- Drake’s ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar has led to strained relationships with several longtime collaborators and friends, including LeBron James, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross and DJ Khaled.
- The feud has resulted in diss tracks, altered song lyrics, and public fallouts, with Drake and Lamar taking direct shots at each other.
- Despite the tensions, Drake remains focused on new music, announcing a collaboration album with PARTYNEXTDOOR and a solo project.
Full Story
Drake’s ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar is creating ripple effects throughout the music industry. As the beef escalates, several longtime collaborators and friends have distanced themselves from the Toronto rapper.
LeBron James and Drake’s friendship appears strained
LeBron James and Drake have shared a public friendship for over 15 years. In April 2024, James tweeted congratulations to Drake for a successful tour.
However, the relationship seemed to shift when James attended Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out” concert in Inglewood, California, in the middle of the feud. By October, fans noticed that Drake had unfollowed James on Instagram, fueling speculation of tension.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Drake later altered the lyrics of his 2018 song “Nonstop” during his “Anita Max Wynn” tour. Originally, the line praised James: “How I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron?” But at a recent performance, Drake changed the lyric to: “How I go from 6 to 23 but not LeBron?”
The next day, James reposted a video of the NFL promoting Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance, adding that Lamar would “kill it.”
Fans speculate standing between Future and Drake
Drake and Future have worked together for over a decade. Their first collaboration came in 2011, and their partnership led to multiple hits, including the Grammy-winning “Wait For U” in 2023.
However, Future released his album “We Don’t Trust You” in March 2024, produced by Metro Boomin. The project featured the track “Like That,” where Kendrick Lamar directly dissed Drake.
Metro Boomin and Drake’s relationship sours
Drake and Metro Boomin have had a history of successful collaborations. But Metro produced “Like That,” which played a major role in escalating the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
In response, Drake dropped his diss track “Push Ups,” calling out Metro directly. A few months later, Metro fired back with an instrumental track titled “BBL Drizzy.” Many saw this as a reference to Rick Ross’s claim that Drake had undergone cosmetic surgery.
Metro later addressed his fallout with Drake in a “GQ Men of the Year” interview.
“Me and [Drake], we had a personal issue, and for the record, not over no girl or nothing silly like that. It was a personal issue that really hurt me and disappointed me,” Metro said.
Rick Ross responds to Drake
Drake and Rick Ross dominated the charts throughout the 2010s, collaborating on multiple hits. But that history didn’t stop Drake from dissing Ross in “Push Ups,” where he suggested Ross’s biggest songs were only successful because of his features.
Ross responded with “Champagne Moments,” a diss track that took aim at Drake’s racial identity and alleged plastic surgery.
Despite the feud, Ross recently hinted that a reconciliation is possible.
“I don’t know, it depends on how I feel. If I had Luc Belaire already that morning, it may be a good day. If I haven’t, you never f—ing know,” Ross said in an interview.
DJ Khaled and Drake’s misunderstanding
Drake and DJ Khaled have collaborated on six studio albums. Many assumed Drake would appear on Khaled’s upcoming project, but a misunderstanding led to confusion.
In a now-deleted post, Khaled shared a seven-minute promotional video for his next album, “Aalam of God.” The caption stated that Drake contributed to two tracks. However, Drake commented under the post: “Must be Drake Bell.”
Shortly after, Khaled deleted the announcement.
What’s next for Drake?
Despite tensions with multiple industry peers, Drake is still focused on new music. He recently announced a collaboration album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, dropping on Valentine’s Day.
During a recent tour stop, he also revealed that a solo project is on the way. He told the crowd it would serve as a “one-on-one talk” with his fans.
