Drake has recently released a response track aimed at Kendrick, Future, Metro Boomin, and even Rick Ross. The song serves as a diss track, with Drake addressing the various conflicts he finds himself in, including the numerous diss tracks on the “We Don’t Trust You” album. From tracks like “Like That,” “Princess Diana,” and “ALT” to “Myself,” Drake’s new song, “Push-ups” (also known as “Drop and Give Me 50”), kicks off with the lines: “I can never be nobody’s number one fan, you’re first number one, I had to put it in your hands.” This directly responds to Future’s lyrics. Four years ago, Drake collaborated with Future on the track “Life is Good,” which amassed over 2 billion views on YouTube, becoming one of Future’s biggest hits. Now, in the intro track of the “We Don’t Trust You” album, Future raps: “You’re a number one fan, dog sneak dissing, I don’t understand, dog hello talking, acting like a Fed dog, I don’t need another fake friend.” Drake felt compelled to address this line, as he was instrumental in giving Future his first number one hit. So, how could Drake be considered Future’s number one fan?
In a later verse of the track, Drake directly addresses a diss from Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That,” where Kendrick asserts, “Think I won’t drop the location, I still got it, f The Big Three, it’s just big me, I’m really like that, and your best work is a light pack.” Kendrick’s words were aimed squarely at Drake and J. Cole, referring to the “big three” of hip-hop, a group encompassing himself, J. Cole, and Drake, who rose to prominence in the early 2000s. However, Drake aims to set the record straight, emphasizing that Kendrick Lamar no longer holds a spot in the hip-hop hierarchy.
In “Push-ups,” Drake fires back with bars like, “You ain’t in no big three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, and Savage got you wiped down,” making it clear that Kendrick is no longer considered part of any significant trio in the genre. Drake highlights how newer artists in the industry have eclipsed Kendrick’s presence on the charts, outselling him by a considerable margin.
However, there was one subtle jab that flew under the radar, unnoticed by many: the title of Drake’s response track. It’s actually a veiled dig at Kendrick Lamar. A tweet went viral after Drake’s comment “dropping give me 50,” suggesting he wasn’t referring to push-ups. Instead, it hinted at Kendrick Lamar’s contractual arrangement, where “50%” of his earnings reportedly go to Anthony “Top Dawg,” associated with the TDE label. Essentially, Drake seems to be urging Kendrick to release music just to fork over half of his profits. This revelation carries significant weight in the music industry. It’s widely held that you can’t be considered a top-tier rapper if you’re still giving away half of your earnings to record labels. Drake appears to be ridiculing Kendrick for being stuck in what’s typically considered a rookie contract, despite his veteran status in the industry. In essence, only emerging artists are typically tied to 50/50 contracts, yet Kendrick Lamar seems to still be bound by one.
Drake’s subsequent diss track would ultimately dominate the internet. In his song “Push-ups,” Drake delivers the line: “I’ll, why with some bodyguards just like Whitney.” For those unfamiliar, a tweet highlighted the significance of the “Whitney bar.” Allegedly, Kendrick Lamar’s partner was unfaithful with his security detail. The mention of “Wy” engaging in push-ups in the park pushed the boundaries for many, sparking debate about whether it crossed a line for a diss track. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Upon delving deeper into the beef, a curious discovery awaits. Last week, J. Cole unveiled a mixtape dubbed “Might Delete Later,” featuring a track named “7-minute Drill” – a direct jab at Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Metro Boomin. However, just before the stroke of midnight heralding the release of Future and Metro’s sophomore album, “We Still Don’t Trust You,” J. Cole opted to pull the diss track from his tape. Reports surfaced, stating, “J. Cole has officially removed his Kendrick Lamar diss track ‘7-minute Drill’ from streaming services,” leaving fans puzzled by the sudden deletion. Yet, clarity dawned at the album’s release: J. Cole featured on “We Still Don’t Trust You,” hinting at a potential allegiance shift towards Drake.
