Drake vs Kendrick Lamar: The Feud, Fully Explained

The drake vs kendrick feud is the most consequential rap rivalry of the streaming era, a public exchange of diss tracks that dominated 2024 and reshaped how both artists are discussed. What began as competitive respect between two of the genre's biggest names hardened into an all-out lyrical war watched by tens of millions.

This is a factual, timeline-based explainer of the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. It covers the documented songs, the dates they arrived, the cultural aftermath, and the legal action that followed, without taking a side.

Where the Drake Kendrick Beef Began: The 2013 Control Verse

The roots of the kendrick lamar drake beef trace to August 2013, when Kendrick Lamar appeared on Big Sean's track "Control." In a widely discussed verse, Kendrick named a list of contemporaries, including Drake, and declared his intent to lyrically surpass them all.

The verse was framed as competitive sport rather than personal insult, and both artists downplayed it publicly at the time. Even so, it set a marker. For years afterward, listeners parsed Drake and Kendrick songs for subtle jabs, and the two drifted from collaborators to careful rivals.

Occasional pointed lines surfaced over the next decade on records from both camps. None of it escalated into a sustained exchange until 2024, when the simmering tension finally boiled over into open conflict.

The 2024 Escalation: Like That Lights the Fuse

The modern drake kendrick beef ignited in March 2024. On "Like That," a track from Future and Metro Boomin's album, Kendrick Lamar delivered a verse widely read as a direct response to Drake and J. Cole, rejecting the idea of a "big three" in rap and positioning himself alone at the top.

The verse was explosive precisely because it was unambiguous. It reached number one in the United States and forced a response. J. Cole initially answered, then quickly apologized and stepped back, leaving Drake and Kendrick to face off directly.

From that point the exchange accelerated week by week, with each artist releasing tracks aimed squarely at the other. What followed became one of the fastest-moving diss-track sequences in rap history.

The Diss-Track War: Push Ups, Family Ties and Family Matters

Drake answered first with "Push Ups," which surfaced in April 2024 and mocked Kendrick's height, contracts and stature in the industry. He followed with "Taylor Made Freestyle," a track that used AI-style imitations of other artists' voices and was later pulled amid legal objections from Tupac Shakur's estate.

Kendrick returned fire with "euphoria" and "6:16 in LA," escalating the personal tone. Drake responded with "Family Matters," a multi-part track leveling a series of serious personal accusations at Kendrick.

Within roughly an hour of "Family Matters," Kendrick released "Meet the Grahams," an unusually dark record addressed to members of Drake's family, followed almost immediately by "Not Like Us." The pace of the drake vs kendrick timeline in early May 2024 was relentless, with multiple tracks landing on the same day.

Many of the most damaging claims traded between the two artists remain unverified allegations made in song lyrics. They are presented here as documented parts of the exchange, not as established facts.

Kendrick Lamar Not Like Us Becomes the Defining Record

Of all the tracks, "Not Like Us" became the cultural centerpiece of the feud. Released in May 2024, the Mustard-produced record was immediately embraced far beyond hip-hop circles and turned into an inescapable hit.

The song debuted at number one on the US charts and became a stadium and club staple through the summer. Its chorus was chanted at sporting events and festivals, giving kendrick lamar not like us a reach that extended well past the original dispute.

The record later swept the major categories at the 2025 Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, an outcome that many observers read as a decisive commercial and critical verdict in the exchange.

The 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Moment

Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in New Orleans in February 2025. It was one of the most-watched halftime performances on record, and he used the global stage to perform "Not Like Us."

The performance was widely interpreted as a victory lap. Kendrick teased the song's most talked-about lines to a massive live and broadcast audience, and SZA joined him for a segment of the set.

For a feud that had lived largely online and on streaming platforms, the halftime slot marked its arrival at the very center of American pop culture.

Drake's Legal Action Against His Own Label

In a turn few anticipated, the dispute moved into the courts. In early 2025, Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, the parent label that distributes both his music and Kendrick Lamar's, over the promotion and content of "Not Like Us."

The filing argued that the label amplified allegations Drake says are false and defamatory. Universal Music Group publicly rejected the claims and has sought to have the case dismissed. As of this writing the litigation is ongoing and unresolved.

Because the matter is active in court, no findings have been established. The allegations on all sides remain contested, and everyone involved retains the presumption of innocence unless a court rules otherwise.

Where the Drake vs Kendrick Timeline Stands Now

By 2025 the rapid-fire song exchanges had largely stopped, even as the wider story continued through awards shows, tours and the courtroom. Kendrick Lamar released the album "GNX" and mounted a major tour, while Drake continued releasing new music of his own.

The feud reshaped both careers in the public imagination, and it turned a genre insiders' rivalry into a mainstream cultural event. The lyrical phase appears settled; the legal and reputational dimensions are still playing out.

For now the drake vs kendrick story stands as a defining chapter of 2020s hip-hop, one whose final accounting depends partly on how the courts rule and partly on what both artists release next.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud start?

The tension dates to Kendrick Lamar's 2013 "Control" verse, where he named Drake among rivals he aimed to surpass. It escalated into an open feud in 2024 after Kendrick's verse on "Like That."

What are the main diss tracks in the Drake Kendrick beef?

Key tracks include Kendrick's "Like That," "euphoria," "6:16 in LA," "Meet the Grahams" and "Not Like Us," and Drake's "Push Ups," "Taylor Made Freestyle" and "Family Matters."

What is Not Like Us about?

"Not Like Us" is Kendrick Lamar's May 2024 diss track aimed at Drake. It became a number-one hit and later won major awards at the 2025 Grammys, making it the feud's defining record.

Did Kendrick Lamar perform the diss at the Super Bowl?

Yes. Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025 and performed "Not Like Us" for a massive broadcast audience, with SZA appearing as a guest.

Is Drake suing over the feud?

Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group in 2025 over "Not Like Us." The label denies the claims and has moved to dismiss. The case is ongoing and unresolved.

Who won the Drake vs Kendrick beef?

There is no official winner. By commercial and awards measures, "Not Like Us" gave Kendrick the upper hand in public perception, but views differ and the dispute continues through legal channels.