.

Two days after the song was released, Cole apologized to Lamar during his performance at the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina. "I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest shit," 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 motherfucker's to ever touch a fuckin' microphone," wasn't hurt by his words.

Cole was initially mocked by fans for backing down, but they have since praised him for stepping out of the situation before the beef intensified.

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 April 12, Future and Metro Boomin released their second collaborative album, "We Still Don't Trust You." While neither rapper directly dissed Drake, they enlisted 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 Canadian 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.

On 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 "Fuckin' Problems" rapper began to date Rihanna, who had an on-again-off-again relationship with Drake.

On the "For All the Dogs" track "Fear of Heights," Drake disses both stars, saying sex with Rihanna was "average" and that Rocky is now stuck with her since they have children together.

Drake fires back with another diss track

On April 13, after the release of "We Still Don't Trust You," another diss track recorded by Drake, "Push Ups," surfaced online.

Although Drake spends most of the four-minute track dissing Lamar, there are a few shots fired at 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 fuck you big steppin with a size-seven men's on? / Your last one bricked, you really not on shit," 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 fuckin' song y'all got is not starting beef with us / This shit brewin' in a pot, now I'm heating up / I don't care what Cole think, that Dot shit was weak as fuck," 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 says 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 reference 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.

Rocky was the only one spared from the track.

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 April 14, Drake shared a text message with his mother in which she asked about the nose job rumor. Drake responded in the message that Ross is just "angry and racist" and he'll "handle it."

Drake officially released 'Push Ups' and another track aimed at Lamar

On April 19, a week after the leak, Drake officially released "Push Ups" alongside a new diss track directed at Lamar called "Taylor Made Freestyle."

In the latter track, Drake taunts Lamar to respond to "Push Ups," mocks Lamar's complex rap verses, and says the rapper is a puppet of the industry and Swift.

For the track, Drake used AI to generate the voices of the late Tupac Shakur, widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, and Snoop Dogg, making it sound like they rapped the first two verses.

Drake's use of Tupac may be a reference to Lamar's track "Mortal Man," from his 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly." At the end of the track, Lamar samples a 1994 Tupac interview to simulate a conversation between the two rappers.

Some fans criticized the use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle" particularly as Tupac was unable to consent.

Snoop responded to the song on April 20 in a jokey Instagram video where he reacts to people messaging him about Drake using his voice.

"They did what? When? How? Are you sure?" he says. "I'm going back to bed. Good night."

On April 24, Billboard reported that Tupac's estate had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Drake for using his voice.

"The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac's voice and personality," the estate's lawyer Howard King said. "Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac's publicity and the estate's legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use."

Two days later, Drake removed the song from social media and streaming platforms, though copies of the song are still available online.

Lamar spelled out the things he hates about Drake in the song 'Euphoria'

On April 30, Lamar released "Euphoria," a damning six-minute response to Drake.

In the track, Lamar calls Drake a "scam artist," "a master manipulator and habitual liar," mocks the Canadian rapper for imitating Black American culture, and claims that the "One Dance" artist has 20 ghostwriters. Lamar also says he is a better father than Drake.

Halfway through the track, Lamar raps: "I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct / We hate the bitches you fuck, 'cause they confuse themself with real women."

'Fans also believe the lyrics "have you ever paid five hundred thou' like to an open case?" refer to Drake paying 532,000 New Zealand dollars in 2019 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. Drake denied the claim at the time.

Later in the track, Lamar hits out at Drake's use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle."

"I'd rather do that than let a Canadian n**** make Pac turn in his grave," Lamar raps, later adding. "Am I battlin' ghost or AI?"

Lamar also implies that Drake sent a cease-and-desist letter to get "Like That," the song that reignited the beef, removed.

"Try cease and desist on the 'Like That' record? / Ho, what? You ain't like that record?" Lamar raps on the track.

In response to the song, Drake continued to taunt Lamar by posting a clip from "10 Things I Hate About You" on his Instagram story.

Lamar warned Drake about enemies in his own entourage in his latest track, '6:16 in LA'

"6:16 in LA," released May 3, is a shorter track than "Euphoria" and only features one verse.

Lamar begins the verse rapping about his success before turning his attention to Drake. Instead of insulting Drake, Lamar claims that the "Push Ups" rapper's circle has been feeding him lies, leaking information about him, and hoping for his downfall.

"Have you ever thought that OVO was workin' for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person / Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it," Lamar raps.

Later, he continues: "A hunnid n***** that you got on salary, and twenty of 'em want you as a casualty / And one of them is actually, next to you / And two of them is practically tied to your lifestyle, just don't got the audacity to tell you."

Fans believe Lamar's lyric, "It was fun until you start to put money in the streets / Then lost money, 'cause they came back with no receipts," implies that Drake tried to pay for dirt on the "DNA" rapper.

Later in the track, Lamar also calls out Drake for "playin' dirty" in his feuds by enlisting the help of Twitter bots and celebrities like Zack Bia to stir public opinion against his enemies.

"But your reality can't hide behind Wi-Fi / Your lil' memes is losing steam, they figured you out," Lamar added.

The diss track's layers go beyond the lyrics, as fans have been analyzing the cover art, the track's title, and even the producers. "6:16" was Tupac's birthday, but it is also Father's Day, which relates to Lamar's taunts about Drake's parenting skills. "6:16 in LA" also parodies Drake's song titles, which often feature location names and timestamps.

The song is co-produced by Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime producer and friend, which is likely aimed at Drake's Taylor Swift disses.

Meanwhile, the cover art features a black leather glove with a Maybach logo on it. The black leather glove could refer to Drake's 2020 song "Toosie Slide," where the rapper compares himself to Michael Jackson in the line "Black leather glove, no sequins."

Meanwhile, the logo could refer to Rick Ross' music label, Maybach Music Group.

Drake ramped things up in 'Family Matters,' which he dropped alongside a music video

On May 3, Drake released "Family Matters," a seven-and-a-half-minute response to Lamar's back-to-back diss tracks, which appears to respond to some of "Euphoria," firstly Lamar's decision to question Drake's quality as a father.

"You mentioned my seed, now deal with his dad / I gotta go bad, I gotta go bad," Drake rapped in the first few lines of the track.

Later, he takes shots at Lamar's son, Enoch: "Why you never hold your son and tell him say cheese / We could have left the kids out of this don't blame me."

"I heard that one of them little kids might be Dave Free," Drake also raps, suggesting that one of Lamar's two children he shares with his longtime partner was fathered by one of Lamar's creative partners.

Drake ramps things up toward the song's end when he makes the unfounded claim that Lamar has domestically abused a partner. "They hired a crisis management team / To clean up the fact that you beat on your queen," he raps, "The picture you painted ain't what it seems."

On the track, Drake also addresses the cease-and-desist he was sent over "Taylor Made Freestyle," rapping that Lamar "begged" the family of Shakur to take legal action and have the song taken down.

At the song's close, he brings it back to their respective children and takes one final swipe at his opponent, rapping: "Our sons should go play at the park / Two light-skinned kids, that shit would be cute / Unless you don't want to be seen with anyone that isn't Blacker than you."

Drake also dropped a music video alongside the song, which shows a red minivan, similar to that on the cover of Lamar's "good kid, m.A.A.d city" being driven across the border to Canada and destroyed. Later in the video, Drake is shown having dinner at the same Chinese restaurant Lamar rapped about in "Euphoria."

