The Biggest Names in Hip-Hop Are Embroiled in an Epic Beef. What’s Going On?

When rapper Kendrick Lamar’s famed guest verse on “Like That“—a song on the album We Don’t Trust You from rapper Future and prominent hip-hop producer Metro Boomin—catapulted onto the charts in early April and instigated a massive fight among some of the biggest names in hip-hop, fans of the genre knew that the coming beef would be sizzling hot. But, in the time since Lamar used the hit song to call out his peers Drake and J. Cole, we have found ourselves in the throes of an all-out rap war among some of the genre’s most prominent titans. “Like That,” which has topped the Hot 100 for three weeks, has instigated a heap of drama so wayward and sprawling—complete with red-herring A.I.-formulated diss track leaks, random interjections from an A-list actress, and confusing claims about Drake and Brazilian butt lifts—that even those familiar with hip-hop might have trouble making heads or tails of it all. For all the pettiness and ridiculousness involved, the conflict has actually touched on some evergreen questions about rap culture—mainly, what constitutes it and what doesn’t—that everyone from journalists to online commenters to prominent Twitch streamers have attempted to weigh in on. If you’re lost in the sauce, don’t worry: Below, we present our best attempt at explaining the Infinity War–like fight that has seemingly captured all of hip-hop.

So, how did this all start? 

Let’s go back to Oct. 6 of last year, when Drake released his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. On “First Person Shooter,” one of the album’s hit songs, featured rapper J. Cole makes some complimentary nods to his fellow MCs Drake (whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, nickname Drizzy) and Kendrick Lamar (aka K-Dot): “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.” Ah, the beauty of friendship.

Except, apparently, one of the “Big Three” didn’t like being put in that company. Fast-forward to March 22, when Future and Metro Boomin (who also goes by Metro) released their collaborative album We Don’t Trust You. The breakout single of the album, “Like That,” features Lamar putting down any insinuation that he’s a part of the aforementioned triumvirate with the lines: “Motherfuck the Big Three/ N****, it’s just Big Me.” Lamar then goes on to make digs at Drake’s album title—“’Fore all your dogs gettin’ buried/ That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Sematary”—among other small jabs. Additionally, plenty speculate that some of Future’s slights on the album are also of the anti-Drake variety.

Wait, why did Kendrick Lamar do that? J. Cole’s mention was complimentary, and I thought J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar were friends?

You hit on a very important piece of this confounding puzzle, which is that all of the rappers in this controversy have a long history of collaborating with each other (though some also have a history of beefing with each other). This is a part of what makes this whole mess slightly bewildering. There must be something they know that we don’t! Regardless, Lamar’s diss on “Like That” caused a whole earthquake of commotion in the rap community (and in the rap journalism community).

OK, so we’ve got Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Metro Boomin on one side, and now J. Cole and Drake left to respond. Did they respond?

Yes, and it opened up a nearly Shakespearean level of feud correspondence, complete with a massive plot twist. Let’s start with Cole. On April 5, shortly after We Don’t Trust You dropped, Cole released a surprise album, Might Delete Later, which featured a song titled “7 Minute Drill.” The song, whose title is theorized by some to be a reference to a military drill, includes a response to Lamar. Cole raps, “Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic/ Your second shit put N****s to sleep, but they gassed it/ Your third shit was massive and that was your prime.” Not only was this comeback factually untrue—it’s most likely that the second project Cole is referring to is Lamar’s 2015 magnum opus To Pimp a Butterfly, which, instead of putting anyone to sleep, is commonly regarded as one of the best albums of the entire decade, or even of all time—but it was widely clowned by online rap fans who found it to be a weak comeback. Cole continues by suggesting Lamar’s limited output makes him irrelevant: “He averagin’ one hard verse like every thirty months or somethin’/ If he wasn’t dissin’, then we wouldn’t be discussin’ him.”

