The rap industry is divided with virulent songs and scathing replies. On one side, the Canadian rapper. On the other, several big American names. An open conflict where ego wars, old enmities and old stories of the heart mix.
The rap world is in turmoil. In recent weeks, the biggest global stars in the industry have declared war on each other, with Drake and Kendrick Lamar in the lead. The Canadian singer and his Californian counterpart are the main protagonists of a clash, in which other renowned artists are involved, such as rappers Future, J. Cole, Kanye West, Rick Ross and A$AP Rocky. “Diss tracks”, these virulent songs, a usual exercise in rap, are multiplying. The latest, Euphoriasigned Kendrick Lamar and published Tuesday April 31, is only the response to that of Drake, Push Ups, released mid-April. Franceinfo summarizes this quarrel which keeps the fans in suspense and which stirs up ego, glory, old rivalry, big money and stories of the heart.
Drake and Future civil war #WEDONTTRUSTYOU pic.twitter.com/9AM1gg9SVB
— numb (@numbblond) March 24, 2024
Kendrick Lamar sets things on fire
It all obviously starts with a song. On March 22, producer Metro Boomin, originally from Saint Louis (Missouri), and Future, the rapper from Atlanta (Georgia), unveil their joint album We Don’t Trust You. There is the title Like That with Kendrick Lamar, in which the rapper sings “Motherfuck The Big Three, N…, It’s Just Big Me” (“Fuck his mother, the top three, N…, it’s just me”).
Kendrick Lamar then responds to the title First Person Shooterwhich brought together Drake and rapper J. Cole, appeared on the former’s album, For All The Dogs, in October. J. Cole refers to the “Big Three”, the Top 3 of current rappers, namely him, Drake and… Kendrick Lamar. This trio became known in the early 2010s and its members have collaborated on several titles.
Already in 2013, Kendrick Lamar took on his rivals in the title Control. More than ten years later, rap and its actors are still agitated around the only question that matters in this musical environment: who is number one? This rhyme from Kendrick Lamar in Like That takes on particular importance, because it appears on the project of Future and Metro Boomin, two artists used to collaborating with Drake. But these two had started to distance themselves from the Toronto star. Without us really knowing why.
J. Cole responds before turning around
The repercussions will not take long to be felt. J. Cole draws first by releasing, by surprise, his album Might Delete Later, April 5. He responds, without naming him, to Kendrick Lamar with the title 7 Minute Drill which closes the opus. “He still does concerts, but he has regressed like the Simpson. Tour first project was a classic, your last was tragic. Your second project put everyone to sleep, we overrated it. Your third project was massive and it was your ‘bonus'”he declaims, referring to Kendrick Lamar’s albums.
J. Cole, however, has the reputation of being a rather respectful and caring rapper, far from the escapades with which we might associate some of his competitors. If he had indeed attacked Kanye West, without always naming him, on False Prophets in 2016, one of his rare virulent titles, Jermaine Cole, his real name, is far from being a regular at clashes. A reputation that he will confirm two days later.
On stage at the Dreamville Fest in Raleigh (North Carolina) on April 6 and 7, J. Cole apologized after his diss track against Kendrick Lamar. “I am very proud of Might Delete Later, with the exception of one part. This song makes me feel like it’s the lamest project I’ve ever done in my life.”he declares. “I have strayed from the path I have been on for the last ten years”he adds before asking the audience if they think that Kendrick Lamar “is one of the best rappers in history?” “You love him don’t you?” he added. The public approves. “Me too”he replies.
“I messed up. I pray he didn’t take it the wrong way. I apologize to all of you.”
J. Cole, rapperon stage at Dreamville Fest
The title disappears from the platforms, but J. Cole has not finished surprising. Friday April 12 comes out We Still Don’t Trust You, the follow-up to Future and Metro Boomin’s project that set things on fire. And who do we find on Red Leather, the last title? J.Cole! A very surprising presence, even if he doesn’t directly attack Drake in his verse.