Minutes later, Lamar responded, directly addressing Drake's son, mom, and dad on 'Meet the Grahams'

Lamar's "Meet the Grahams" arrived minutes after Drake's "Family Matters" dropped and saw the rapper directly address each member of Drake's family.

"Dear Adonis, I'm sorry that that man is your father, let me be honest / It takes a man to be a man, your dad is not responsive," he begins the track. "I look at him and wish your grandpa woulda wore a condom / I'm sorry that you gotta grow up and then stand behind him."

In the second verse, Lamar turns his attention to Drake's mom and dad, rapping that the pair "gave birth to a master manipulator."

"You raised a horrible fuckin' person, the nerve of you, Dennis," the track continues. "Sandra, sit down, what I'm about to say is heavy, now listen / Your son's a sick man with sick thoughts."

Another verse, addressed to a "baby girl," implies that Drake has fathered a second child beyond his son that he has kept secret, while the final verse brings things back to Drake himself, where Lamar justifies taking such personal shots at his rival.

"Dear Aubrey, I know you probably thinkin' I wanted to crash your party / But truthfully, I don't have a hatin' bone in my body / This supposed to be a good exhibition within the game / But you fucked up the moment you called out my family's name."

Lamar refuses to let Drake breathe and releases yet another track, 'Not Like Us'

In "Not Like Us," Lamar appears to directly respond to Drake's "Family Matters" diss, referencing the track's title in the song lyrics.

"The family matter, and the truth of the matter / It was God's plan to show you're the liar," Lamar raps, also giving a nod to Drake's 2018 track "God's Plan."

The art for the song is an aerial view of Drake's mansion near Toronto, Variety reported. The image also has pins on the mansion, resembling those used on sex offender maps, leading fans to believe Lamar is suggesting Drake's house is full of sexual predators.

On the track, Lamar said Drake is a "colonizer" and that he got his "street cred" with the help of other rappers, including Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Quavo, and 2Chainz.

Lamar also made the unsubstantiated claim that Drake and his entourage are pedophiles.

"Certified lover boy? Certified pedophile," Lamar rapped, referring to the title of Drake's 2021 album. "To any bitch that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil' sister from him."

Drake responds to Lamar's accusations in 'The Heart Part 6'

On May 5, Drake released a response to "Not Like Us" and "Meet the Grahams" in the form "The Heart Part 6." The title is a reference to Lamar's "The Heart" song series.

The song denies many of Lamar's claims. Drake raps that the people feeding Lamar information about him are "all clowns" and says that Lamar was purposefully given false information about him secretly fathering an 11-year-old daughter. (In "Meet the Grahams" Lamar sings about a "baby girl" that he says Drake abandons.)

"We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information / A daughter that's 11 years old, I bet he takes it / I thought about giving a fake name and a destination / but you so thirsty you not concerned with investigation," Drake raps in his response.

Later in the verse, Drake denied the pedophile claims.

"Only fuckin' with Whitneys, not Millie Bobby Browns, I'd never look twice at no teenager," he rapped, referring to the rumor that Drake's friendship with "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown when she was a child was inappropriate.

He rapped later: "If I was fucking young girls, I promise I'd have been arrested / I'm way too famous for this shit you just suggested."

On June 5, Billboard reported that Drake had deleted the Instagram post promoting the song.

A security guard outside Drake's mansion is injured and three people try to break into the home

In the week following the release of "Not Like Us," a shooting took place outside Drake's mansion, and there were also reports of people trying to break into the property.

On May 7, Canadian publication CBC reported that a security guard was shot and seriously injured outside Drake's mansion at Park Lane Circle.

On May 8, CNN reported a person tried to enter Drake's mansion a day after the shooting. Then, on May 9, TMZ reported that a second person tried to enter Drake's property around 3:30 p.m. ET. On May 11, TMZ reported that a third person tried to break into the home but was stopped by Drake's security.

While officers never linked any of the incidents to the rap beef, tensions were high since they all occurred shortly after the release of "Not Like Us."

Amid the incidents, Drake complained on his Instagram Story about the media helicopters surrounding his home.

On May 11, Drake wrote in a post addressing Canadian news organization CP24, "Can we discuss the chopper flight times over the house 'cause I won't lie, I'm trying to sleep. Anytime after 3 pm works great for me," he wrote.

Drake appears to have stepped down from the beef, and Lamar's label says the 'battle is over'

Drake seemed to suggest he was bowing out of the feud with Lamar in "The Heart Part 6" when he said: "You could drop a hundred more records, I'll see you later / Yeah, maybe when you meet your maker / I don't wanna fight with a woman beater, it feeds your nature."

While some fans doubted this, it seems he was serious. On May 11, Drake posted an illustration of a samurai standing up against an army on his Instagram Story and captioned the post, "Good times. Summer vibes up next," which seemed to suggest he wouldn't release any more diss tracks.

Lamar performs 'Not Like Us' five times at his Juneteenth concert

On June 19, Lamar hosted a one-off concert to celebrate Juneteenth called "The Pop Out: Ken & Friends," which was live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch.

The event featured up-and-coming West Coast rappers and major Californian stars including Dr. Dre, Jay Rock and Tyler The Creator. Lamar closed the night with his own set, opening with "Euphoria."

During the performance, Lamar added a new line, "Give me Tupac's ring back and I might give you a little respect," referring to reports that Drake had bought a ring that belonged to Tupac Shakur.

Later in the set, Lamar performed "6:16" and "Like That." Lamar ended the night performing "Not Like Us" five times in a row, beginning with an intro by Dr. Dre who joined Lamar onstage.

During the third "Not Like Us" encore, West Coast performers, athletes, and gang members also joined Lamar onstage to dance to the song. Lamar then stopped the performance to get a group photo.

Lamar then told the audience the real focus of the concert was to bring West Coast performers and gang members together and celebrate their loved ones who had been killed.

"For all of us to be on this stage together, unity, from East Side mother-fucking LA, Crips, Bloods, Pirus, this shit is special, man. We put this shit together just for ya'll," Lamar said, referring to rival gang members onstage.

"Everybody got fallen sons but we're right here, right now celebrating all of them, this shit is special," he added.

After his speech, Lamar performed "Not Like Us" one more time.

During the rap beef, Drake has continually mocked the West Coast rap community, which Lamar hails from, and said the community does not support Lamar.

Fans have dubbed the concert Lamar's "victory lap," saying he won the rap beef.

Lamar releases a music video for 'Not Like Us'

Exactly two months after releasing "Not Like Us," Lamar released a music video for the diss track on YouTube.

It stars with Lamar teasing an unreleased song before going into the "Not Like Us" track.

The music video appears to take numerous digs at his rival, including a recurring image of an owl, which is the logo of Drake's label.

The first time an owl appears, it is in the shape of a pinata, which Lamar breaks with a stick.

A disclaimer at the bottom of the screen reads, "No OVhoes were harmed in making this video."

Later in the video, Lamar puts an owl in the cage. Both scenes seem to suggest Lamar is declaring that he has defeated Drake.

Lamar's longtime partner Whitney Alford, their two children, and multiple other West Coast rappers, athletes, and dancers appear in the video, which was shot in Compton, California.

In November, Lamar surprised fans by dropping his new album 'GNX,' which included several references to his feud with Drake

After months of silence, Lamar surprise-released the 12-track album on Friday, November 22.

The rapper appeared to reference his beef with Drake in the album's opening track, "Wacced Out Murals."

