Cross-border beef: How Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s rap feud escalated in a matter of weeks

A long-running feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults in a succession of diss tracks.

After a security guard outside Drake’s Toronto home was seriously injured in an overnight shooting Tuesday, local police answered questions about any potential link between the dispute and the violent incident. However, investigators say it’s too early to talk about the reason.

IN PHOTOS: Scenes outside Drake’s mansion after security guard is shot

Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the current dispute.

The key players: At its center are Toronto rapper Drake, 37, and Lamar, 36, raised in Compton, California, who were once friends and collaborators. Lamar appeared on a song on Drake’s 2011 album, “Take Care,” while Drake returned the favor a little over a year later by appearing on Lamar’s debut, “Good Kid, MAAD City.”

Lamar first attacked Drake in an appearance on Big Sean’s 2013 single “Control,” rapping a verse that suggested he was poised to eclipse his career, along with fellow respected stars Pusha T, Meek Mill and A$AP Rocky. .

The climb: Last October, Drake released the song “First Person Shooter” from his album “For All the Dogs.” In it, guest rapper J. Cole refers to himself, Lamar and Drake as “the big three” of rap.

In March, it became clear that Lamar didn’t like being lumped in with the other two. When rappers Future and Metro Boomin released their album “We Don’t Trust You” that month, it included several veiled disses at Drake and at least one overt one in a guest appearance by Lamar. The song “Like That” culminates with the Pulitzer winner refuting any notion of a “big three,” saying matter-of-factly, “I’m just one big me.”

“We Don’t Trust You” also confirmed a rumored breakup between Drake and his former friends and collaborators. Future and Drake released and toured their 2015 album “What a Time to Be Alive,” which was produced by Metro Boomin.

In April, just three weeks after their first album excited the rap community, Future and Metro Boomin returned with a scathing follow-up, “We Still Don’t Trust You.” The album leaned into Drake’s troubled relationships, with a track sung by The Weeknd, a Toronto singer who first befriended Drake when they were both rising stars. Another track features A$AP Rocky, Rihanna’s longtime partner, whom Drake once pursued romantically.

The battle begins: Within days, Drake releases “Push Ups,” a diss track with attacks on Metro Boomin, Future and particularly Lamar, who he insinuates is soft and lagging behind his contemporaries. He makes fun of his shoe size and his decision to appear on pop hits by Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift.

Shortly after, Drake posts “Taylor Made Freestyle” to his Instagram, which features AI-generated vocals from Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg to egg Lamar on. Fake Shakur suggests Lamar defend West Coast hip-hop on his behalf, while fake Snoop urges Lamar to give an answer faster. Drake removes the song from his social media after Shakur’s estate threatens legal action.

A little over a week passes before Lamar responds with “Euphoria,” an allusion to Drake’s executive producing role on the hit HBO series. The song carries notable disdain as he accuses Drake of undergoing plastic surgery and calls him a bad father.

Personal insults: Three days after “Euphoria,” Lamar surprise releases “6:16 in LA” on his Instagram. The song is co-produced by Swift’s longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff and is seen as a reaction to Drake dragging the pop superstar into the conflict. Lamar mocks Drake’s habit of titling songs with times and places.

On Friday night, Drake went crazy on Lamar with the seven-minute song “Family Matters,” which alleges infidelity and accuses Lamar of abusing his fiancée, Whitney Alford. An accompanying music video shows a minivan sent to a crusher, an allusion to the van that appears on the cover of Lamar’s debut album.

Less than an hour later, Lamar drops “Meet The Grahams,” which takes aim at the family of the Toronto rapper, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, and suggests he has a secret daughter. “Not Like Us,” another diss track, drops overnight with Lamar rapping a series of specific personal insults, many of them surrounding his accusation that Drake is attracted to underage girls. . The single’s cover features a Google Maps image of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion.

Drake resurfaces Sunday night with “The Heart Part 6,” named after a deeply personal, multi-part rap song series released by Lamar over the years. This time, Drake claims he fed rumors of a secret daughter through her channels as bait, adding, “I would never look twice at any teenager.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2024.