A line in Drake’s “First Person Shooter” song with fellow rapper J. Cole is currently the biggest hip-hop “beef” that has been anticipated for years. Involving Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, the drama was solidified in “We Don’t Trust You,” released on March 22, a collaborative album between Future and producer Metro Boomin.
“Love when they argue the hardest MC Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali,” said Cole. Referring to the ‘big three’ as Kendrick, Drake and himself. The line on “First Person Shooter” meant to praise the three, proved to be a big mistake by Cole.
When Lamar was featured on “Like That,” he called the song out by name and went on by insulting the two artists and praising himself. Which at the time seemed to come out of nowhere as the three seemed to be on good terms.
“Sneak dissin’, first-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches,” and “ … the big three, [[…]] it’s just big me,” said Lamar in an interview. Lamar’s direct shots at the two artists sparked instant controversy and caught social media by storm, as well as the attention of fans at OH.
“Kendrick’s shot at J Cole and Drake [has been] the best introduction to the rap beef we have had so far,” said hip-hop enthusiast and senior Kyle Allard. This situation has taken the internet by storm, with platforms like TikTok and X blowing up with the recent battle.
In addition to these three rappers, other artists such as The Weeknd, Rick Ross, and controversial Kanye West are also involved. The Weeknd featured on both of the Future and Metro Boomin albums, “We Don’t Trust You” and “We Still Don’t Trust You,” and Rick Ross’ own ‘diss track’ against Drake titled “Champagne Moments”. Drake is in deep waters with many celebrities, and with previous ally Kanye West releasing “LIKE THAT REMIX,” he is really on his own.
J. Cole responded to Lamar on a surprise album titled “Might Delete Later” on the track “7 Minute Drill.” Despite the name, the song was about four minutes long, responding with a warning towards Lamar rather than an actual diss.
Although it seemed like Cole was taking sides, he later apologized on stage, saying he “felt terrible” and, as reported by the BBC, that he “was conflicted because… I know how I feel about my peers.”
“His apology afterwards was so funny to me… That was kind of pathetic to me in a way, I get him being a humble guy… but wow,” Allard said.
Drake’s response to all the madness is a single titled “Push Ups” which mostly calls out Kendrick Lamar, insulting his height, music presence, and album history.
Notable moments are the lines against Metro, saying things such as “shut [[…]] up and make some drums,” “I could never be nobody number-one fan,” against Future, and “what is this a 20v1,” referencing the multitude of artists against Drake.
Recently, Lamar released a single titled “euphoria,” which is 6 minutes of Lamar thrashing Drake in every aspect, not just limited to music. The release of this track has changed the game, creating a more intense feud and fanning the fire even further.
With singles getting released like “FAMILY MATTERS” by Drake in response to “euphoria” and Lamar’s response with “meet the grahams” and “Not Like Us.”, the drama between the two hip-hop giants is at its peak. Especially with Lamar calling Drake names such as ¨Predator, Liar, Misogynist, and Narcissist,” even going as far as to accuse him of having a secret daughter as well as being involved in sex trafficking crimes, the fighting has gone off the rails.
There are many opinions surrounding this entire situation. Some want to see everyone involved tear each other apart, and some just want it to end as quickly as it started.
”Honestly, this whole situation feels like it’s becoming more than what it initially was, like it started as a small beef [but] has become almost like a fight to see who can say the worst things about each other,” said OH senior Chase Caplet. “Like, there are so many ways to solve this issue rather than making it a huge public thing.”
There are plenty of reasons why this should be handled in private, however, it is still a rather interesting drama to watch unfold. There’s something new every few days, like behind-the-scenes information or a new “diss track.”
This entire situation is an intriguing one. It’s not like the beef came from nowhere, however, it was a huge surprise and was not on many people’s 2024 bingo lists. Many people lean on Kendrick Lamar’s side; a select few are with Drake but with the most recent development of Kendrick Lamar’s new songs, those select few are getting smaller and smaller.
Overall, this rather crazy drama is continuing and has no sign of stopping anytime soon. Listeners should buckle up for more, as there will most likely be more information to come out about this in the coming weeks.