On Thursday night, fans were taken aback by the surprise appearance of J. Cole on the track “Red Leather” from Future and Metro Boomin’s latest album. Initially, speculation arose that Cole’s verse might have been recorded post his apology to Kendrick Lamar, given certain lyrical content. However, many fans pointed to a video wherein J. Cole mentioned being in the studio with Metro Boomin several months prior. Subsequently, Rob Markman confirmed, via a source, that the verse was indeed recorded before the release of “Like That.” Nevertheless, irrespective of the timing of its recording, Cole still had to authorize its inclusion on the album. This move comes shortly after his collaboration with Drake on “The Off-Season” and his recent statement expressing a desire to avoid involvement in any disputes. Despite this, he opted to contribute to a verse alongside artists known for their tensions with Drake.
ASAP Rocky makes a notable appearance on the latest album, where a tweet suggests a potential diss aimed at Drake. In a verse on Metro Boomin and Future’s new album, Rocky delivers the lines: “Blacko, h, at first, son, still don’t trust you, always us never them.” Additionally, he remarks, “Heard you dropped your latest stuff, funny how it came and went.” This contribution has stirred speculation and discussion, especially in the context of the ongoing trend of artists seemingly targeting Drake. Given that ASAP Rocky hasn’t released any new music since 2018, fans are particularly puzzled by his decision to engage in such a manner.
When Drake catches wind of the diss track aimed at him by other rappers, his response is swift. It all starts with a tweet announcing, “Rick Ross and Nav have unfollowed Drake on Instagram after Metro and Future diss Drake.” Drake’s initial reaction comes in the form of a tweet: “I ain’t picking up, I’m in Turks, little baby.” This clever retort is a clear reference to Nav’s lyrics, subtly calling out Nav for unfollowing him on Instagram.
Drake later responded to Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics on the track “Like That” by sharing an Instagram post featuring an image of someone mining for diamonds. This move was seemingly aimed at provoking a reaction from Kendrick. Kendrick’s lyrics on “Like That” included the lines: “For all your dogs getting put to rest, that’s okay, with all these nines, he going to see a pet cemetery.” Drake interpreted these lyrics as a reference to his rumored “For All The Dogs” album, speculating that Kendrick might have desired a feature on it. Kendrick’s mention of “K” and “nines” seemed to allude to “K9” and concluded with a reference to a pet resting place. Following the song’s release, a photo surfaced showing Drake with headphones, wearing a discontented expression, leading many to speculate that he was listening to Kendrick’s diss track.
However, the narrative takes a deeper turn. In the track “Like That,” Kendrick Lamar drops a notable verse: “F sneak diss in first person, I hope they come in with three switches,” a clear nod to the significant figures in the rap game. Yet, he delves further, weaving references to Drake and J. Cole’s collaborative hit “First Person.” J. Cole’s verse in “First Person” includes the line, “Everybody steppers, well eff it then, everybody breakfast, and I’m about to clear up my plate.” Here, “steppers” likely alludes to Kendrick’s recent album, “Mr. Morale in the Big Steppers,” while “clearing my plate” hints at prevailing as the superior rapper over Kendrick and Drake.
Drake, in his verse, poses the question, “Who the goat rapper is?” employing a shrewd double entendre to imply that only he and J. Cole are contenders for the title of the greatest of all time, subtly sidelining Kendrick. Notably, J. Cole’s contribution to “First Person” further fuels the discourse, as he asserts, “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.”
Yet, it was a single viral tweet that sent shockwaves through the rap community, igniting a frenzy on Twitter. The tweet proclaimed, “Y’all didn’t catch the disses at Drake because y’all were too worried about Kendrick. Here’s another diss at Drake from Metro and Future,” insinuating that 21 Savage’s assertion that Future holds more sway than Drake in the streets went unnoticed amidst the focus on Kendrick Lamar.
Prior to the outro dissection, Future alters his rhythm sans autotune, asserting his capability to emulate Drake’s style while highlighting his own prowess in true rap. Regrettably, the outro audio, sourced from a movie, cannot be played due to copyright restrictions. In the snippet, a character implies that certain music genres, despite their vast popularity elsewhere, receive scant attention in the hood. This sentiment echoes 21 Savage’s remarks about Drake in an interview, wherein he suggests that as a rapper himself, he grasps the depth of Drake’s efforts, transcending mere statistical achievements. To the ordinary street dweller, these accolades hold little relevance; instead, the measure of an artist’s prominence lies in their club performance and ticket sales. In locales like Atlanta, where Future reigns supreme, it’s challenging to convince locals that Drake holds a higher stature. This stance challenges previous notions of Drake’s dominance.