3. The Biggest Rap Beef Ever Has Come To Its Epic Conclusion
The Canadian hit-making international star with the limelight
VS.
The Boogeyman rapper eater from Compton with the critical acclaim
A Shakespearean-like equation.
In a way, all they want is what the other has — Kendrick wants the hits and the numbers, For Drake, the acclaim and respect of his peers. Apparently it had been brewing for years.
Accusations ranging from the little tidbits to the criminally offensive had us clutching our pearls on
EVERY. SINGLE. TRACK.
A Minor Lover
Label Slave
Deadbeat
Domestics
Cuckhold
Colonizer
A man who isn’t allowed to say a certain word NO MO
This was an Art of War Masterclass in dismantling
Like a boxer putting on his shell and letting his opponent wear out their punches, Kendrick developed an arsenal from the shadows while Drake’s scathing tracks and stacking social media antics had people handing him the crown rather quickly.
The Six God showed up to fight. “Push-Ups” and “Family Matters” are classics sure to make their way into the Rap Beef Hall of Fame. Haymakers rang heavy through the echo chamber of the instantaneous media world we live in. It’s true the stage for this beef may have been the biggest ever of its kind.
This was Mickey D’s, a worldwide beef.
EDITOR’S NOTE on REACH:
It’s hard to believe there were any others that drew more eyes and ears even at their peak. It’s tough to beat today’s social media in coverage and consumption + Drake’s international reach + Kendrick on Amazon to drop the cherry on top. Biggie and Pac were on the news but without social media and I don’t think it reached as many international ears the way Drake is capable. Record example: Kendrick had sold 8.6 million copies of DAMN. in 2022 and was still climbing. Pac is at about 10.6 million to date and climbing but not as fast so many years after release. DAMN will surprass A.E.O.M.
When Mr. Morale did emerge from the shadows, it was clear that he was indeed doing those lyrical gymnastics.
Because it wasn’t Mr. Morale who arrived, it was Kung Fu Kenny pulling up with nunchucks, brass knucks, and not a single flying fuck.
NO LOVE.
He dropped the biggest hit of the Summer against one of the world’s biggest pop stars and danced on his grave in the Roman Colosseum on Juneteenth, in front of the entire West Coast as they chanted O-V-HOE on it was streamed to the world on Amazon and through every social media outlet.
ALL OF THIS is what makes “NOT LIKE US” the greatest diss song of all-time.
That’s what you just witnessed.
Let’s walk through it. Release by release. We’ll keep the scorecard active.
TIMELINE & Scoreboard
Kendrick setting things off with the Metro Boomin and Future hit record “LIKE THAT” in response to a COMPLIMENT from his long-time friend J. Cole is so hilariously petty. Not only does this help make the song a hit but it spurs Cole’s soon-to-be-deleted diss track and his bail out.
“LIKE THAT” — MARCH 26
One nothing K-Dot
“7 Minute Drill” — APRIL 5
2-0 Kendrick
ENTER DRAKE
“Push Ups” — April 13
It’s a certified classic. The bars are as cutting as they are funny. The beat, flow, and bars make for a perfect energy to get the rap world’s blood pumping.
It’s the first big direct diss from Drake since Meek. It feels big and bold enough that Kendrick will HAVE to respond.
We didn’t know how this would play out but we all just hoped IT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
PLEASE…. this could be SO MUCH FUN.
Bar after bar it’s a good song in any regard and probably would’ve been the leftover hit if it weren’t for “Not Like Us”. Just like that, the boy is on the board as he big chests Kendrick over a snare, an acapella jab at Metro Boomin’ and an anecdote for Rick Ross in good measure.
2-1 Kendrick
To some surprise, there’s no response from Kendrick, which makes “Push Ups” resonate even louder.
At this point, Champagne Papi starts taunting Kendrick on social media and the internet is playing heavily to Drake’s favor. The world is itching for a response and each day without one makes the 6 God look even stronger.
“Taylor Made” — April 19
As “Push Ups” receives critical and massive commercial success and Drake takes a commanding lead, he waits nearly a week before dropping the SHOCKING “Taylor Made Freestyle” using some of Kendrick’s west coast heroes in Pac and Snoop against him. With a disrespectful AI-generated voice track and Drake takes a commanding lead.
3-2 Drake
“Taylor Made” is the track you go back and listen to time and time again out of pure interest while waiting for Kendrick to finally drop something. It’s interesting, sharp, and definitely the first diss track of its kind. It also keeps driving you back to Drake’s IG where he posted it, and where he’s also roasting the opposition.
AGAIN, no response from Dot.
The silence grows louder.
The Drake tracks get stronger.
I don’t think people saw this coming.
The level of epic Kendrick will have to come back with to make up for the lead is monumental.
Drake was really be lauded as the victor so quickly, that one dope track definitely wasn’t going to be close to enough.
People even start to forget about the beef altogether, assuming Kendrick is making the odd choice not to respond and just not checking their phones every day with the expectation that there would be a response.
We’re no longer on the edge of our seats.
