Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: A complete timeline of the rappers' beef

• Drake and Kendrick Lamar, once collaborators early in their careers, are now actively beefing.
• Their feud reached a fever pitch in May 2024, when Lamar dropped the diss track "Not Like Us."
• Now, Drake is suing Universal Music Group for allowing the song's release.

Drake and Kendrick Lamar's explosive feud has captivated the hip-hop world — but as Drake notes in his diss track "Push Ups," the two have an even more tangled, contentious history than meets the eye.

"That fucking song y'all got did not start the beef with us," Drake raps. "This shit been brewing in a pot, now I'm heating up."

The song in question is Future and Metro Boomin's hit single "Like That," released on March 22, 2024. It features Lamar issuing a challenge to both Drake and J. Cole, considered by many to be the three biggest rappers working today.

Lamar's taunt ignited a diss-track war in April and May, with Drake and Lamar hurling eight more diss tracks back and forth.

At first, fans delighted in a whiff of fresh beef. Diss battles are common in hip-hop, as rappers use them to showcase their reflexes, tenacity, and songwriting skills.

Feuds can also be a savvy marketing tactic to help artists boost streams and sales. "Like That," for instance, reigned atop the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, and "We Don't Trust You" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Later, both Drake and Lamar climbed Hot 100 with various jabs, including "Push Ups," "Euphoria," and "Family Matters."

However, as Drake and Lamar continued to clash, Drake escalated his attacks to the courts, launching a legal complaint against Spotify and suing Universal Music Group (his own label's umbrella company), accusing both of artificially inflating streams of Lamar's fan-favorite diss track "Not Like Us."

How did we get here? Here's everything to know about Drake and Lamar's relationship, both past and present.

Hannah Getahun contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Drake and Lamar have been taking shots at each other since 2013

Drake and Lamar may have started out as friends, or at least trusted colleagues. They released two collaborations in 2011 ("Buried Alive Interlude" on Drake's album and "Poetic Justice" on Lamar's album) and teamed up with A$AP Rocky for the 2012 hit "F**kin' Problems." Lamar also opened for Drake's Club Paradise Tour in 2012.

Their bad blood likely began when Lamar declared he was better than all the rising rap stars, including Drake and J. Cole, during a guest verse on Big Sean's 2013 song "Control."

"And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller / I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you n*****," he rapped.

Drake apparently responded on his own song, "The Language," from the 2013 album "Nothing Was the Same" — though he didn't call out Lamar by name.

"I don't know why they been lying but your shit is not that inspiring," Drake raps. "Bank account statement just look like I'm ready for early retirement / Fuck any n**** that's talking that shit just to get a reaction."

Since then, Drake and Lamar have seemed to make small digs at each other in both music and interviews.

In 2015, Lamar released "King Kunta" as a single from his acclaimed album, "To Pimp a Butterfly." In the song, he mocks an unnamed "rapper with a ghostwriter."

Although Lamar hasn't confirmed who the "King Kunta" lyric is about, Drake has been repeatedly accused of using ghostwriters by rappers like Meek Mill and Pusha T.

J. Cole entered the feud after appearing on Drake's 'First Person Shooter' in October 2023

Drake released his collaboration with J. Cole, "First Person Shooter," as a single from his latest album, "For All the Dogs."

In the braggadocious song, J. Cole references Lamar as "K-Dot" (his former stage name) and Drake as "Aubrey" (as in Aubrey Graham, his legal name) when listing the biggest names in hip-hop: "Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali."

Drake ends the song by comparing his success to that of the late Michael Jackson, one of the best-selling artists in history. "First Person Shooter" debuted atop the Hot 100 in October 2023, earning Drake his 13th No. 1 song on the chart, the same total as Jackson.

Five months later, Lamar's verse in "Like That" directly references those lyrics, as well as the song's title.

"Fuck sneak dissin', first-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches," Lamar raps. "Motherfuck the big three, n****, it's just big me."

One month after 'Like That' dropped, Cole fired back at Lamar, then apologized two days later

J. Cole didn't comment on Lamar's "Like That" verse until April 5, 2024, when he released a 12-track EP, "Might Delete Later," featuring Gucci Mane, Ari Lennox, and others.

The first verse of the final track, "7 Minute Drill," appears to be a direct response to Lamar, who Cole implies is losing popularity.

