Topline
Kendrick Lamar is shattering streaming records and claiming more top spots on the music charts with his diss tracks than his rap beef adversary Drake as the pair’s rivalry heats up to become a full-blown war that has included claims of sexual misconduct and infidelity—and possibly contributed to a shooting at Drake’s Toronto home.
Kendrick Lamar at on Sept. 23, 2023 in Las Vegas.
Key Facts
"Not Like Us," the track released by Lamar Saturday night that included claims Drake had a history of pursuing relationships with underage women and called him and acquaintances "certified pedophiles," broke Spotify's single-day streaming record for a hip-hop song with 6.59 million listens.
"Not Like Us" overtook a Drake song to earn the Spotify streaming title; Drake’s 2021 song "Girls Want Girls," which is not a diss track from the pair's ongoing feud, was the previous record holder.
Lamar is also beating Drake on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, where "Euphoria" currently sits at No. 11 and "Push Ups” by Drake, the first true diss track in the feud, is at No. 17.
On Wednesday, five of the nine diss tracks that have been exchanged between the pair in recent weeks were in the top 12 spots on the Apple Music charts, with Lamar leading the way.
"Not Like Us" was at the top of the chart and "Family Matters," in which Drake slams Lamar’s engagement to longtime partner Whitney Alford and suggests infidelity within their relationship, was in the No. 3 spot.
"Euphoria," by Lamar was No. 4 on the chart Wednesday, followed by "Meet the Grahams" by Lamar at No. 10 and "Push Ups" by Drake at No. 12.
On Spotify, five of the tracks were in the top 12 of the most-played songs in the country (it’s worth noting that one of Drake’s tracks, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” is no longer available to stream because Tupac Shakur’s estate threatened legal action for the use of his AI-generated voice in the song).
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Key Background
Drake’s and Lamar’s beef has been simmering for more than a decade but the latest battle can be traced back to an October song from Drake and J. Cole (“First Person Shooter") that said they, alongside Lamar, were the "big three" of rap. Lamar responded in March with a line on his song "Like That"—which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100—instead rapping, “It's just big me." Drake responded with the song "Push Ups" and a back-and-forth was launched, with the releases of "Taylor Made Freestyle," "Euphoria," "Family Matters," "Meet the Grahams," "6:16 in LA," “Not Like Us" and "The Heart Part 6." The songs have included serious allegations exchanged between the two men. Lamar has claimed Drake had a secret child and has had sexual relations with underaged girls, both of which Drake has denied. Drake also implied in "The Heart Part 6" that his team purposefully fed Lamar misinformation, allegations that have not yet been responded to. Drake has in turn questioned the parentage of Lamar’s child with Alford, suggesting Lamar's manager Dave Free may be the true father, and claims Lamar had been violent toward Alford.
Surprising Fact
Early Tuesday morning, shots were fired outside of Drake’s sprawling Toronto mansion and a security guard was injured but is expected to survive. Whether or not the drive-by shooting was related to the feud between the two artists is unclear, but Lamar did use a Google Maps image of the home as the cover art for “Not Like Us.” When Drake released his response track, called “The Heart Part 6,” he posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, “So instead of posting my address you have a lot to address.” Police have said it is too early to determine a motive in the shooting and have not confirmed if Drake was home at the time.
Further Reading
Drake-Kendrick Lamar Feud Timeline: Drive-By Shooting At Drake’s House (Forbes)
Shooting Outside Drake's Toronto House Leaves Man Seriously Injured (Forbes)
Kendrick Lamar Slams ‘Scam Artist’ Drake In New Diss Track ‘Euphoria’—Latest Chapter In Their Beef (Forbes)
Drake And Rick Ross Beef: What To Know About The Diss Tracks, Nose Job Allegations And ‘BBL Drizzy’ (Forbes)