He raps: "Snoop posted 'Taylor Made,' I prayed it was the edibles / I couldn't believe it, it was only right for me to let it go."

The lyrics reference how fellow rapper Snoop Dogg shared one of Drake's diss tracks, "Taylor Made Freestyle," to Instagram earlier this year (Snoop Dogg has said he would not be taking sides in the feud).

Elsewhere on the album, there is a track named "Heart Pt. 6," reclaiming the song name from Drake, who previously released his own song titled "The Heart Part 6" to mock Lamar's series of numbered "heart" tracks.

The surprise album has garnered positive initial reviews from critics, rounding off a transformative year for Lamar.

Shortly after Lamar's new album arrived, Drake's company launched two legal actions against Universal Music Group and Spotify

On Monday, November 25, Drake took his feud with Lamar into legal territory.

Drake's company, Frozen Moments, filed a pre-action petition in a New York court against Universal Music Group (UMG), the record company that owns Lamar's label Interscope and Drake's label Republic Records, as well as the streaming giant Spotify.

The petition accuses both UMG and Spotify of using illicit methods, such as bots and payola (otherwise known as "pay-for-play"), to inflate streams of Lamar's No. 1 hit "Not Like Us."

The filing also claims that "Not Like Us" caused Drake to suffer "economic harm."

Just a few hours after the filing made headlines, Billboard unearthed another action filed by Drake's company in Texas court. The second petition, also filed on Monday, claims that UMG "funneled payments" to the radio conglomerate iHeartRadio in order to boost spins of "Not Like Us."

Drake's lawyers also allege that UMG could've blocked "Not Like Us" from being released because it "attacked the character of another one of UMG's most prominent artists, Drake, by falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harboring sex offenders and committing other criminal sexual acts," per Billboard.

A spokesperson for UMG told Business Insider: "The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue."

"No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear," the spokesperson added.

A representative for Lamar and Drake did not immediately respond to a comment request from BI. A representative from Spotify declined to comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

If it didn't already look like Drake had lost the feud of the year, it certainly does now.

In a legal filing Monday, an LLC owned by Drake called Frozen Moments alleged that Universal Music Group and Spotify worked together to make "Not Like Us" — a viral diss track Kendrick Lamar released about Drake earlier this year — a bigger hit than it naturally would have been. The petition, filed three days after Drake's rival released the critically acclaimed surprise album "GNX," claims UMG did this by offering lower licensing rates on the song to Spotify in return for promotion, then paying third-party companies to have bots inflate streams of it; "Not Like Us" has surpassed 900 million plays on Spotify. ("Family Matters," a Drake diss track about Lamar released around the same time, has 122 million plays.) The filing also accuses UMG of using pay-to-play tactics to increase the song's radio play and have influencers promote it across social media. It's not a lawsuit yet, but a petition seeking more information about the alleged practice.

"Streaming and licensing is a zero-sum game," Drake's filing says. "Every time a song 'breaks through,' it means another artist does not. UMG's choice to saturate the music market with 'Not Like Us' comes at the expense of its other artists, like Drake."

The twist: UMG doesn't just represent Lamar but also Drake. And Drake is one of the biggest artists streaming on Spotify, with about 10 million more monthly listeners than Lamar. If major companies like UMG and Spotify really are conspiring to help one artist over another, they would be severely disrupting the way people discover and come to love music and risking the entire streaming model the music industry now relies on.

Hip-hop fans are mocking Drake's litigiousness as petty and destructive to his street cred. "This is Drake's Jan. 6," the musical artist and former NFL running back Arian Foster posted on X. Music industry insiders, meanwhile, are skeptical of the allegations themselves.

"It's not in Spotify's interest for their model to be undermined by people not getting paid fairly," Tony Rigg, a music industry advisor and lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, tells me. "Bots, potentially, would undermine both" Spotify and UMG. In other words, for the top of the music industry, rigging with bots would be "not like us."

The kind of manipulation, also called artificial listening, that Drake is talking about does happen. Some artists use third-party companies that enlist accounts made by bots to listen to the same playlist on repeat. That's an issue because of how streaming companies pay. They divide up royalty payments from a limited pool of cash. More plays means more of the pie. And as more people have taken to uploading AI-generated slop to streaming platforms like Spotify, they risk becoming more diluted. In September, a North Carolina musician was charged with music streaming fraud; the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York claims he made more than $10 million using those kinds of tactics. (The case is ongoing.) Smaller artists looking to make money off streaming can suffer. But it's harder to know how it could affect megastars like Drake and Lamar, who are already among the top performers in Spotify's streaming ranks.

There are more than 100 million songs each on popular streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. Last year, Spotify booted tens of thousands of songs from its platform reported to be generated by AI and also listened to by bots — essentially, computer music for computers. UMG itself has pushed back against AI-generated music, trying to block AI from training on its catalogs on streaming platforms.

Spotify declined to comment, but the company does have policies in place to detect and combat artificial streaming. A UMG spokesperson told me that "the suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."

Fans can argue whether Drake or Lamar won the feud. By throwing lawyers and corporations into the rap battle, Drake has made it much less street and much more corporate. It's hard to imagine bots would be driving so many listeners to Lamar, a 17-time Grammy award winner. The song itself has been nominated for five Grammys, has been used at political events and protests around the world, and became a hit on TikTok. In the end, the attention, and ears, on the two artists' beef may have made Spotify and UMG both winners.

Amanda Hoover is a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering the tech industry. She writes about the biggest tech companies and trends.

• Drake's company Frozen Moments filed a petition against Universal Music Group and Spotify.
• The petition was in relation to rapper Kendrick Lamar's diss track about Drake, "Not Like Us."
• The filing claims that Spotify and Universal used bots and payola to increase the track's popularity.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake's rap feud continues as Drake begins legal action against Lamar's track "Not Like Us."

Earlier this year, the two hip-hop giants' years-long resentment culminated in an explosive diss track battle.

Lamar's final diss track "Not Like Us" was the biggest hit of the battle, crowning Lamar the winner in the public sphere. "Not Like Us," which contains lyrics calling Drake a pedophile, topped the Billboard 100 charts for two weeks and received five Grammy nominations.

Now, Drake is disputing the song's success.

On Monday morning, Drake's company, Frozen Moments, filed a pre-action petition in a New York court against Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG), the record company that owns Lamar's label Interscope and Drake's label Republic Records.

The petition states that UMG used bots and payola to inflate the streams of "Not Like Us" and influence its perceived public success.

The petition says UMG charged Spotify 30% lower licensing fees for the song, in exchange for the streaming platform to recommend "Not Like Us" to users searching for unrelated songs and artists.

It also claims that UMG paid third-party companies to use bots to artificially inflate the streams of "Not Like Us.""

"In 2024, UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices, to 'break through the noise' on Spotify," the petition read.

The petition, alleging racketeering, deceptive business practices, and false advertising to promote "Not Like Us," is not a fully fledged lawsuit. The filling is a request by Drake's lawyers asking the court to order Spotify and Universal to preserve documents related to the claims ahead of legal action.

The filing claims that Drake suffered "economic harm" because UMG "saturated the market" with Lamar's diss track, at the "expense of other artists, like Drake." The attorney also said that when Drake brought these claims to UMG, representatives from the company told Drake to sue Lamar rather than Universal, and threatened to sue Lamar if Drake sued them.

A spokesperson for Universal Music Group told Business Insider: "The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue.

"No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear."

A representative for Lamar and Drake did not immediately respond to a comment request from BI. A representative from Spotify declined to comment.

