The feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake has really hit a personal note. Recently, Kendrick used a photo of Drake’s home—the very place where a shooting recently happened—on one of his album covers. I know that Kendrick probably didn’t mean any harm with that, especially since I saw him just five days later at the VMAs, and everything was cool between us. Just so you know, those markers are similar to what you’d see on a sex offender registry, showing offenders in your area.
Honestly, I can’t see myself going bar for bar with Drake—we’re just different kinds of artists. But this feud has escalated dangerously. Drake’s bodyguard was recently shot and is now in critical condition. Even with all this violence around Drake’s home, Kendrick seems to be fueling the fire, making it clear he wants to push Drake out of the music scene. It’s wild to think that these two rappers, who once got along so well, have turned into such bitter rivals. Let’s dive into this.
If you’re not subscribed to the “Let’s Get Into It” podcast, you’re only getting half the story. For more detailed videos and my deeper insights, check out the “Let’s Get Into It” podcast linked in the description below. We really need to talk about how dangerous this feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has become—it’s time for things to cool down before anyone else gets hurt. You’ve probably heard about the shooting outside Drake’s home, and it turns out this beef has been brewing for a long time. To be honest, I wasn’t fully aware of just how deep this rivalry goes, and it’s been exhausting to research.
So, what happened this past weekend? A couple of diss tracks dropped, and things went way too far. The songs were loaded with allegations about inappropriate behavior, domestic issues, body changes, and even questions about parentage. They’ve really gone all out to get under each other’s skin. Let’s rewind and look at how this all started.
It all began back in 2011 when Kendrick Lamar was just starting to make waves in the music world. At that time, he and Drake were on good terms. In fact, Drake even invited Kendrick to tour with him early in Kendrick’s career. They weren’t just friendly—they were collaborating and supporting each other. Kendrick once called Drake a genuine soul and shared that Drake was the first person outside his inner circle to hear his debut album. This close start might explain why their feud feels so intense—because they began as more than just colleagues.
Back around the time Kendrick Lamar released his second album, which featured Drake, we started to notice some tension between the two. It was clear they had different attitudes towards fame and wealth. Drake was all about the glitz, the glam, and showing off his success, while Kendrick took a more critical stance on that kind of stuff. Kendrick tends to keep his personal life off social media, whereas Drake often flaunts his lavish lifestyle to his millions of followers. Kendrick has even spoken out about disliking the whole money-and-fame bragging culture, which you can also hear in his music.
As Kendrick’s career took off with major awards and widespread acclaim, things between him and Drake seemed to cool off. Drake continued to publicly congratulate Kendrick until 2013, when Kendrick dropped a memorable verse on Big Sean’s track “Control.” In it, Kendrick declared himself superior to other rappers, including Drake, which didn’t sit well with him.
I remember when Big Sean was a huge name in rap. His songs were playing everywhere when I was in college. But in 2013, he had Kendrick Lamar feature on “Control,” where Kendrick raps, “I got love for all of y’all, but I’m trying to kill you, trying to make sure your core fans never heard of you.” He called out several rappers by name, including Drake. Seeing Mac Miller’s name in there was tough, especially knowing what he was going through at the time. Kendrick was definitely making some bold statements.
Drake addressed the situation in a live interview, acknowledging Kendrick’s verse as a big moment but brushing off any hard feelings. He mentioned running into Kendrick at the VMAs shortly after, and their interaction was all love, suggesting there was no real bad blood.
But then, when Drake released his third album, Nothing Was the Same, it seemed like he took a swipe at Kendrick on the track “The Language.” He raps, “F any people that’s talking crap just to get a reaction,” and refers to himself as “the kid with the motor mouth.” He also seems to mock Kendrick’s stance on wealth with lines like, “These people downplaying the money, but that’s what you do when the money’s down,” suggesting Kendrick might only criticize wealth if he didn’t have it himself. From there, the public back-and-forth between them only grew more frequent.
At the 2014 Grammys, Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore were both up for Album of the Year, but Macklemore ended up winning. Feeling a bit guilty about it, Macklemore texted Kendrick and even posted a screenshot of their conversation on Instagram. It was a bit odd to share a private text like that, but Macklemore wanted to make it clear that he thought Kendrick deserved the award and was trying to give him the recognition he felt was due.
Drake didn’t take too kindly to Macklemore’s public apology. In an interview, he called out Macklemore, saying the apology seemed insincere. Drake felt that if Macklemore was going to apologize, he should have done it to all the nominees, not just Kendrick. Drake’s reaction seemed to be fueled by his own frustration over Macklemore’s success and the fact that he was overlooked.
Fast forward to 2015, and both Kendrick and Drake dropped albums around the same time, sparking more tension between the two. Fans and media started comparing them, and Kendrick took the chance to highlight what he saw as the difference between his music and Drake’s. He implied that Drake’s music was more pop-oriented while his own was more socially aware. Kendrick’s comments were seen by some as a jab at Drake, though others agreed with Kendrick’s perspective. After all, Kendrick’s lyrics had even been chanted at protests, adding a deeper layer of meaning to his work compared to Drake’s more mainstream hits.
The situation got even messier when Meek Mill jumped in and accused Drake of using a ghostwriter. Meek Mill tweeted, “Stop comparing Drake to me. He didn’t write his own raps. That’s why he didn’t tweet my album, because we found out.” This only added to the drama, and Drake, despite not being directly involved in the Meek Mill feud, decided to weigh in, further fueling the ongoing conflict.
Drake recently defended himself, explaining, “Sometimes I need other people to spark an idea so I can really take off. Music is often a collaborative process—who came up with this? Who came up with that? I know it takes me to execute everything I’ve done up until now, and I’m not ashamed of that.” It’s true—many of our favorite songs have multiple writers involved. Drake continued, “I’m not embarrassed about what I did on that album. I worked with someone on a track or two, but I’m proud of it.” He also noted that some people seem to enjoy seeing others fail.
Kendrick Lamar has even been mentioned in some of Drake’s songs. In 2018, Kendrick released “King’s Dead” from the “Black Panther” album, and some fans thought it might be a subtle dig at Drake. There’s a line where Kendrick raps, “I got to tell my friend, ‘Don’t hang with him. He’s a loser, too. He’ll be fine, but he’s just gonna be on the sidelines.’” Many took this as a jab at Drake’s image.
Looking at it honestly, I think this feud could have been avoided if they’d made up when they had the chance. As it stands, it doesn’t seem like this rivalry will settle down anytime soon. Kendrick is more reserved, while Drake is more public, which might keep this feud alive. Kendrick could throw more subtle shots in future tracks, and Drake might respond. For now, neither artist seems interested in making amends, and if this continues, it might just cause more drama and tension, especially among their fans.