However, as his album title warns, Cole actually publicly apologized to Lamar days later, before promptly removing the song from streaming services. During his headlining performance at his own music festival, Dreamville Festival, Cole took to the stage and announced to the audience that making the song “didn’t sit right with [his] spirit” and is some of “the lamest, goofiest shit” he’s ever done. He finished by complimenting Lamar again. It’s worth noting that, as Rolling Stone’s Andre Gee explains so perfectly: “J. Cole has a history of passive-aggressively referencing other artists in ways that he can later dismiss as constructive criticism if pressed.” Perhaps best evidenced by Cole’s more recent tiff with female rapper Noname—and subsequent walk back—this behavior shouldn’t be surprising.

Oh! How did fans react to him taking back his rebuttal? That seems rare.

It’s not unheard of for a rapper to take back and/or apologize for a diss: Beanie Sigel did it to Jay-Z, and Jay-Z did it to Nas, for example. But even those actions are widely debated within the rap community, so it’s natural that Cole’s backpedaling would open up an entire discussion about the ethics of dissing in hip-hop culture, as well as what it means to have grown men showing public remorse and taking accountability. It is true that diss tracks and beef are one of the bedrocks of hip-hop, but it is also true that accountability can be healthy. I guess the real question is whether or not you believe Cole would have apologized if the diss itself weren’t so widely mocked.

Wait, what about Drake? Where does he fall into this?

Before we get into the Drake of it all, we have to talk about Future and Metro’s second album.

There was … a second album?!

On April 12, the two collaborators released their follow-up to We Don’t Trust You, called We Still Don’t Trust You, which is littered with what fans believe are sneak disses against the Canadian hitmaker Drake, not only from Future (and, by nature of crafting the album, Metro), but also rapper ASAP Rocky, singer the Weeknd, and yes, a surprise reappearance from Cole.

While Future’s alleged digs at Drake are sprinkled throughout the album (and compiled here), it’s the tracks featuring other artists that really lit a fire on Al Gore’s internet. On the track “All to Myself,” the Weeknd takes jabs at Drake, his former close collaborator, singing, “They could never diss my brothers, baby/ When they got leaks in they operation/ I thank God that I never signed my life away.” Fans speculate that this is a reference to when the Weeknd almost signed to Drake’s label, OVO Sound, but instead signed with Republic Records, which is often reported as the first sign of the dissolution of their friendship.

On the track “Show of Hands,” Rocky tags himself in on the Drake verbal beatdown, lamenting that he wasn’t invited to jump in on the first wave of the action: “Call up Pluto, Metro, should’ve put me on the first one/ N****s swear they bitch the baddest, I just bagged the worst one/ N****s in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or somethin’?” These comments are widely believed to be alluding to the infamous brief relationship between Drake and Rihanna, Rocky’s current partner and the mother of his children. Many believe these insults are likely retaliation for Drake’s many alleged digs at Rocky on For All the Dogs, some of which are also thought to be about Rihanna. On “Show of Hands,” Rocky (nickname: Pretty Flacko) continues by seemingly claiming that he had a relationship with the mother of Drake’s child before Drake did—“I smash before you birthed, son/ Flacko hit it first, son”—and he mocks For All the Dogs for lacking quality. Though the two rappers have a rocky history, the vitriolic level of distaste Rocky expresses on the track is still surprising.

The final anti-Drake messages on We Still Don’t Trust You aren’t explicit disses so much as suggestions of guilt by association. Surprisingly, this includes none other than J. Cole, who appears on the track “Red Leather.” Though Cole doesn’t take a direct shot in his lyrics, his presence on the album—the project itself primarily a Drake takedown—and his recent public apology have confused many. Cole clearing his verse for We Still Don’t Trust You gets even more interesting when you consider the fact that Cole finished touring with Drake last month. Similarly, rapper Rick Ross is featured on the album, and while he seemingly doesn’t diss Drake, his presence on the album (and his subsequent unfollowing of Drake on social media) hints at a real rift between the two.

What did Drake do to incur this ire from everyone in the business?

It seems like the entire internet is asking the same question. It’s entirely unclear what Drake did specifically to make everyone mad. Sure, some of the shots at him are simple retaliation (like in Rocky’s case), but this does seem like a sudden onslaught.

Did Drake respond?

