Once close collaborators, rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar have had an evolving relationship over the past decade that has included both friendly and tense moments. Their dynamic first started positively in the early 2010s, with Kendrick receiving career-boosting co-signs from Drake in the form of collaborations and tour openings.
However, tensions rose in 2013 when Kendrick boldly called out many of his rap peers, including Drake, on the song “Control.” Though Drake downplayed the diss at first, Kendrick continued targeting him in cyphers and songs over the following years. Subtle shots were exchanged on both sides through 2015-2016.
Things seemed to cool off for a while, until J. Cole and Drake collaborated on the 2023 hit “First Person Shooter.” Some saw this as rekindling the debate around the “Big 3” rappers, prompting Kendrick to unleash a scathing diss aimed at both artists on Future’s 2024 track “Like That.” Drake responded shortly after at a concert, defending his reputation.
This ignited an escalating back-and-forth over the next month, with both rappers releasing multiple diss tracks taking aim at aspects of the other’s career, credibility, and personal lives. Kendrick’s long diss “Euphoria” and follow-up “6:16 in LA” were particularly impactful, calling into question Drake’s authenticity and accusing him of having disloyal acquaintances.
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