Hiphop fans are mocking Drake and criticizing his move to legal action

Diss track battles are a common occurrence in the hip-hop world, but it's rare for a rapper to turn to legal action over lyrical beef.

Hip-hop fans have criticized Drake's move on social media. Pop-culture writer Bolu Babalola called the petition a "spectacularly loserish move" in a post on X.

Fans speaking out on X thought it was bizarre that Drake was taking legal action over the song's success and not the lyrics' allegations of pedophilia.

Other fans said escalating rap beef in court felt like Drake did not understand Black culture.

Fans also said they felt Drake could have recovered from losing the battle by laying low and releasing good music. But suggested the fallout from the lawsuit might harm Drake's reputation further.

• Kendrick Lamar released a surprise new album titled "GNX" on November 22.
• The album reclaims the song name "heart pt. 6," which Drake previously used for a diss track.
• Here's what you need to know about the feud that took over hip-hop this year.

Kendrick Lamar seems to be taking another victory lap over his bitter public beef with Drake by releasing a brand new album.

On November 22, the rapper shocked fans by debuting his sixth studio album, "GNX" — and of course it makes reference to his closely-followed feud with the Canadian star.

For those not following, Lamar and Drake's long-running feud reignited in March when Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin's track "Like That" from their latest collaborative album, "We Don't Trust You." This spiraled into a diss track war in April and May, with Cole, Drake, Rick Ross, and Lamar releasing new songs.

After releasing back-to-back tracks in early May, both Lamar and Drake stopped abruptly. Fans and critics had already declared Lamar the winner of the beef, but the rapper has not stopped poking the bear.

In July, Lamar reignited the feud with the "Not Like Us" music video, which seems to have numerous references to the beef. At one point in the video, Lamar hits a pinata shaped like an owl, the symbol of Drake's label OVO, suggesting that he has defeated his rival.

A month prior, Lamar also rapped four of his five diss tracks during his "The Pop Out: Ken & Friends" one-off concert.

At first, fans encouraged the beef between Lamar and Drake. Diss battles, which rappers use to prove themselves, are common in hip-hop, and it was seen as some friendly competition between the genre's heavyweights.

Feuds can also be a clever marketing tactic to help artists boost streams and sales. "Like That," for instance, topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for weeks, and "We Don't Trust You" debuted at the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200. Lamar's diss track, "Euphoria," and Drake's "Push Ups" have also climbed the Billboard chart in May.

The feud took a dark turn in the first week of May when Drake and Lamar released four and two diss tracks, respectively. These tracks were more aggressive, with both stars making unverified allegations of sexual assault, pedophilia, and domestic abuse against each other.

Here's what to know about the feud that took over hip-hop.

Drake and Lamar have been making 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 shit is not that inspirin'/ Bank account statement just look like I'm ready for early retirement / Fuck any n**** that's talking that shit 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 fuck 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 Drake's '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, though that 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 those lyrics, the song title "First Person Shooter," and Drake's 2023 album title, "For All the Dogs."

"Motherfuck the big three, n****, it's just big me," Lamar raps, adding later. "Fuck 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 in March, 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 fucking head up high, my back straight, I'm 10 fucking 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 fuck with me in my life!"

Cole fired back at Lamar, 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," featuring 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 in which officers have to explain how to respond to an enemy attack.

"He still doin' shows, but fell off like the Simpsons / Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic / Your second shit put n***** to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third shit was massive and that was your prime / I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine," Cole raps.

Fans believe 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 shit," 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 motherfucker's to ever touch a fuckin' 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 shit on the chin boy, do what you do. All good. It's love," he said.

Cole was initially mocked by fans for backing down, but they have since praised him for stepping out of the situation before the beef intensified.

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 April 12, Future and Metro Boomin released their second collaborative album, "We Still Don't Trust You." While neither rapper directly dissed Drake, they enlisted 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 Canadian 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.

On 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 "Fuckin' Problems" rapper began to date Rihanna, who had an on-again-off-again relationship with Drake.

On the "For All the Dogs" track "Fear of Heights," Drake disses both stars, saying sex with Rihanna was "average" and that Rocky is now stuck with her since they have children together.

A diss track from Drake appeared online – but fans first thought it was AI-generated

On April 13, after the release of "We Still Don't Trust You," a diss track surfaced on social media that appeared to have been recorded by Drake.

At first, some fans were convinced that the song "Push Ups" was another fake AI Drake track.

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 fired at 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 fuck you big steppin with a size 7 mens on? / Your last one bricked, you really not on shit," 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 fuckin' song y'all got is not starting beef with us / This shit brewin' in a pot, now I'm heating up / I don't care what Cole think, that Dot shit was weak as fuck," 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 says 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 reference 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.

Rocky was the only one spared from the track.

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 April 14, Drake shared a text message with his mother in which 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 may mean their personal feud will continue.

Drake officially released "Push Ups" and another track aimed at Lamar

On April 19, a week after the leak, Drake officially released "Push Ups" alongside a new diss track directed at Lamar called "Taylor Made Freestyle."

In the latter track, Drake taunts Lamar to respond to "Push Ups," mocks Lamar's complex rap verses, and says the rapper is a puppet of the industry and Swift.

For the track, Drake used AI to generate the voices of the late Tupac Shakur, widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, and Snoop Dogg, making it sound like they rapped the first two verses.

Drake's use of Tupac may be a reference to Lamar's track "Mortal Man," from his 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly." At the end of the track, Lamar samples a 1994 Tupac interview to simulate a conversation between the two rappers.

Some fans criticized the use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle" particularly as Tupac was unable to consent.

Snoop responded to the song on April 20 in a jokey Instagram video where he reacts to people messaging him about Drake using his voice.

"They did what? When? How? Are you sure?" he says. "I'm going back to bed. Good night."

On April 24, Billboard reported that Tupac's estate had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Drake for using his voice.

"The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac's voice and personality," the estate's lawyer Howard King said. "Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac's publicity and the estate's legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use."

Two days later, Drake removed the song from social media and streaming platforms, though copies of the song are still available online.

Lamar spelled out the things he hates about Drake in the song "Euphoria"

On April 30, Lamar released "Euphoria," a damning six-minute response to Drake.

In the track, Lamar calls Drake a "scam artist," "a master manipulator and habitual liar," mocks the Canadian rapper for imitating Black American culture, and claims that the "One Dance" artist has 20 ghostwriters. Lamar also says he is a better father than Drake.

Halfway through the track, Lamar raps: "I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct / We hate the bitches you fuck, 'cause they confuse themself with real women."

'Fans also believe the lyrics "have you ever paid five hundred thou' like to an open case?" refer to Drake paying 532,000 New Zealand dollars in 2019 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. Drake denied the claim at the time.

Later in the track, Lamar hits out at Drake's use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle."

"I'd rather do that than let a Canadian n**** make Pac turn in his grave," Lamar raps, later adding. "Am I battlin' ghost or AI?"

Lamar also implies that Drake sent a cease-and-desist letter to get "Like That," the song that reignited the beef, removed.

"Try cease and desist on the 'Like That' record? / Ho, what? You ain't like that record?" Lamar raps on the track.

In response to the song, Drake continued to taunt Lamar by posting a clip from "10 Things I Hate About You" on his Instagram story.

Lamar warned Drake about enemies in his own entourage in his latest track, "6:16 in LA"

"6:16 in LA," released May 3, is a shorter track than "Euphoria" and only features one verse.

