Drake Vs. Everybody: A TIMELINE Of The MASSIVE FEUD

Drake‘s subliminal shots are all starting to make sense.

What began as a cold war with Kendrick Lamar has ultimately morphed into an industry-wide handicap match: Drake Vs Everybody.

Drizzy and K. Dot’s relationship began on friendlier terms. Most fans could point at Aubrey Graham’s assist on 2011’s Take Care, featuring the Compton emcee on the classic “Buried Alive Interlude,” as the beginning of their turbulent relationship. The two would appear on A$AP

Rocky’s “F**kin’ Problems” in 2012 before linking up Dot’s “Poetic Justice” for his classic LP, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. Unfortunately, these works would mark the final collaboration between Drake and Lamar. From there, play time was over.

Big Sean’s “Control” was released in August 2013, with Lamar staking his claim to the Blog Era rap throne. His memorable verse found him calling out all of his peers, including Drake, challenging them to come and take the crown from him. Names mentioned in the prolific verse

include J. Cole, Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, Mac Miller, Big Sean, and Jay Electronica—who were both on the song with him.

Drake famously addressed “Control” in a Billboard interview around that time. The Canadian crooner said he didn’t take Lamar’s machismo too seriously. Instead, he downplayed the moment. But he reassured fans they’d revisit this topic if something were brewing between them— intense foreshadowing for events to come.

“I didn’t really have anything to say about it. It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That’s all it was. I know good and well that [Lamar]’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.”

Kendrick Lamar didn’t back down, and instead, turned up the heat.

Lamar sent more shots at the “sensitive rapper” in the TDE BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher in 2013. And if that wasn’t enough, Dot used witty wordplay, calling out Drake’s simmering 2013 album, Nothing Was The Same. “Nothing’s been the same since they dropped ‘Control’/ And

 

tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes/ Ha ha joke’s on you, high-five… I’m bulletproof/ Your shots never penetrate/ Pin the tail on the donkey, boy you been a fake.”

Drake refrained from sending shots and spoke on the matter in yet another cover story—this time with VIBE. Drizzy claimed he “stood his ground” during the “Control” pandemonium. He once again insisted that there was “no real issue.”

“Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing. What am I supposed to say? Nah, we’ll be buddy-buddy? Mind you, I never once said he’s a bad guy [or] I don’t like him. I think he’s a

 

f**king genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should. And with that came another step, which then I have to realize I’m being baited and I’m not gonna fall. [Michael] Jordan doesn’t have to play pickup to prove that he could play ball, no offense. But I’m not

 

gonna give you the chance to shake me necessarily, ’cause I feel great. There’s no real issue.”

A year later, Kendrick visited The Breakfast Club. The crew asked Dot about potentially going “toe-to-toe” with Drake in a battle. Kendrick also downplayed the situation. He argued there wouldn’t be a point to it because they’re “two different artists.”

 

From there, the two would trade shots sporadically on loosies, singles, and more. Songs featuring shots between the two artists include Drake’s “The Language,” “Used To,” and “Gyalchester,” “Diplomatic Immunity,” “Sandra’s Rose,” Future‘s “Sh*t Remix” and “Mask Off

Remix” Jay Rock’s “Pay For It,” The Game’s “100,” Kendrick Lamar’s “King Kunta,” “The Heart Part IV,” “Father Time,” and “Element,” Dr. Dre’s “Darkside/Gone,” and Baby Keem’s “Family Ties,” to name a few.

But as the 2010s ended, so did the Cold War between the two men—seemingly. Yet, as the 2020s began, the feud picked up, with even more entertainers throwing their hats in the ring. While Kenny V Aubrey remains the marquee event, Drake’s feuds with other rappers have

worked to bolster the decade-long battle. Here’s a timeline of the second phase in Drake and Lamar’s feud, aka Drake Vs. Everybody, and what’s happened.