"He still doing shows, but fell off like the Simpsons / Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic / Your second shit put n***** to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third shit was massive and that was your prime / I was trailing right behind and I just now hit mine," Cole raps.

Fans believe Cole is referencing 2012's "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" ("classic"), 2022's "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" ("tragic"), 2015's "To Pimp a Butterfly" ("gassed"), and 2017's "Damn" ("massive"), respectively.

However, two days after the song was released, Cole apologized to Lamar during his performance at the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina.

"I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest shit," Cole said in a video shared on X. "And I pray that y'all are like, forgive a n**** for the misstep and I can get back to my true path. Because I ain't gonna lie to y'all. The past two days felt terrible."

Cole said he felt conflicted because he respects Lamar but felt pressure from his peers and fans to respond.

Cole said releasing "7 Minute Drill" (and the discourse it inspired) didn't "sit right with my spirit," adding that he hoped Lamar, who he describes as "one of the greatest motherfuckers to ever touch a fuckin' microphone," wasn't hurt by his words.

Representatives for Lamar and Cole did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Future and Metro Boomin stirred more trouble with 'We Still Don't Trust You'

On April 12, 2024, Future and Metro Boomin released their second collaborative album, "We Still Don't Trust You." While neither rapper directly dissed Drake, they enlisted The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky to do their bidding.

In the eighth track, "All To Myself," The Weeknd references his decision not to sign with Drake's OVO label earlier in his career, which reportedly led to a falling out between the two Canadian stars.

"They could never diss my brothers, baby / When they got leaks in they operation / I thank God that I never signed my life away / And we never do the big talk / They shooters makin' TikToks / Got us laughin' in the Lambo," The Weeknd raps.

On the later track, "Show of Hands," Rocky references the rumor that he had sex with Sophie Brussaux, the mother of Drake's son, before Drake did.

"N***** in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or something? / I smash before you birthed, son, Flacko hit it first, son," Rocky raps.

Rocky and Drake had appeared to be friends until the "F**kin' Problems" rapper began to date Rihanna, who previously had a will-they-won't-they relationship with Drake.

However, Rocky's diss wasn't exactly unprovoked. In "Fear of Heights," the fourth track on "For All the Dogs," Drake mocks both Rocky and Rihanna, implying sex with his ex-girlfriend was "average" and saying Rocky "can't leave" because they have children together, evoking a classic sexist trope known as "baby trapping."

Drake and Kendrick's diss track battle begins in earnest

One day after the release of "We Still Don't Trust You," Drake dropped his response, setting off a back-and-forth exchange of barbs in diss tracks that would last through the spring.

April 13, 2024: "Push Ups" (Drake)

Drake spends most of the four-minute track dissing Lamar, although he reserves a few shots for Future, Metro Boomin, J. Cole, The Weeknd, and Rick Ross.

Ross quickly recorded and released a response, "Champagne Moments," in which he calls Drake a "white boy," claims the rapper got a nose job, and accuses him of stealing his flow from Lil Wayne.

April 19, 2024: "Taylor Made Freestyle" (Drake)

This track is best known for Drake's ill-advised use of AI to generate verses from the late Tupac Shakur, aka 2pac, and Snoop Dogg. Many fans criticized this move, particularly as Shakur was unable to consent.

Snoop Dogg responded to the song with a jokey Instagram video in which he reacts to messages about Drake using his voice.

On April 24, 2024, Billboard reported that Shakur's estate had sent Drake a cease-and-desist letter for abusing his likeness, calling it a "blatant abuse" of his legacy.

Two days later, Drake removed "Taylor Made Freestyle" from social media and streaming platforms.

April 30, 2024: "Euphoria" (Kendrick Lamar)

After laying low for much of April, Lamar surprise-released "Euphoria," a scorching six-minute diss track aimed explicitly at Drake.

May 3, 2024: "6:16 in LA" (Kendrick Lamar)

Days later, Lamar released another diss track on his Instagram. The title may refer to Shakur's birthday, June 16, or possibly Father's Day, which ties into Lamar's insults about Drake's parenting skills.

May 3, 2024: "Family Matters" (Drake)

The same day, Drake released this seven-and-a-half-minute response to Lamar's back-to-back diss tracks, along with a music video that depicts a red minivan similar to the one on the cover of Lamar's "Good Kid, M.A.A.d City," being driven across the border to Canada and destroyed.