Lamar begins the verse rapping about his success before turning his attention to Drake. Instead of insulting Drake, Lamar claims that the "Push Ups" rapper's circle has been feeding him lies, leaking information about him, and hoping for his downfall.

"Have you ever thought that OVO was workin' for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person / Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it," Lamar raps.

Later, he continues: "A hunnid n***** that you got on salary, and twenty of 'em want you as a casualty / And one of them is actually, next to you / And two of them is practically tied to your lifestyle, just don't got the audacity to tell you."

Fans believe Lamar's lyric, "It was fun until you start to put money in the streets / Then lost money, 'cause they came back with no receipts," implies that Drake tried to pay for dirt on the "DNA" rapper.

Later in the track, Lamar also calls out Drake for "playin' dirty" in his feuds by enlisting the help of Twitter bots and celebrities like Zack Bia to stir public opinion against his enemies.

"But your reality can't hide behind Wi-Fi / Your lil' memes is losing steam, they figured you out," Lamar added.

The diss track's layers go beyond the lyrics, as fans have been analyzing the cover art, the track's title, and even the producers. "6:16" was Tupac's birthday, but it is also Father's Day, which relates to Lamar's taunts about Drake's parenting skills. "6:16 in LA" also parodies Drake's song titles, which often feature location names and timestamps.

The song is co-produced by Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime producer and friend, which is likely aimed at Drake's Taylor Swift disses.

Meanwhile, the cover art features a black leather glove with a Maybach logo on it. The black leather glove could refer to Drake's 2020 song "Toosie Slide," where the rapper compares himself to Michael Jackson in the line "Black leather glove, no sequins."

Meanwhile, the logo could refer to Rick Ross' music label, Maybach Music Group.

Drake ramped things up in "Family Matters," which he dropped alongside a music video

On May 3, Drake released "Family Matters," a seven-and-a-half-minute response to Lamar's back-to-back diss tracks, which appears to respond to some of "Euphoria," firstly Lamar's decision to question Drake's quality as a father.

"You mentioned my seed, now deal with his dad/I gotta go bad, I gotta go bad," Drake rapped in the first few lines of the track.

Later, he takes shots at Lamar's son, Enoch: "Why you never hold your son and tell him say cheese / We could have left the kids out of this don't blame me."

"I heard that one of them little kids might be Dave Free," Drake also raps, suggesting that one of Lamar's two children he shares with his longtime partner was fathered by one of Lamar's creative partners.

Drake ramps things up toward the song's end when he makes the unfounded claim that Lamar has domestically abused a partner. "They hired a crisis management team/To clean up the fact that you beat on your queen," he raps, "The picture you painted ain't what it seems."

On the track, Drake also addresses the cease-and-desist he was sent over "Taylor Made Freestyle," rapping that Lamar "begged" the family of Shakur to take legal action and have the song taken down.

At the song's close, he brings it back to their respective children and takes one final swipe at his opponent, rapping: "Our sons should go play at the park / Two light-skinned kids, that shit would be cute / Unless you don't want to be seen with anyone that isn't Blacker than you."

Drake also dropped a music video alongside the song, which shows a red minivan, similar to that on the cover of Lamar's "good kid, m.A.A.d city" being driven across the border to Canada and destroyed. Later in the video, Drake is shown having dinner at the same Chinese restaurant Lamar rapped about in "Euphoria."

Minutes later, Lamar responded, directly addressing Drake's son and mom on "Meet the Grahams"

Lamar's "Meet the Grahams" arrived minutes after Drake's "Family Matters" dropped and saw the rapper directly address each member of Drake's family.

"Dear Adonis, I'm sorry that that man is your father, let me be honest / It takes a man to be a man, your dad is not responsive," he begins the track. "I look at him and wish your grandpa woulda wore a condom / I'm sorry that you gotta grow up and then stand behind him."

In the second verse, Lamar turns his attention to Drake's mom and dad, rapping that the pair "gave birth to a master manipulator."

"You raised a horrible fuckin' person, the nerve of you, Dennis," the track continues. "Sandra, sit down, what I'm about to say is heavy, now listen/ Mm-mm, your son's a sick man with sick thoughts."

Another verse, addressed to a "baby girl," implies that Drake has fathered a second child beyond his son that he has kept secret, while the final verse brings things back to Drake himself, where Lamar justifies taking such personal shots at his rival.

"Dear Aubrey, I know you probably thinkin' I wanted to crash your party/ But truthfully, I don't have a hatin' bone in my body/ This supposed to be a good exhibition within the game/ But you fucked up the moment you called out my family's name."

Lamar refuses to let Drake breathe and releases yet another track, "Not Like Us"

In "Not Like Us," Lamar appears to directly respond to Drake's "Family Matters" diss, referencing the track's title in the song lyrics.

"The family matter, and the truth of the matter/It was God's plan to show you're the liar," Lamar raps, also giving a nod to Drake's 2018 track "God's Plan."

The art for the song is an aerial view of Drake's mansion near Toronto, Variety reported. The image also has pins on the mansion, resembling those used on sex offender maps, leading fans to believe Lamar is suggesting Drake's house is full of sexual predators.

In the first half of the track, Kenny claims that Oakland — Tupac's home city — would take issue with Drake's previous use of Pac's voice in "Taylor Made Freestyle." Lamar then says he believes a concert in Oakland would be Drake's "last stop."

Lamar also says Drake is a "colonizer" and that he got his "street cred" with the help of other rappers, including Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Quavo, and 2Chainz.

Lamar also made the unsubstantiated claim that Drake and his entourage are pedophiles.

"Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles," Lamar rapped, referring to Drake's 2021 album. "To any bitch that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil' sister from him."

After this track, many hip-hop fans declared Lamar the winner of the rap beef since he released a "club banger"-style song, which is typically Drake's specialty. Videos on social media have been shared of the track being played at clubs and sports stadiums over the weekend after its release.

Drake responds to Lamar's accusations in "The Heart Part 6"

On May 5, Drake released a response to "Not Like Us" and "Meet the Grahams" in the form "The Heart Part 6." The title is a reference to Lamar's "The Heart" song series.

The song denies many of Lamar's claims. Drake raps that the people feeding Lamar information about him are "all clowns" and says that Lamar was purposefully given false information about him secretly fathering an 11-year-old daughter.

In "Meet the Grahams" Lamar sings about a "baby girl" that he says Drake abandons.

"We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information / A daughter that's 11 years old, I bet he takes it / I thought about giving a fake name and a destination / but you so thirsty you not concerned with investigation," Drake raps in his response.

Later in the verse, Drake denied the pedophile claims.

"Only fuckin' with Whitneys, not Millie Bobby Browns, I'd never look twice at no teenager," he rapped, referring to the rumor that Drake's friendship with "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown when she was a child was inappropriate.

He rapped later: "If I was fucking young girls, I promise I'd have been arrested / I'm way too famous for this shit you just suggested."

On June 5, Billboard reported that Drake had deleted the Instagram post promoting the song.

Metro Boomin' re-enters the feud

Last we heard of Metro Boomin, Drake told him to "shut your ho ass up and make some drums," and that's just what he did.

On May 5, Metro Boomin posted a track on X called "BBL Drizzy BPM 150" and told his fans that the rapper who has the "best verse over this gets a free beat."

The track samples an AI-generated parody song of the same name by comedian King Willonius, and the title refers to Ross' nickname for Drake because of the "Hotline Bling" rapper's alleged cosmetic surgeries.