It’s now 4-2 Drizzy
enter kendrick
“Euphoria” — April 30
More than two weeks after “Push Ups,” Kendrick drops what is now a classic in “Euphoria”
As great of a song as it is, as calculated and scathing and deep as the song can be, it did not move the needle too far in Kendrick’s favor. In fact, the internet continued to crown the 6 God as things kept quiet for the next few days. Drake was borderline celebrating, but over time the song would be appreciated more and more. Lines are still being dissected today.
Overall it’s probably the third best song of the full series behind “Push Ups” and what would end up being the crown jewel.
K Dot promises a back-to-back track in “Euphoria” and delivers a few days later with “6:16 in LA”.
This also begins the incredible three day stretch of a climax that brings the battle between the two biggest names in hip-hop to its epic conclusion.
“6:16 in LA” — May 3
Although it’s Kendrick’s worst song of the bunch, it gets a response from Drake and brings the battle back:
4-3 Drake
“Family Matters” — May 3
It’s clearly a response Drake was sitting on. Likely in wait of Kendrick’s claim for a second track. But the beat being the outro of “Push Ups” makes it a little more obvious and it’s even got a music video to boot. Drake plays no games here and it’s his second best song. In what appears to be Drake’s attempt at a nail in the coffin he drops the same days as Kendrick.
5-3 Drake
Kendrick tries to go back-to-back but Drake slams that door shut with the “Push Ups” sequel wins another vital battle in the war capturing both the Initial Attack and his second Retaliation. It felt like the dust had settled twice and the 6 God was standing both times.
What happened next was the moment Kendrick turns things around.
"Meet the Grahams” — May 4
His first timely drop is a perfect response to “Family Matters” and the scariest glimpse at the Boogeyman so far.”
He also shows the crowd that he’s here to stay. There’s no going to the locker room in between rounds anymore.
No hook, just scary bars. So deeply personal. The emotional switch up from angry and aggressive to feeling sorry for Drake’s Mother and Son is a sick spin. Ill.
Another point for Kendrick to make it a close battle for the first time since it was “Like That” versus nothing from Drake.
We can call it 5-4 Drake at this point…
… but considering the drops where an every day occurrence at this point, it was more like a last point wins sort of situation.
With the rap world waiting on a classic
On the edge of their seat, with a supreme beat courtesy of DJ Mustard, Kendrick goes ahead and drops the greatest diss song ever.
“Not Like Us” — May 4
101 million plays on YouTube
412 million on Spotify
5 epic back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back plays at the Pop Out party
And yes, I said best ever.
In the biggest rap beef since Biggie & 2pac, there’s never been a bigger hit in diss track history and he did it against arguably the biggest hitmaker of all-time, no matter the genre.
Call it 6-5 Dot. But only for the moment as that lead would grow in the same fashion Drake’s grew early on while we waited for a response from Kung Fu Kenny.
Drake would need a massive track to come back from the same day drops of “Meet The Grahams” and “Not Like Us” but instead he offered up his worst track of the group:
“The Heart Part 6” — May 5
It’s reaching and unmemorable, especially when placed up against either “Not Like Us” or even “Meet The Grahams”.
It might’ve even taken a point away from Drake. On instagram he pokes at Kendrick, suggesting Dot is minutes away from dropping another song, so do it already. But instead Kendrick Lamar lets it sit there like the turd it is and allows “Not Like Us” to do ALL the talking.
Throughout the battle, while Drake was openly transparent and using social media to his advantage, Kendrick remained totally silent, letting the music speak for him and in doing so, it forced the fans to go back again and again to the hits: “Not Like Us” and “Meet The Grahams” to dive further into the tracks. In doing so, easter eggs continued to be revealed and and both “Meet The Grahams” and “Euphoria” became hits.
Social media started to favor Kendrick with each passing day. More and more dance parties would go viral with fans enjoying every beat of “Not Like Us”
Metro Boomin’s “BBL Drizzy” became a hilarious addition and a hit in its own right.
And Drake’s hits lost steam quickly. Which is a shame because they are great songs.
The Finale
The cherry on top of it all is what they did next.
First, J. Cole dropped this feature that’s better fit for a 16 year old.
Disclaimer: Cole is one of my favorite rappers of all-time. I didn’t want to write that.
And then Drake goes back-to-back with cringe tactics.
First, rapping over the “BBL Drizzy” beat with Sexy Red on “U My Everything”
And then this shit…
Which we questioned if it was actually real after Drake’s AI work a few weeks earlier:
And what did Kendrick do next?
He put on one of the greatest rap concerts of all-time, on Juneteenth after telling the biggest pop star in the world that he can’t say his culture’s word NO MO and did so with with an entire COAST packed into an arena chanting O-V-HOE on Amazon and all over their phones:
With this battle, Kendrick solidified himself as the best rapper alive. No question.
The two other artists who could have challenged him tried to loop him in and he said “fuck you, I’m the best” then he proved it without a shadow of a doubt. He picked the fight and finished it in front of the world.