On Saturday, an alleged Drake demo, titled “Push Ups (Drop and Give Me 50),” was leaked online. While some fans insisted the track was the product of A.I., others insisted that it was real. DJ Akademiks, a prominent conservative livestreamer who discusses hip-hop, was purportedly given access to the real version—which had better mixing, new lyrics, different production, and, to his surprise, a sample of an Akademiks video clip—confirming the legitimacy of the leak. Around the same time, a second diss track, titled “Hi Whitney,” was leaked to the internet, but Akademiks said that Drake texted him on Sunday night to confirm that that was, indeed, A.I.

Before we get any further, let me make sure I’m getting this right: Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar dissed J. Cole and Drake. Cole then shot back at Lamar, but later apologized. A follow-up anti-Drake (or at least strongly hinted to be so) album was released, which not only tagged ASAP Rocky, the Weeknd, and Rick Ross into the brawl, but also featured Cole (who maybe switched sides). Now, a Drake response to the mounting opposition leaked on the internet. Did I nail all that?

Yes, good job! Let’s continue. On “Push Ups,” Drake airs out his beef with everyone. Every single line of the song is a jab at someone, whether thinly veiled or overt, so I’m going to break it down by each subject found in Drake’s crosshairs. If you want an in-depth analysis, I would suggest perusing lyrical breakdowns.

The track predominantly concerns itself with Lamar. Drake makes fun of Lamar’s shorter stature, asking “How the fuck you big steppin’ with a size seven men’s on?” (That shoe-size allegation has been debunked by an LA sneaker boutique, which claims to have gifted Lamar pairs of shoes ranging from sizes 8.5 to 9.) Drake goes on to shame Lamar for what he perceives as a bad business deal, using the song’s title and refrain to allege that the head of Lamar’s former label, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, was claiming 50 percent of Lamar’s publishing revenue: “cause Top told you drop and give me 50 like some push-ups, huh.” The line (and the refrain) is also possibly a double entendre reference to this viral video of Lamar doing push-ups. Drake also makes fun of Lamar for having features on songs by Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift, and he goes one step further by potentially name-checking Lamar’s fiancée Whitney Alford with the line “​​I be with some bodyguards like Whitney.”

Additionally, Drake says that he is responsible for Future’s first No. 1 hit—“I could never be nobody number-one fan/ Your first number one, I had to put it in your hand”—a reference to the fact that Future’s first No. 1 song came via a guest feature on Drake’s hit “Way 2 Sexy.” Meanwhile, Drake’s hits at the Weeknd are even more personal, as a result of their having known each other for more than a decade. Drake claims that the Weeknd’s (whose real name is Abel Tesfaye) managing team (which includes Amir “Cash” Esmailian) is taking advantage of him: “And when you boys got rich, you had to run from it/ Cash blowin’ Abel bread, out here trickin’.” Drake finishes his jabs with an attempt at emasculating the singer via a knock on the Weeknd’s label, XO, saying, “hugs and kisses, man, don’t tell me ’bout no switches.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Drake brings Ross more firmly into the fold by calling out Ross’ history as a correctional officer with: “I might take your latest girl and cuff her like I’m Ricky.” He continues by alleging that he had a heavy hand in Ross’ success and basically asks, Aren’t you too old for this?: “Can’t believe he jumpin’ in, this N**** turnin’ 50/ Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy.” Though it’s been removed from the final version, the leaked demo also included a line seemingly implicating Ross in Sean “Puff Daddy”/“Diddy” Combs’ current sexual assault allegations and lawsuits, with the line “Every song that made it on the chart he got from Drizzy/ Worry about whatever’s goin on with you and —.” Drake also brings up NBA player Ja Morant, who supported We Still Don’t Trust You via social media (by reiterating a quote he’s known for), and who has a history of allegedly butting heads with Drake going back to rumors that Morant became romantically involved with Drake’s purported ex. Regarding Morant, Drake rhymes: “Shoutout to the hooper that be bustin’ out the griddy/ We know why you mad, N**** I ain’t even trippin’/ All that lil heartbroken Twitter shit for bitches.”

