Embedded within the culture, it serves as a litmus test for lyrical prowess and a declaration of supremacy, spawning countless iconic “diss tracks,” from 2Pac’s scathing “Hit ‘Em Up” to Jay-Z’s strategic “Takeover.”
The newest clash ignites among hip-hop’s heavyweights—Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J Cole—ignited by what initially seemed an innocuous lyric extolling their individual achievements.
Here’s an unfolding narrative detailing the current developments.
Meet The Main Players
Drake
The Canadian artist, transitioning from actor to musician, has seamlessly woven rap and R&B into a vulnerable tapestry, propelling him to the forefront as the most commercially successful hip-hop artist of the 21st Century.
His repertoire boasts multi-platinum hits including “Hotline Bling,” “One Dance,” and “Hold On We’re Going Home.”
Kendrick Lamar
Hailing from Compton, this rapper’s riveting rhymes and visionary concepts have crowned him as the premier lyricist of his generation.
Renowned for his inventive approach, he fearlessly delves into weighty subjects including police brutality, black empowerment, and personal struggles.
Making history in 2018, he became the inaugural hip-hop artist to clinch the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for music.
J. Cole
Originating from Germany and nurtured in North Carolina, J Cole found guidance under the wing of Jay-Z, later earning acclaim with chart-toppers such as “Middle Child” and “Deja Vu.”
However, disillusioned by the confines of mainstream acclaim, he diverged, crafting a distinctive path marked by introspective, analytical compositions, ultimately yielding some of his most celebrated and triumphant musical endeavors.
Everything About The Beef
In his early ascent, Kendrick Lamar received a pivotal boost from Drake, who extended a helping hand by featuring him on his Take Care album and offering him an opening spot on his 2012 Club Paradise Tour.
However, after the triumph of Lamar’s debut album, Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, in 2013, he unveiled his aspirations boldly.
On a guest verse for Big Sean’s track “Control,” he brazenly called out Drake, J Cole, Meek Mill, Mac Miller, Pusha T, and a slew of other rappers, issuing a warning:
“I got love for you all, but I’m trying to murder you.”
When asked about the diss, Drake nonchalantly remarked,
“I didn’t really have anything to say about it. It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That’s all it was. I know good and well that [Lamar] ‘s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.”
Over the ensuing years, the rappers exchanged a series of playful taunts (Lamar notably boasted about having “tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes” during the BET hip-hop awards), yet the tension never appeared particularly earnest.
What Triggered The Latest Escalation?
The initial catalyst was a gesture aimed at fostering unity rather than division.
In October of last year, Drake revealed his eighth album, For All The Dogs, which included a collaboration with J Cole titled “First Person Shooter.”
In a verse, Cole proposed that he, Drake, and Kendrick constituted the “big three” of the contemporary hip-hop landscape.
“Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K. Dot [Kendrick]? Is it Aubrey [Drake]? Or me? / We the big three, like we started a league.”
The track soared to the summit of the US singles chart, marking Drake’s 13th and Cole’s inaugural number-one hit.
This feat propelled Drake into a tie with Michael Jackson for the most number one singles by a male solo artist.
However, their moment in the spotlight was short-lived as Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” swiftly displaced them from the top spot a week later. Yet, behind the scenes, Kendrick had taken notice—and his discontent simmered.
Kendrick Lamar’s Say
Earlier this month, producer Metro Boomin’ and rapper Future dropped a joint album titled “Like That.”
Nestled within the tracklist was an uncredited verse by Kendrick Lamar—and it ignited a firestorm.
With a tightly coiled delivery, laced with expletives, Lamar took aim at Cole’s previous assertion, dismissing the notion of a “big three” and boldly proclaiming, “it’s just big me.”
He further disparaged Cole’s verses as lightweight, likening them to “a light pack,” and asserted his role as the Prince to Drake’s Michael Jackson.
While the full impact of Lamar’s verse is best experienced audibly, the climax where he vows to inter Drake and J Cole’s “dogs” in the “pet sematary” (a nod to Stephen King’s 1983 horror novel, doubling as a reference to Drake’s album title “For All The Dogs”) signifies a lit fuse.
Moreover, the strategic placement of Lamar’s verse holds significance. Metro Boomin’, the album’s producer, shares a history with Drake but has since fallen out with the Canadian star.
Wayne, aka Metro Boomin’, notably produced the majority of Drake’s 2015 album “What A Time To Be Alive,” yet tensions reportedly arose when a promised sequel failed to materialize.
In 2022, the producer removed Drake from a track titled “Trance” and unfollowed him on Instagram, hinting at underlying animosity.
Did Drake Accept Defeat?
Drake seemingly responded to Kendrick’s verse during a concert in Florida, delivering a defiant message to the audience.
“A lot of people ask me how I’m feeling,” he said. “I’ma let you know I’m feeling.
“I got my [expletive] head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 [expletive] toes down in Florida and anywhere else I go. And I know that no matter what, it’s not a [person] on this earth that could ever [expletive] with me in my life!”
What’s The Latest?
On Friday, J Cole delivered his rejoinder to Kendrick’s verse, revealing a track on his unexpected album “Might Delete Later.”
“I got a phone call, they say that somebody dissing / You want some attention, it come with extensions,” he rapped. “He still doing shows but fell off like The Simpsons.”
He proceeded to critique Kendrick’s discography, acknowledging his debut as a “classic” but deeming his latest endeavor, a sprawling double album dubbed “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers,” as “tragic.”
“Your third [album] was massive and that was your prime,” he continued, “I was trailing right behind and I just now hit mine.“
He finished up by saying he still respected Lamar, but wouldn’t hesitate to destroy him if the insults continued.
“Push come to shove on this mic I will humble him.”