vs is the biggest beef in recent rap history. It's a fight that's gone miles beyond the usual lyrical martial artistry, though there has certainly been plenty of that. It has spurred multiple court actions and a stunning rebellion against their shared record label. It spawned a song that just won two of the big four and will almost certainly be performed at the this weekend.
It wasn't always this way. They once were collaborators: On Drake's 2011 track 鈥淏uried Alive Interlude,鈥� on Lamar's and on A$AP Rocky鈥檚 鈥�(Expletive) 鈥� Problems" that same year.
It didn't last long. In 2013, the was featured on Big Sean's 鈥淐ontrol,鈥� in which he called out a slew of contemporary rappers including J. Cole, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Big Sean himself and Drake.
鈥淚 got love for you all, but I鈥檓 trying to murder you,鈥� he rapped. 鈥淭rying to make sure your core fans never heard of you.鈥�
Drake responded in a Billboard cover story, saying 鈥淜endrick's not murdering me, at all, in any platform.鈥� Lamar took another jab just afterward, at .
The rappers launched occasional disses at each other in the following years. Drake beefed with other performers, most infamously Pusha T in 2018, where the latter rapper dropped "The Story of Adidon,鈥� .
In October 2023, J. Cole may have accidentally reignited the beef on 鈥淔irst Person Shooter鈥� with Drake. He rapped 鈥淟ove when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?" referencing Lamar and Drake's birth name, Aubrey Graham.
Then, just over a year ago, it exploded exponentially. Here's a timeline of the major developments. It should be noted that diss tracks between rappers often include exaggerated truths and unsubstantiated rumors for dramatic effect.
March 22: Lamar disses Drake on Future and Metro Boomin鈥檚 鈥淟ike That鈥�
鈥淭he big three,鈥� Lamar raps, calling back to J. Cole, 鈥淚t鈥檚 just big me.鈥�
He references Drake's 2023 album and also compares himself to Prince and Drake to Michael Jackson: "Prince outlived Mike Jack.鈥�
April 13: Drake's 鈥淧ush Ups鈥� leaks
Drake's response leaks. 鈥淵ou ain鈥檛 in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down,鈥� he raps. (SZA would later be announced as Lamar's Super Bowl collaborator.)
April 24: Drake responds with a second, AI-assisted diss track and pulls in Taylor Swift
Drake's second diss track used artificial intelligence technology to include verses from Tupac and Snoop Dogg, two of Lamar's influences. In his own verse, Drake accuses Lamar of delaying his response track because of the imminent release of 's (Lamar collaborated with Swift on 鈥淏ad Blood.鈥�)
Tupac's estate threatened to sue Drake in response, so he removed the song from his social channels.
April 30: Lamar hits back with a nearly six-and-a-half-minute track, 鈥淓uphoria鈥�
This is where it gets more complicated. Lamar's 鈥淓uphoria鈥� hits like an opus, unleashing a slew of allegations against Drake. He comes after Drake's skills as a rapper, use of AI, appearance, racial identity, and .
鈥淚 got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin鈥� 鈥檅out that," Lamar raps.
The title is a reference to of which Drake is an executive producer.
May 3: Lamar drops a follow-up, 鈥�6:16 in LA鈥�
In Lamar's next diss, titled after a time and location like Drake is wont to do, Lamar targets the company Drizzy keeps. 鈥淗ave you ever thought that OVO was working for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies,鈥� he raps, referencing Drake's record label. "You must be a terrible person.鈥�
According to Billboard, the song was produced by Sounwave and 鈥� the latter notably Swift's longtime producer. It samples Al Green鈥檚 鈥淲hat a Wonderful Thing Love Is," on which one of Drake's relatives played guitar.
May 3: Drake launches 鈥淔amily Matters鈥�
Drake hits back with a music video and a nearly eight-minute response, in which he alleges abuse and infidelity in Lamar's relationship with his fianc茅e.
May 4: Lamar responds with 鈥淢eet the Grahams鈥�
Almost immediately afterward, Lamar addresses Drake's son in 鈥淢eet the Grahams:鈥� 鈥淚'm sorry that man is your father.鈥� Lamar also addresses Drake's parents, and 鈥渁 baby girl,鈥� alleging Drake has a secret daughter.
He also labels Drake a 鈥減redator," without elaborating.
