Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: A complete timeline of the rappers’ beef, including every diss track
Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s long-running feud reignited in March when Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin’s track “Like That” from their latest collaborative album, “We Don’t Trust You.” This spiraled into a diss-track war in April and May, with Cole, Drake, Rick Ross, and Lamar all releasing new songs.
At first, fans encouraged the beef between Lamar and Drake. Diss battles, which rappers use to prove themselves, are common in hip-hop, and it was seen as some friendly competition between the genre’s heavyweights.
Feuds can also be a clever marketing tactic to help artists boost streams and sales. “Like That,” for instance, topped the Hot 100 for three weeks, and “We Don’t Trust You” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Lamar’s “Euphoria” and Drake’s “Push Ups” also climbed the Billboard chart in May.
But as the beef has continued to intensify over several months, Drake has escalated his attacks legally, launching two legal actions against Universal Music Group (to which both Drake and Lamar are signed) and Spotify, accusing both companies of artificially inflating streams of Lamar’s No. 1 hit “Not Like Us.”
But how did we get here? Here’s everything to know about the beef that took over hip-hop in 2024.
Hannah Getahun contributed to an earlier version of this story.
Lamar and Drake started out as friends, with Lamar opening for Drake’s “Club Paradise” tour in 2012. The pair’s feud began when Lamar rapped that he was better than all the rising rap stars, including Drake and Cole, when he featured on Big Sean’s 2013 song “Control.”
“And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller / I got love for you all, but I’m tryna murder you n*,” he rapped.
Drake appeared to respond on the track “The Language” from his 2013 album, “Nothing Was the Same,” rapping: “I don’t know why they been lyin’ but your shit is not that inspirin’ / Bank account statement just look like I’m ready for early retirement / Fuck any n**** that’s talking that shit just to get a reaction.”
The two rappers last featured on the same song in 2013 and, since then, have made small digs at each other in their tracks and in interviews.
In 2015, many fans believe that Lamar accused Drake of using a ghostwriter, pointing to Lamar’s 2015 track “King Kunta,” where he raps, “I can dig rappin’, but a rapper with a ghostwriter? / What the fuck happened?”
Lamar hasn’t confirmed if the “King Kunta” lyric is about Drake.
Later that year, Meek Mill also accused Drake of using a ghostwriter in a since-deleted post on X, which Drake denied in a 2019 interview with Rap Radar.
The pair have also taken different paths artistically, with Lamar earning critical acclaim, including winning a Pulitzer prize for “Damn” in 2018 and 17 Grammys. Drake is more commercially successful, with 15 songs with over a billion streams on Spotify compared to Kendrick’s five.
Drake’s 2023 track “First Person Shooter,” featuring Cole, is all about the two being the greatest rappers ever. Cole, who is friends with Lamar, references him in the song when talking about being the “Big 3” of the Hip Hop world.
“Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?” Cole raps, referring to Lamar’s nickname, “K-Dot,” and Drake’s birth name Aubrey. “We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.”
Lamar was rumored to be featured in the song too, though that never materialized.
Drake ends the song by comparing his success to that of the late Michael Jackson, who is the sixth best-selling artist of all time. In October 2023, Drake scored his 13th Billboard Hot 100 No.1, tying with Jackson.
The global automotive market will continue to grow strongly in 2024, despite the challenges posed by economic and environmental factors. One of the key indicators of this growth remains car sales. Today, we take a look at the world’s best-selling car models that topped the charts in the first half of the year.
Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y continues to conquer the market, especially in countries with a strong electric vehicle infrastructure. The Model Y has become one of the most popular cars in 2024 due to its autonomy, autopilot technology and growing interest in environmentally friendly vehicles. From January to June, US sales of the electric crossover totalled 581,480 units, up 1.9 per cent year-on-year.
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla has been one of the world’s best-selling cars for many years. It is renowned for its reliability, fuel efficiency and affordable price. The 2024 Corolla is available in several variants, including hybrid models, making it attractive to a wide range of buyers.
In particular, sales of this car increased by 5.7 percent to 544,372 units. Drivers around the world continue to trust Toyota and are happy to buy the Corolla.
Toyota RAV4
Another representative of the Japanese car industry, the Toyota RAV4, continues to strengthen its position in the crossover segment. The 2024 RAV4 stands out for its excellent combination of price, functionality and advanced technologies, including hybrid and all-electric versions. From January to July, global sales of this car increased by 23.2%, with 498,103 units sold.
Ford F-Series
In the United States and several other countries, the Ford F-Series remains the undisputed sales leader among pickup trucks. The F-Series is renowned for its power, durability and ability to cope with tough conditions, making it an ideal choice for work and leisure. In the first half of the year, sales fell by 8.1% to 411,071 units. However, this didn’t stop the Ford F-Series from being the fourth most popular car on the market.
Kia K5
The Kia K5 is a sleek and dynamic sedan with a modern design and high-tech features. It offers a spacious cabin with premium materials, advanced safety systems and a wide choice of powertrains, including turbocharged engines.
The 2024 Kia K5 continues to attract attention with its bold looks, comfortable ride and advanced features such as mobile device integration and driver assist. This saloon combines style, innovation and reliability, making it a popular choice among modern motorists. This puts it in fifth place with 373,613 units sold.
Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is another popular crossover that confidently holds a leading position in global sales. The CR-V attracts buyers with its spacious interior, reliability and high safety ratings. Not for nothing do sales of this model continue to grow. In the first six months of 2024, sales reached 362,393 units, 16.1 per cent more than in the first half of 2023.
