A new documentary entitled “Public Enemies: Kendrick vs Drake” from production companies Acme Films and GroupM Motion Entertainment will delve deep into the highly publicized feud between arguably two of today’s most impactful artists in music: Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
Commissioned for Channel 4, this film examines the origins, escalation, and cultural consequence of their rivalry through a forensic exploration of how these artists have created – and been created by – contemporary music culture.
The documentary will utilize archival footage and interviews with people who have known and worked with the two artists. The film will delve into how Kendrick Lamar-a creative force from Compton-and Drake, a former child actor from Toronto-rose to universal acclaim.
The film is not a biography but a cultural investigation into their respective impacts on today’s music through their very different journeys, backgrounds, talents, and visions that have shaped them into global icons.
Shaminder Nahal, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4 Specialist Factual, said, “Public Enemies: Kendrick vs Drake isn’t a biography; it’s cultural exploration of two of the most influential voices in modern music.” He continued, “This film represents how their eras and distinctive creative journeys cemented these singers as international icons.”
Acme Films are the creatives behind the film, but they’re quite familiar with hip-hop rivalries. They did produce the 2017 documentary Public Enemies: Jay-Z v Kanye. In the words of its Creative Director Jaimie D’Cruz, the landscape of Hip Hop has dramatically altered since then.
“It’s only a few years since our last Public Enemies film for Channel 4 delved into the Jay-Z and Kanye rivalry. But Public Enemies: Kendrick vs Drake feels like a story from a world where all the rules have changed, and beef is everywhere around us,” said D’Cruz.
The beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake began in the early 2010s but significantly fractured in 2024. It would further escalate when a verse from Lamar appeared on a track by Future and Metro Boomin entitled “Like That,” which dropped in March 2024 and brutally targeted Drake .
This was followed by numerous diss tracks from both the artists, one of which was a tune entitled “Not Like Us” by Lamar, which threw serious accusations at Drake . Songs like “Family Matters” and “The Heart Part 6” from Drake continued to add fuel to the fire.
It will also look at the diss tracks that were decisive in accentuating the fight, underlining how these musical exchanges reflect broader debates about the future of the rap genre, its commercial appeal, and authenticity .
The feud has been described as the “last great rap beef”; this shows the faces such beef takes in the age of social media. Several music publications have declared Lamar the victor in this feud, simply because of his lyrical prowess and the impact of the diss tracks which he released.
Recent snapbacks in the feud include Drake allegedly trying to block Lamar from performing “Not Like Us” during his Super Bowl halftime performance, though Drake has come out and denied this publicly,. Adding on top of that, Drake has also talked about being betrayed by friends through all of this, which complicates things on a personal level.
The very title of the documentary, “Public Enemies: Kendrick vs Drake”, hints at a gripping look at one of the most thoroughly debated rivalries in contemporary music. By analyzing the personal and professional trajectories taken by Kendrick Lamar and Drake, this film tries to give a view into the cultural forces shaping not only their careers but also that of the greater music industry. This film will document not only their feud but also reflect on the changing face of rap music and its cultural relevance.