Hip-hop fans from around the world quickly jumped into the competition, and soon disses in multiple different languages were shared on the internet.

However, a day later, social media users shared screenshots of old X posts that they claimed were by Metro Boomin, in which the rapper appeared to joke about underage girls. Despite the posts not being verified, fans turned against the rapper, and "#MetroGroomin" started trending.

Representatives for Metro Boomin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

A security guard outside Drake's mansion is injured, and three people try to break into the home

In the week following the release of "Not Like Us," a shooting took place outside Drake's mansion, and there were also reports of people trying to break into the property.

On May 7, multiple outlets reported that there was a drive-by shooting outside Drake's mansion in Toronto.

Canadian publication CBC reported, citing Toronto police inspector Paul Krawczyk, that a security guard was shot and seriously injured outside Drake's mansion at Park Lane Circle. Krawczyk told CBC that the incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. ET and the attack involved a vehicle but did not say it was a drive-by shooting.

CBC said, citing a police source, that the security guard was taken to the hospital for surgery after he suffered a gunshot wound to the upper chest.

On May 8, CNN reported a person tried to enter Drake's mansion a day after the shooting.

Ashley Visser, a media relations officer for the Toronto Police Department, told CNN in a statement that officers apprehended the person under Ontario's Mental Health Act. The act allows officers to take a person they believe to be suffering from a mental disorder into custody to give them medical assistance.

TMZ reported on May 9, citing the Toronto Police Service, that a second person tried to enter Drake's property around 3:30 p.m. ET. In their report, TMZ said the person was taken to the hospital after they got into an altercation with security before cops arrived.

On May 11, TMZ reported that a third person tried to break into the home but was stopped by Drake's security. Toronto Police Service told TMZ that the man was later escorted off the property by the police.

Neither of these incidents was linked to the rap beef by officers, but tensions are high since they all occurred after the release of "Not Like Us."

Amid the incidents, Drake complained on his Instagram Story about the media helicopters surrounding his home.

On May 11, Drake wrote in a post addressing Canadian news organization CP24, "Can we discuss the chopper flight times over the house 'cause I won't lie, I'm trying to sleep. Anytime after 3 pm works great for me," he wrote.

Drake appears to have stepped down from the beef, and Lamar's label says the "battle is over"

Drake seemed to suggest he was bowing out of the feud with Lamar in "The Heart Part 6" when he said: "You could drop a hundred more records, I'll see you later / Yeah, maybe when you meet your maker / I don't wanna fight with a woman beater, it feeds your nature."

While some fans doubted this, it seems he was serious. On May 11, Drake posted an illustration of a samurai standing up against an army on his Instagram Story and captioned the post, "Good times. Summer vibes up next," which seemed to suggest he wouldn't release any more diss tracks.

That day, Anthony Tiffith posted on X: "This battle is over. A win for the culture, while keeping it all on wax. Especially when these publications try to make it something else. We proved them wrong. That's a victory within itself. On another note, it's time to wrap up this TDE 20yr anniversary compilation."

Lamar, Rick Ross, and Metro Boomin have not commented on whether they will also back down from the beef.

Lamar performs "Not Like Us" five times at his Juneteenth concert

On June 19, Lamar hosted a one-off concert to celebrate Juneteenth called "The Pop Out: Ken & Friends," which was live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch.

The event featured up-and-coming West Coast rappers and major Californian stars including Dr. Dre, Jay Rock and Tyler The Creator. Lamar closed the night with his own set, opening with "Euphoria."

During the performance, Lamar added a new line, "Give me Tupac's ring back and I might give you a little respect," referring to reports that Drake had bought a ring that belonged to Tupac Shakur.

Later in the set, Lamar performed "6:16" and "Like That." Lamar ended the night performing "Not Like Us" five times in a row, beginning with an intro by Dr. Dre who joined Lamar onstage.

During the third "Not Like Us" encore, West Coast performers, athletes, and gang members also joined Lamar onstage to dance to the song. Lamar then stopped the performance to get a group photo.

Lamar then told the audience the real focus of the concert was to bring West Coast performers and gang-members together and celebrate their loved ones who had been killed.

"For all of us to be on this stage together, unity, from East side mother-fucking LA, Crips, Bloods, Pirus, this shit is special, man. We put this shit together just for ya'll," Lamar said, referring to rival gang members onstage.

"Everybody got fallen sons but we're right here, right now celebrating all of them, this shit is special," he added.

After his speech, Lamar performed "Not Like Us" one more time.

During the rap beef, Drake has continually mocked the West Coast rap community, which Lamar hails from, and said the community does not support Lamar.

Lamar seemed to prove with the Juneteenth concert that the West Coast and the hip-hop community has his back.

Fans have dubbed the concert Lamar's "victory lap," saying he has won the rap beef. Some fans described the event as Lamar getting the West Coast to dance on Drake's grave.

Lamar releases a music video for "Not Like Us."

Exactly two months after releasing "Not Like Us," Lamar released a music video for the diss track on YouTube.

It stars with Lamar teasing an unreleased song before going into the "Not Like Us" track.

The music video appears to take numerous digs at his rival, including a recurring image of an owl, which is the logo of Drake's label.

The first time an owl appears, it is in the shape of a pinata, which Lamar breaks with a stick.

A disclaimer at the bottom of the screen reads, "No OVhoes were harmed in making this video."

Later in the video, Lamar puts an owl in the cage. Both scenes seem to suggest Lamar is declaring that he has defeated Drake.

Lamar's longtime partner Whitney Alford, their two children, and multiple other West Coast rappers, athletes, and dancers appear in the video, which was shot in Compton, California.

In November, Lamar surprised fans by dropping the album 'GNX,' which included several references to his feud with Drake

After months of silence, Lamar quietly released the 12-track album on Friday, November 22.

The rapper appeared to reference his high-profile beef with Drake in the album's opening track, "wacced out murals."

He raps: "Snoop posted 'Taylor Made,' I prayed it was the edibles/ I couldn't believe it, it was only right for me to let it go."

The lyrics reference how fellow rapper Snoop Dogg shared one of Drake's diss tracks, "Taylor Made Freestyle," to Instagram earlier this year (Snoop Dogg has said he would not be taking sides in the feud.)

Elsewhere on the album, there is a track named "heart pt. 6," reclaiming the song name from Drake, who previously released his own song titled "The Heart Part 6" as a taunt about Lamar's series of numbered "heart" tracks.

The surprise album has garnered positive initial reviews from critics, rounding off a transformative year for Lamar.

• Drake and Kendrick Lamar have exchanged nine diss tracks since "Like That" dropped in March.
• Hip-hop writers and critics favor Lamar in the feud, praising his songs as more persuasive.
• Lamar has extended his victory lap by surprise-releasing a new album, "GNX."

Drake and Kendrick Lamar were once considered collaborators, perhaps even friends.

Both rappers lent features to the other's 2011 albums ("Take Care" and "good kid, m.A.A.d city," respectively) and even teamed up with A$AP Rocky for the 2012 hit "F**kin' Problems."

Over the years, however, Drake and Lamar came to represent very different versions of hip-hop greatness: the former is a commercial juggernaut, racking up No. 1 albums and breaking chart records set by The Beatles, while the latter is a Grammy darling and acclaimed lyricist who's won a Pulitzer Prize.

Today, their separation is more apparent than ever: Drake and Lamar have become all-out foes.

In March, the Compton rapper used one simple line to reheat their long-simmering beef: "Motherfuck the big three, it's just big me."

