For three days last May, Kendrick Lamar and Drake set the world on fire with their epic rap battle for the ages. The results of that lyrical squabble are still having effects a full year later.
While there has seemingly been an underlying beef between K-Dot and The Boy brewing for a decade, the Compton, Calif. rapper tossed out a tantalizing lure when he threw a shot at Drizzy on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” last March. Kendrick dismissed the notion that there was a Big 3 in hip-hop consisting of himself, Drake and J. Cole with the line “Muthaf**k the Big 3, ni**a, it’s just big me.” Drake took the bait.
On April 13, 2024, Drake released the diss song “Push Ups.” A week later, Drizzy doubled down on the song “Taylor Made Freestyle,” literally begging Kendrick to respond. He did a week later on the song “Euphoria.” Three days later, on May 3, 2024 sh*t hit the fan.
In what will be remembered as one of the most jaw-dropping, three-day stretches in rap beef history, Kendrick and Drake went toe-to-toe and blow-for-blow. Kendrick kicked things off with the release of “6:16 in LA.” Fourteen hours later, Drake responded with “Family Matters.” Then he spun the block with the “Buried Alive Interlude” parody. Before fans could catch their breaths, K-Dot clapped back with “Meet the Grahams” nearly an hour after Drizzy dropped.
Fans were running out of popcorn. Kendrick was accusing Drake of being a culture vulture and hiding a second child. Drake was claiming Kendrick was a domestic abuser. Things got dark. Then came the crushing blow.
On May 4, Kendrick released the Mustard-produced casket closer “Not Like Us,” a full-fledged bop that seemingly put the nail in the coffin. The song came out 19 hours after “Meet the Grahams.” The following day, almost 24 hours later, Drake put out the response “The Heart Part 6,” which was deemed too little, too late by many rap fans.
What made this battle unlike any other in rap history was the short time frames in which the diss tracks dropped. Rap fans had little time to dissect one violating track before another was released.
The Aftermath of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake Rap Battle
In the wake of the battle, things have changed dramatically for both rappers. It’s been up for Kendrick, who is seen by many as the giant-slayer in this situation. “Not Like Us” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with record-breaking numbers. Last June, Dot performed at The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert in Los Angeles, where he did “Not Like Us” five times. Last September, he was announced as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show performer. That November, he put out the surprise album GNX, which also topped Billboard.
The same month, Drake filed two pre-action petitions against Universal Music Group, accusing them of using bots and payola to artificially inflate “Not Like Us.” In January, Drake filed a federal lawsuit against UMG for distributing “Not Like Us,” which refers to Drake as a child predator. The suit has drawn mixed reactions.
February of 2025 would include more wins for Kendrick Lamar, to Drake’s detriment. “Not Like Us” won five awards at the 2025 Grammys, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The following week, Kendrick Lamar performed the song in front of a record-breaking viewership at the 2025 Super Bowl.
While Kendrick can’t lose for winning, the perception that Drake lost a fight he picked has been a blow to the golden boy’s status as the top dawg. Drake still ended 2024 as the most-streamed hip-hop artist despite Kendrick’s huge year. Drake’s $ome Sexy $ongs 4 U collab album with PartyNextDoor debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in February, But the three-day royal rumble has had lasting consequences.
My, what a difference a year makes.
Read More: All the Wild Ways Fans Think Drake Is Trolling Kendrick Lamar in ‘Nokia’ Video
Take a look at XXL‘s deep dive into the three days of disses below.