As far as Metro Boomin is concerned, Drake tells the producer to “shut your ho-ass up and make some drums.” Cole comes off the easiest, with Drake simply admonishing Cole’s apology to Lamar, saying, “I don’t care what Cole think, that Dot shit was weak as fuck.” He also addresses everyone, chiding them for ganging up on him by saying it’s “20-v-1,” alleging that their issues were seeds sown long ago, and warning that he knows more dirt than what he divulges on the song. Additionally, he brings up the fact that other artists (specifically SZA, Travis Scott, and 21 Savage) are more successful than all of his newfound enemies. Though he removed it from the final version of the song, the demo also included an explicit reference to Lamar’s comments—“It’s me twice in my Big Three, I had to leave you out”—and insinuations that some have reached out to Drake trying to quell the drama, which he rejects: “Y’all drew the line, what the fuck we gotta speak about?”

Woof. That is … a lot. Is that it? 

Not even close. First, let’s pause for a moment to appreciate SZA’s funny response to her name being dropped on Saturday; she posted the meme of Real Housewives of Atlanta’s NeNe Leaks saying “Now, why am I in it?” to her Instagram stories.

Back at the ranch, though, the drama is very much still unfolding. Shortly after Drake’s “Push Ups” was released, Ross premiered his own diss track, called “Champagne Moments” (Drake’s Instagram handle is @ChampagnePapi), on DJ Akademiks’ livestream before releasing it on streaming. On the track, Ross goes over familiar territory with his Drake insults by bringing up the long-standing rumors that Drake uses ghostwriters, and making fun of Drake’s mixed race by calling him “white boy.” Additionally, Ross accuses Drake of getting a nose job to lessen his ethnic appearance—“You ain’t never want to be a N**** anyway, N****/ That’s why you had a operation to make your nose smaller than your father nose”—and of stealing the flow of Drake’s mentor, Lil Wayne. Ross also tsk-tsks Drake for allegedly leaking his responses instead of directly addressing his foes—“N****s leakin’ they records when we speakin’ directly/ If we keepin’ it gangsta, when you see me, you check me”—and explains that he unfollowed Drake because, allegedly, the Canadian rapper sent a cease-and-desist letter to fellow rapper French Montana. (The public has been speculating about the details of this alleged letter ever since.)

Ross also took his issues to social media in a flurry of posts, some of which refer to Drake as “BBL Drizzy,” insinuating that Drake has gotten a Brazilian butt lift. Drake posted a screenshot of a text message conversation with his mother to his Instagram stories, where they talked about the diss track and joked about Ross’ suggestion that Drake got cosmetic surgery. In the texts, Drake pokes fun at Ross’ weight loss efforts, claiming Ross has “gone loopy off the Mounjaro,” Mounjaro being a weight loss medication. On Monday morning, Ross tweeted telling Drake to respond. Over the past few days, Ross has made plenty of videos slandering Drake as well as the rapper Birdman, who said that he sided with Drake in the war.

On Monday morning, a purported response track from Lamar was leaked, but it’s up for debate whether it’s legitimate or the work of A.I., with much of the public consensus leaning toward the latter.

Holy moly. 

But wait! I’m not done. Even Uma Thurman got in on the action.

Kill Bill’s Uma Thurman?

The very same! On Sunday, Drake posted a still from Kill Bill Vol. 1 to his Instagram stories, alluding to his battle against multiple assailants in the rap game. Apparently Thurman still has her iconic costume in her storage, which she took a photo of, posted to her Instagram stories, and tagged Drake in, asking: “Need this?” Drake responded “Yes pls. The pen is the Hattori Hanzo,” which is Drake’s way of comparing his lyricism to the famous sword Thurman’s character wields in the movie.

Wow, that sure is—

I’m still not done. The story is continuing to develop as more rappers stake claims in the beef, like Lupe Fiasco saying Drake is a better rapper than Lamar, and the Game seemingly also siding with Champagne Papi. On Tuesday, Metro Boomin and Future announced their “We Trust You” tour, set to embark this summer. Meanwhile, at the time of writing, Ross is still posting slanderous mocking comments to his Instagram stories about Drake and Birdman, most of which involve Ross claiming he has more money than them.

Well, I feel enlightened now. Just to be safe: Are there any more updates yet? Any other responses to Drake’s diss? 

Given that “Push Ups” is mostly aimed at Lamar, fans are waiting to see how he, specifically, will respond. Still, there’s been no official word from anyone else except Ross (yet, anyway). But I’m sure this is far from over.