The hip-hop world anticipated a lyrical showdown between two giants, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and it has arrived with full force. Their once collaborative relationship, marked by early career features on each other’s tracks, has devolved into a fiery feud ignited by Lamar’s scathing verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You album, released on March 22, 2024. This track served as the opening shot in what is rapidly becoming a legendary rap battle.
Kendrick Lamar & Drake
Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” diss track segment wasted no time in aiming directly at Drake and J. Cole. Lines like, “Yeah, get up with me, f–k sneak dissing/’First Person Shooter,’ I hope they came with three switches,” immediately set a confrontational tone. He further escalated the diss with the powerful declaration, “Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD/ Motherf–k the Big Three, n—a, it’s just big me,” directly challenging the established hierarchy and asserting his dominance. This bold statement immediately sent shockwaves through the music industry and ignited intense fan discussions about the future of hip-hop’s “Big Three.”
While Drake hadn’t formally responded with a diss track at that moment, he addressed Lamar’s challenge during his concert in Sunrise, Florida, on March 24, 2024.
Drake
Speaking to the crowd, Drake addressed the brewing conflict, stating, “A lot of people ask me how I’m feeling. I’m a let you know how I’m feeling. Listen, the same way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out this building tonight,” he proclaimed, projecting confidence and defiance. “I got my f–king head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 f–king toes down in Florida and anywhere else I go. And I know that no matter what, it’s not a n—a on this earth that could ever f–k with me in my life!” This onstage declaration served as Drake’s initial, albeit non-musical, response to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, signaling that the feud was far from one-sided and setting the stage for further developments in this high-stakes rap rivalry.
Billboard is closely following the unfolding narrative of Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s relationship, charting its transformation from collaboration and competition to outright conflict. The hip-hop world is watching intently as this lyrical battle evolves.
