A complete timeline of Kendrick Lamar and Drake's beef, from its origins to Kendrick's surprise new album 'GNX'
- 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" โ 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.
Drake officially addresses Kendrick Lamar on stage โI got my head held high, my back straight, Iโm ten f**king toes downโฆ and I know no matter what thereโs not another n**ga that could ever f*ck with me on this Earthโ pic.twitter.com/4xJZ1kX8uS
โ Grand/THE WIZRD๐ฎโถ๐ (@grandwizardcn) March 25, 2024
"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.
J.Cole speaks on his response to Kendrick and says it hasnโt felt good or right with his spirit, calling his own response โcornyโ and telling Kendrick to return his best shot if he feels a way pic.twitter.com/jan2jctfk9
โ Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) April 8, 2024
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 โ 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 andโฆ," 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 โ Tupac's home city โ 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
best verse over this gets a free beatjust upload your song and hashtag #bbldrizzybeatgiveaway https://t.co/YDULmWYm0M
โ Metro Boomin (@MetroBoomin) May 5, 2024
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
The entire West Coast united on stage for the finale of Kendrick Lamar & Friends The Pop Out pic.twitter.com/9Y36quV8hm
โ Modern Notoriety (@ModernNotoriety) June 20, 2024
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.