The avowal appeared in Lamar's guest verse for "Like That," the sixth track on Future and Metro Boomin's collaborative album "We Don't Trust You."

When the album was released, attentive rap fans noted Lamar's sneaky reference to J. Cole's guest verse in the 2023 Drake hit "First Person Shooter."

"Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three like we started a league," Cole rapped, referencing Lamar's nickname "K-Dot" and Drake's birth name, Aubrey Graham.

While Cole backed down from the challenge, Drake did not. He released a pair of diss tracks aimed at Lamar, "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle."

In the former, Drake mocks Lamar's height with a reference to his latest Grammy-winning album, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers." ("How the fuck you big steppin' with a size-seven men's on?") The latter track opens with AI-generated advice from Tupac Shakur, whom Lamar has frequently been compared to. This strategy backfired, drawing criticism and legal threats from Shakur's estate; Drake removed the song from his social media.

Lamar finally responded after 11 days of silence, dropping an explicitly anti-Drake diss called "Euphoria."

The song contains layered insults about his rival's roots ("I'd rather do that than let a Canadian n**** make Pac turn in his grave"), Drake's track record as a dad ("I got a son to raise, but I can see you don't know nothin' 'bout that"), and long-stewing plastic surgery rumors ("Tell 'em where you get your abs from").

Even the title is likely a reference to Drake's role as executive producer on HBO's "Euphoria," a show that's been criticized for objectifying and sexualizing young girls. (None of the actors depicted having sex are actually teenagers.)

The drama didn't stop there. Less than 72 hours later, Lamar released "6:16 in LA," which sparked another response from Drake ("Family Matters"), which provoked two more jabs from Lamar ("Meet the Grahams" and "Not Like Us"), which finally led Drake to address criticism head-on ("The Heart Part 6").

As of writing, the rappers have exchanged a total of nine diss tracks (including "Like That") in a matter of weeks. It's the latest in a long, storied history of rap feuds, but even so, there's a lot to unpack here.

We broke down the key takeaways from hip-hop writers and culture critics.

After 'Euphoria,' critics said Lamar took round one

The unbridled energy of "Euphoria" has been widely praised by critics, even though Lamar's rebuttal came later than fans expected.

"Drake's 'Push Ups' and 'Taylor Made Freestyle' were solid efforts, but for my money, they didn't hit as hard as the 'Like That' verse or 'Euphoria,'" Angel Diaz wrote for Billboard. "This response was well worth the wait."

Similarly, music journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy commended Lamar's patience, writing on Medium, "There's a reason that he's known as hip-hop's reigning boogeyman."

"What's so great about 'Euphoria' is that it's six minutes and 24 seconds of rapping. Straight bars," Krishnamurthy wrote, comparing Lamar's "vicious" lyrical skill to Drake's "penchant for social media trolling and gimmicks."

"This is a rap battle," Krishnamurthy added. "The victor needs to showcase actual skill, wit, wordplay, and flow in order to take it."

In a track review for Pitchfork, Alphonse Pierre argued that Lamar's humor and passionate delivery help to sell the song — despite its underwhelming production and its lack of a "knockout blow."

"He sounds like he's been waiting years for this moment. 'I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk / I hate the way that you dress,' he raps; cliché, but it works because he sounds like he really means it," Pierre wrote.

Lamar declared, 'I'm the biggest hater,' and people are loving it

Drake is no stranger to diss tracks. Back in 2018, he was eviscerated by Pusha T's "The Story of Adidon," which Pierre said "set the bar for all future Drake teardowns."

Pusha T promoted the release with an old photo of Drake in blackface. In the song, he revealed that Drake had quietly fathered a child with an adult film star.

By contrast, "Euphoria" isn't especially specific or revelatory. Instead, what delighted critics is the sheer level of contempt that Lamar has been harboring for the Canadian chart-topper.

"This ain't been about critics, not about gimmicks, not about who the greatest / It's always been about love and hate, now let me say I'm the biggest hater," Lamar raps.

The lyric is probably a reference to a Breakfast Club interview with DMX in 2012 in which the rapper declared, "I don't like anything about Drake. I don't like his fucking voice. I don't like the shit he talks about. I don't like his face. I don't like the way he walks, nothing."

Pop culture writer Hunter Harris applauded Lamar's catty "war cry" in her newsletter "Hung Up," noting, "The meanest thing you can possibly do is to hate someone just because."

Zoe Guy echoed this sentiment in an article for Vulture, saluting Lamar for his "blatant honesty."

"We can only hope Lamar never relinquishes the hate in his heart, because we could go for another fiery verse or two," Guy wrote.

Music journalist Andre Gee agreed, contending that Lamar didn't need a big reveal or accusation for the song to land — he only needed to be energized by his own personal disdain.

"Some diss songs make listeners perceive an artist differently, but other disses say things people are already thinking in ways that they can't convey," Gee wrote for Rolling Stone. "The Cardo and Kyuro-produced 'Euphoria' is the latter. Kendrick doesn't say many new things, but the way he lobs his insults makes it a haymaker."

Social media users also put Lamar in the lead

Producer and DJ Marseel said on X that Drake "lost the culture" after the "Euphoria" drop, while culture critic Shamira Ibrahim wrote, "I'm actually shook at how disgusted Kendrick is with Drake."

The rapper and singer Tiger Goods celebrated Lamar's Gemini spirit, writing, "Real haters are detailed."

"Drake is responding because he has to," wrote Todd in the Shadows, a popular YouTube music reviewer. "Kendrick is doing this because he actively dislikes Drake."

Plenty of others noted Lamar's solo writing credit for "Euphoria," compared to three writing credits for Drake's "Push Ups," citing this as evidence of Lamar's superiority. (Drake has long been accused of using ghostwriters for his hits, a claim that Lamar has now repeated.)

"Kendrick absolutely ethered Drake," culture critic Ira Madison III wrote on X. "But as the male Taylor Swift, he is Teflon. His career will be just fine even if people hate him."

Critics praised Drake's rapping on 'Family Matters,' but Lamar's quick comeback gave him the upper hand again

Three days after Lamar released "Euphoria," Drake hit back with "Family Matters," a seven-minute song paired with a music video.

Drake begins the song with a disclaimer: "I was really, really tryna keep it PG." Then he goes after Lamar's family, accusing his opponent of infidelity and abuse: "They hired a crisis management team / To clean up the fact that you beat on your queen." (Lamar seemed to admit to having affairs in his latest album, "Mr. Morale," but as of writing, the domestic violence allegations are unsubstantiated.)

Drake also claims that one of Lamar's children with his fiancée, Whitney Alford, was actually fathered by Lamar's manager, Dave Free.

Journalists called the song "eviscerating" and "really real." Several opined that Drake rose to Lamar's challenge and delivered an impressive performance.

"In a vacuum, this song would be one of the strongest diss records of all time," David Dennis Jr. wrote for Andscape. "'Family Matters' is some of the best rapping Drake's done in his career. He knew he was up against the premier lyricist of our era, and he stepped up tremendously."

However, Drake's triumph was short-lived. Mere minutes later, Lamar countered with "Meet the Grahams," an open letter to members of Drake's family.

Throughout the song, Lamar addresses Drake's 6-year-old son ("Dear Adonis, I'm sorry that man is your father"), his mom ("Sandra, sit down, what I'm about to say is heavy, now listen / Your son's a sick man with sick thoughts"), his dad ("You raised a horrible fucking person, the nerve of you, Dennis"), and a mysterious 11-year-old daughter that he alleges Drake is hiding. (Drake denied this final point via Instagram.)