May 4: Less than 24 hours later, Lamar drops 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥�
Lamar doubles down, releasing 鈥淣ot Like Us," produced by DJ Mustard.
鈥淪ay, Drake, I hear you like 鈥檈m young / You better not ever go to cell block one,鈥� Lamar raps.
It would later reach stratospheric levels for a diss track.
May 5: Drake softens his blows on 鈥淭he Heart Part 6鈥�
Referencing Lamar's 鈥淭he Heart鈥� series, Drake drops 鈥淭he Heart Part 6.鈥� In the song 鈥淧rove It," Drake challenges Lamar's allegations, doubles down on his own against him, and says that he does not have a secret daughter.
He sounds notably lethargic on the song 鈥� potentially taking a final bow with verses like, 鈥淵ou know, at least your fans are gettin鈥� some raps out of you / I鈥檓 happy I could motivate you.鈥�
May 18: 鈥楴ot Like Us鈥� hits No. 1
Lamar's 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥� goes to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It will spend two weeks at the spot, 38 weeks on the chart, and end become the year's No. 6 song. It would also do stratospheric streaming numbers, ending 2024 atop Apple Music's global song chart.
June 19: A hometown victory lap for Lamar
Lamar takes a de facto victory lap with his at the Forum in Los Angeles. He performs 鈥淓uphoria鈥� and 鈥�6:16 in LA,鈥� then is joined by Dr. Dre.
The two West Coast titans perform 鈥淪till D.R.E.鈥� and 鈥淐alifornia Love鈥� before Dre quiets the roaring crowd. that opens : 鈥淚 see dead people.鈥�
A crowd of 17,000 including The Weeknd, LeBron James, Ayo Edebiri and Rick Ross rap along to every word. Lamar restarts it twice after the first verse and performs it four times in full.
September 9: Lamar heading to the Super Bowl
as the halftime headliner at the Feb. 9 Super Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans. , before the two tour together this spring.
November 8: Lamar racks up Grammy nominations for Drake diss tracks
, all of them for Drake diss tracks. Two are for 鈥淟ike That,鈥� the Metro Boomin' collaboration, and five are for 鈥淣ot Like Us,鈥� including nods for record of the year and song of the year.
November 25: Drake broadens the beef to courts and label
After months of relative silence, , and takes the beef to another level. He alleges in a New York filing that Universal Music Group 鈥� the parent label for both him and Lamar 鈥� pumped up the popularity of 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥� on Spotify and other streaming services. The filing is a precursor to a potential lawsuit that demands the two companies preserve documents.
UMG calls the allegations in the filing 鈥渙ffensive and untrue.鈥� Spotify did not publicly respond but has broadly denied assertions that its streaming figures are or can be inflated.
On the same day, for the first time in eight years, starting on the day Lamar performs at the Super Bowl.
November 26: Drake strikes in court again
, this time in a Texas court, where he aims at the radio play for 鈥淣ot Like Us.鈥� His filing, another lawsuit precursor, alleges UMG conspired with iHeartMedia, the biggest owner of radio stations in the U.S., to inflate plays and numbers for the track.
iHeartMedia did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press at the time, and did not immediately reply to a new request for a response.
January 15: Drake drops the big legal bomb
, for which the previous ones were only openers: A defamation lawsuit against UMG, alleging it put out and promoted 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥� even though it promotes false pedophilia allegations against him and suggests listeners should resort to vigilante justice.
It blames the label and the song for attempted break-ins and the at Drake's Toronto home, online hate and harassment and the devaluation of his brand.
The suit does not name Lamar as a defendant.
UMG responds that the allegations are not only untrue but illogical given their years of investment in Drake.
February 2: Lamar wins five Grammys, including two of the biggest for 鈥楴ot Like Us鈥�
A week before his Super Bowl headlining gig, Lamar and 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥� have an epic night at the . The track wins song of the year and record of the year and Lamar takes five.
He's gracious and positive in victory, not mentioning Drake and saying 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna dedicate this one to the city鈥� before shouting out Los Angeles area neighborhoods.
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This story first moved May 7, 2024, and was resent on Feb. 5, 2025, to update with legal developments, Lamar鈥檚 Grammy wins and upcoming Super Bowl performance and Drake鈥檚 Australia tour.
The Associated Press
