Rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar simmering feud has escalated to new heights as they each dropped diss recordings on Saturday morning, May 4, just minutes apart.
The three-part song “Family Matters,” by thirty-seven-year-old Canadian rapper Drake, criticizes Kendrick Lamar’s pro-Black advocacy for being hypocritical. Along with accusing him of allegedly domestic violence, he begs the Tupac estate to sue Drake for his use of AI versions of the late rapper in a diss track in the song.
He continued to criticize Metro Boomin, Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky, and Future after that.
Within minutes, however, Lamar responded, dropping his third diss single of the week, “Meet The Grahams,” in which he charged the rapper with having a hidden daughter and a number of addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, and spending.
In response to rumors that he had a hidden daughter, Drake posted an Instagram story right after, saying, “Nahhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me…these guys are in shambles.” There was a selfie and laughing emoticons next to this.
“You just actin’ like an activist, it’s make believe, don’t even go back to your hood and plant no money trees,” the rapper rapped to begin the most recent round of combat, accusing Lamar of acting hypocritically and engaging in performative activism.
“You the Black messiah wifin’ up a mixed queen,” he said, addressing Lamar’s mixed-race childhood sweetheart and fiancée Whitney Alford. The rapper has previously called Lamar out for doubting his mixed-race identity and accused him of being hypocritical about his choice of girlfriend.
He referred to song producer Metro Boomin as “f***ing lame”, made fun of rapper and former partner Future for making him feel “sick to my stomach”, and made fun of artist Rick Ross for using Ozempic, a diabetes medication linked to weight loss. He mocked, “Ozempic got a side effect of jealousy.”
He insisted that a cease-and-desist order against Lamar “is for h*es,” and he denied giving it. You called the Tupac estate and pleaded with them to sue me and put an end to that s***, he raps.
He then adds, in what is arguably his most contentious line, “They hired a crisis management team, to clean up the fact that you beat on your queen,” over the song’s closing notes. It’s not what the picture you painted looks like.
Lamar’s social media post promoting the song with the message, “Stop trying to piece together what I know and go pick up the pieces of your broken home,” which seemed to be the main point of emphasis.
Within twenty minutes, the rapper known as “Humble” responded, issuing a warning: “You f**ked up the minute you called out my family’s name.”
In “6:16 in LA,” he accused Drake of having enemies within his own group. In “Meet the Grahams,” he recommended that the rapper seek treatment for a long list of addictions.
It was eventually discovered that Pusha T’s previous claim—made in his song “The Story of Adidon”—that Drake had a secret son was accurate. Lamar’s suggestion that the rapper also had a hidden daughter fueled the flames even further.
He rapped, “You lied about those other kids that’s out there expecting that you come. You lied about your son. You lied about your daughter. Huh.
The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: actiononaddiction.org.uk, mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.