The brutal tone of the track, paired with the speed of its delivery, quickly returned the edge to Lamar.

As Charles Holmes wrote for The Ringer, "The quality of the most recent diss tracks became irrelevant the minute Kendrick outmaneuvered Drake by releasing 'Meet the Grahams' about an hour after 'Family Matters' dropped."

The next morning, Lamar stayed on the offensive with "Not Like Us," in which he explicitly accuses Drake of pedophilia and harboring sex offenders in his OVO camp. (Back in 2010, Drake did kiss a teenager onstage during a concert. He has also been criticized for questionable relationships with minors, including Billie Eilish and Bella Harris, though he has never faced official accusations of sexual misconduct.)

During a live-streamed reaction, music reviewer Anthony Fantano described the one-two punch as a "terminal case" for Drake.

"Drake could throw in the towel. It's starting to look like that might need to happen," Fantano said, adding, "This is pretty devastating."

Indeed, writers and editors at The Ringer have since crowned "Not Like Us" the seventh-greatest diss track in history.

"A fire can melt snow, but it's got no chance against an avalanche. That's effectively what it felt like watching 'Family Matters' go up against this Kendrick onslaught," Justin Sayles wrote. "This thing is over. Kendrick's legacy is secure. The only question now is what happens to Drake's."

Drake shot back with 'The Heart Part 6,' but it didn't sway public opinion in his favor

On Sunday night, Drake released another diss track, named in the style of Lamar's long-running "The Heart" series. (Lamar's latest installment was the Grammy-winning single "The Heart Part 5," released in 2022.)

Drake uses the song to address Lamar's accusations of pedophilia, explicitly denying any inappropriate behavior. He even name-drops "Stranger Things" actor Millie Bobby Brown, whom Drake befriended when she was 14 years old, though Lamar has never mentioned her.

"Just for clarity, I feel disgusted, I'm too respected / If I was fucking young girls, I promise I'd have been arrested," Drake raps. "I'm way too famous for this shit you just suggested."

The Toronto native also claims that his own team leaked false rumors of a secret daughter to bait Lamar: "We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information," he raps. "You gotta learn to fact-check things and be less impatient."

In the spoken-word outro, Drake calls Lamar a liar and implies that he's done with their back-and-forth.

However, spectators online don't seem impressed with Drake's defensive maneuver. Some have compared "The Heart Part 6" to a scene from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," in which a character says, "There is no quicker way for people to think that you are 'diddling kids' than by writing a song about it."

Many also noted that Drake's core argument — that he's "too famous" to get away with criminal behavior — contradicts well-documented evidence that fame and wealth can help people evade consequences.

"Drake's argument against the pedophilia allegations is 'if I was really fucking young girls I promise I'd have been arrested' UHHH WHAT??? Rich famous men don't get away with such crimes everyday???" lawyer and political commentator Olayemi Olurin wrote on X.

Critics broadly agreed that "The Heart Part 6" did not improve Drake's image.

Pitchfork contributor Evan Rytlewski wrote on X, "This is one of the worst songs I've ever heard, extremely ugly shit." Krishnamurthy opined that Drake's "credibility and integrity need work," whether or not Lamar's accusations are true.

"He sounds beaten-down and cold, spending nearly six minutes calling Kendrick a bad investigative journalist, attempting to mock the molestation story in Kendrick's 'Mother I Sober,' and disputing claims that he's had relationships with underage girls in the worst way possible," Pierre wrote for Pitchfork. "It's a miserable song. He sounds washed and exiled."

But even as critics declare Lamar as the victor, several have called for the cutthroat exchange to end here — especially given the dark accusations of misogyny and depravity that have been thrown in both directions.

"Drake and Kendrick don't have the politics to be doing all this," Holmes wrote. "As with most hip-hop beefs, we've ended up where we were always destined to — men using women, wives, baby mothers, parents, and children in increasingly gross and depraved ways to satisfy their rabid egos."

Lamar never responded to "The Heart Part 6."

Lamar seemed to cement his victory with a Juneteenth concert and a music video for 'Not Like Us'

"Not Like Us" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Family Matters" debuted at No. 7 — a devastating blow to Drake, whose biggest leg up on Lamar was thought to be his commercial appeal.

Lamar flexed the popularity of his diss tracks during a one-night-only Juneteenth concert in Inglewood, California, dubbed "The Pop Out: Ken and Friends," which he opened with "Euphoria."

To close the show, Lamar performed "Not Like Us" five times in a row — six including an instrumental-only version. He was joined onstage by a huge array of guests, including West Coast rappers, athletes, and dancers. "This is unity at its finest," Lamar told the crowd.

The event was widely celebrated as Lamar's victory lap, cementing his support from both fans and members of the hip-hop community. According to NBC News, "SIX TIMES" began trending on X shortly after the concert ended.

"It was hard to overlook the fact that the thing unifying the coast in this moment was not love but hate, and Kendrick, the self-proclaimed biggest Drake hater, was primarily operating in his capacity as speaker for the culture in his personal war with the Toronto high roller," Sheldon Pearce wrote for NPR. "If the matter wasn't settled before, then it certainly is now."

But Lamar wasn't finished there. On July 4, he released an official music video for "Not Like Us," co-directed by Lamar and Free, which is packed with unsubtle references to Drake and their feud.

In one scene, Lamar repeatedly whacks an owl-shaped piñata while a disclaimer flashes across the screen: "NO OVHOES WERE HARMED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS VIDEO." Of course, the logo for Drake's brand, October's Very Own, is an owl.

The video ends with Lamar leaving an owl trapped in a birdcage.

The visual also serves as an indirect rebuttal to Drake's claims about Lamar's home life. Lamar's fiancée and their two children make a rare appearance, dancing along to "Not Like Us" and standing together as a family, both literally and symbolically.

Once again, the video was treated as a "victory lap" in headlines and on social media. It has also been described as "triumphal" (Pitchfork), "celebratory" (Complex), "the most anticipated video of the year" (Billboard), and "the cap on Lamar's definitive victory over Drake" (The Hollywood Reporter).

But Lamar's victory lap seems to have no finish line. In the following months, he continued to shore up support from the music industry, clinching a spot as the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show and racking up seven Grammy nominations, including both record and song of the year for "Not Like Us."

Lamar surprise-dropped a new album, which includes his own version of 'The Heart Part 6'

Lamar released his new album "GNX" one hour after sharing a teaser on YouTube.

The opening track, "Wacced Out Murals," doesn't name Drake but seems to double down on Lamar's brutal feud strategy: "I never peaced it up, that shit don't sit well with me," he raps. "Before I take a truce, I'll take 'em to Hell with me."

Lamar also calls out Snoop Dogg for sharing "Taylor Made Freestyle," Drake's ill-fated diss track from April, on his Instagram Story: "Snoop posted 'Taylor Made,' I prayed it was the edibles / I couldn't believe it, it was only right for me to let it go."

Most notably, the tracklist includes the next installment in Lamar's "The Heart" series, titled "Heart Pt. 6." The song doesn't reference Drake directly, but the near-identical title serves to eclipse Drake's final diss track.

Shortly after "GNX" arrived, critics and fans were already celebrating "Heart Pt. 6" as a "special song" and another of Lamar's brilliant chess moves — though others joked that Drake should be thankful that his version will be forgotten.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.