The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky and Kanye West get involved
This second project, We Still Don’t Trust You, is the most virulent against Drake. Several distinguished guests target him: A$AP Rocky, American rap heavyweight, native of New York; The Weeknd, the other world-famous Canadian popstar, but also Kanye West. The first, in a relationship with Rihanna, pays Drake, who has also been sensitive in the past to the charms of the interpreter ofUmbrella. “These n****s swear they got the baddest chicks, I just caught the baddest. These n****s have feelings about women, what, you’re hurt or something like that ?” he raps on Show of Hands.
The Weeknd also collaborated with Drake in the early 2010s. But he ended up choosing the other camp, that of Future and Metro Boomin, and attacks Drake, in particular on his propensity to appear on social networks : “They can never go after my brothers, baby. I thank God that they never gave up on my life. Their shooters are making TikToks”he sings on All To Myself.
Kanye West, for his part, has already fallen out with Drake before reconciling in 2021. Guest on the remix of Like Thatthe title on which Kendrick Lamar sparked hostilities, Kanye West attacks the Canadian and J. Cole. “You’re so out of sight and out of mind. I can’t even think of a Drake line. Play J. Cole, just to bore you.”, he exclaims. Interviewed during The Download podcast, Kanye West said he was contacted by Future: “I went to the studio, put this down and then we went through the creative process… You know, everyone was very, very excited about Drake being eliminated. Not excited, we were full of energy .”
Drake eventually fought back
After weeks of suffering attacks and being content with messages on social networks to say that“he keeps his head high” or having fun with actress Uma Thurman who asked him if he needed his costume Kill Bill to defend himself, Drake responds in music with the title Push Ups, April 13. He enjoys what he defines as “a 20 to 1” and everyone gets what they deserve. Future? “I can never be anyone’s number one fanhe said. Your first number one, I gave it to you on a platter”in reference to the title Way 2 Sexyreleased in 2021 on an album by Drake, which earned Future his first appearance at the top of the Billboard charts.
Producer Metro Boomin? “I got more love than you do in your own city. Metro, shut the fuck up and make some drums.” He also responds to Rick Ross, another heavyweight of American rap, who attacked him, with the title Champagne Moments. “This n***a is turning 50, every song that’s been on the charts was with Drizzy [un des surnoms que Drake se donne]“he assures.
But Drake’s number 1 target remains Kendrick Lamar. “How can you consider yourself a big man when you’re a size 40?” he mocks, Kendrick Lamar’s shoe size serving as an illustration for the title. He also attacks the Californian rapper on his collaborations with Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift. “You’re not in the Top 3. SZA erased you, Travis erased you, Savage erased you like all the people on your label…” he adds, citing three other big names in rap.
Another response will follow a few days later with the title Taylor Made Freestyle, made with artificial intelligence to bring out the voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg. Why them? These are two legends from the west coast, where Kendrick Lamar comes from, in order to put pressure on him, who has still not given any sign of life since the start of the affair.
Kendrick Lamar breaks his silence
Kendrick Lamar breaks silence Tuesday with title Euphoria, reference to the series with Zendaya, of which Drake is one of the producers. For more than six minutes, the Californian rapper attacks Drake, evoking from the first seconds a “famous actor that we once knew”in reference to the role played by his rival in the teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation.
He presents himself as the “Biggest Hater” (“the biggest hater”) of the Canadian. “I hate the way you walk, the way you talk, I hate the way you dresshe adds. I like Drake with melodies, I don’t like Drake when he plays tough.” On Instagram, the Toronto native simply reacted by posting an excerpt from the film Ten good reasons to dump you with wink and broken heart emojis. In this scene from the film, the heroine, played by Julia Stiles, recites a love-hate poem to the boy she is in love with. This poem begins with “I hate the way you talk to me and the way you cut your hair.” A first response while waiting for a possible new shock.