You switched on the radio, and next thing you know, it’s suddenly open season on Drake? No, you did not imagine it. Our favorite Canadian crooner, the singer of “Hotline Bling,” the king of sensitive rap anthems, seems to be Public Enemy Number One in the world of hip-hop today. You may ask why all of this hate, why are Rappers dissing Drake ? Let’s explore this phenomenon quicker than you can say “Started from the bottom.”
Drake, or Aubrey Graham to his parents, didn’t spend all his time dodging lyrical bullets. At first, he graced our screens, not our speakers. A gangly kid with a goofy grin and high-top fade, he starred in the Canadian teen-drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. But music was calling, and it was impossible to ignore. West dropped mixtapes, followed later by a monster hit with So Far Gone. Brisk collaborations with superstars like Kanye West and Nicki Minaj followed, and Drake soon emerged as a chart-topping titan.
Whispers of a feud began in 2013 when Kendrick Lamar dropped his verse on “Control.” Long story short, Kendrick wasn’t handing out participation trophies, and Drake — among other rappers — was in the line of fire . Fast forward to 2024 and things started to get really interesting when Future and Metro Boomin released “Like That.” K-Dot’s verse on the track was considered a pretty hardcore diss of Drake and J, and the gloves were off.
The diss-track diner’s table is set. Kendrick Lamar is the highlighted centerpiece dish, yet Rick Ross is on it, and there have been even suggestions of Taylor Swift’s name getting tossed for good measure. It is a twisted situation, compounded by producers such as Metro Boomin and other rap artists such as J. Cole and Future.
The musical scene is now a lyrical brawl. Drake has been recorded. “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle” are considered his reaction; with tones ranging from Kendrick’s physique to his own bank account dispositions Clean.
The feud is simmering like a pot of spicy jambalaya. Drake’s diss tracks are the latest chapter, and who knows what Kendrick or the others will cook up next?
At the end of the day, hip-hop runs on drama. It’s entirely possible that this is all just one big publicity stunt, an intricate marketing scheme to keep people talking about Drake and his next album. Perhaps it’s the battle of two large and unwarranted egos. I think there may be enough entertainment in it all to buy popcorn and watch.
Who do you think will win? Drake, or Kendrick Lamar? Perhaps, with time and consistency, all this will fizzle out. Or, possibly, we’re about to witness the birth of a hip-hop legend. Either way, the music business is keeping a close eye on the situation. Only time will tell why Rappers are dissing Drake.