Later in the video, Drake is shown having dinner at the same Chinese restaurant Lamar raps about in "Euphoria."

May 3, 2024: "Meet the Grahams" (Kendrick Lamar)

Lamar dropped "Meet the Grahams" less than an hour after Drake released "Family Matters." The song is framed as an open letter to Drake's family, with Lamar directly addressing his then-6-year-old son, Adonis, his mother, Sandra, and his father, Dennis.

May 4, 2024: "Not Like Us" (Kendrick Lamar)

The next morning, Lamar unleashed another diss track: his crown jewel, "Not Like Us."

Throughout the four-and-a-half-minute diss track, Lamar accuses Drake of pedophilic behavior and associating with questionable people, including Baka Not Nice, a rapper signed to OVO who pleaded guilty to assault in 2015. (As Business Insider previously reported, Drake's entourage has a history of violence, but he has never been publicly accused of sexual misconduct.)

The cover art for "Not Like Us" is an aerial shot of Drake's home in Toronto, covered in pins that resemble those used by sex offender registries.

May 5, 2024: "The Heart Part 6" (Drake)

Drake's response to "Meet the Grahams" and "Not Like Us" denies many of Lamar's claims in the track and says he's "disgusted" by the suggestion that he's "fucking young girls." He also says Lamar's team is filled with "clowns" who are feeding him false information. The song's title is a reference to Lamar's "The Heart" series.

Drake also seemed to suggest he's bowing out of the feud with Lamar.

After the release of Not Like Us,' a security guard outside Drake's Toronto mansion was shot

On May 7, 2024, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service confirmed to BI that Drake's security guard suffered a gunshot wound while standing outside his front gates.

There were also reports of several people trying to break into the property.

Amid the incidents, Drake complained on Instagram about the media helicopters surrounding his home.

Lamar performed 'Not Like Us' five times at his Juneteenth concert

On June 19, 2024, Lamar hosted a one-off concert to celebrate Juneteenth called "The Pop Out: Ken & Friends," which was live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch.

The event featured up-and-coming West Coast rappers and major Californian stars, including Dr. Dre, Jay Rock, and Tyler the Creator. Lamar closed the night with his own set, kicking it off with "Euphoria."

During the performance, Lamar added a new line, "Give me Tupac's ring back and I might give you a little respect," referring to reports that Drake had bought a ring that belonged to Shakur.

Later in the set, Lamar performed "6:16 in LA" and "Like That." Lamar ended the night by performing "Not Like Us" five times in a row (six including an instrumental version). He was joined onstage by a crowd of West Coast performers, athletes, and gang members.

The concert was widely hailed as Lamar's victory lap.

On July 4, 2024, Lamar released the long-awaited music video for 'Not Like Us'

Exactly two months after releasing "Not Like Us," which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, Lamar released a music video packed with references to Drake.

During one scene, Lamar is joined by his fianceé, Whitney Alford, and their two young children.

The video ends with Lamar putting an owl in a cage; the logo for Drake's label, OVO, is an owl.

Lamar surprised fans by dropping his new album 'GNX' before the end of the year

After months of silence, Lamar surprise-released the 12-track album on November 22, 2024.

While "GNX" doesn't include any explicitly anti-Drake tracks like "Euphoria" or "Not Like Us," it includes several apparent references to their feud and its ripple effects.

"Snoop posted 'Taylor Made,' I prayed it was the edibles / I couldn't believe it, it was only right for me to let it go," Lamar raps in the album's opening track, "Wacced Out Murals."

The album's 10th track is called "Heart Pt. 6," allowing Lamar to reclaim the title from Drake.

"GNX" garnered positive initial reviews from critics, rounding off a transformative and triumphant year for Lamar.

Drake's company launched two legal actions against Universal Music Group and Spotify

On November 25, 2024, Drake took his feud with Lamar into legal territory.

Drake's company, Frozen Moments, filed a pre-action petition in a New York court against Universal Music Group (UMG) — the record company that owns Lamar's label Interscope and Drake's label Republic Records — as well as the streaming giant Spotify.

The petition accuses both UMG and Spotify of using illicit methods, such as bots and payola (otherwise known as "pay-for-play"), to inflate streams of "Not Like Us."

The filing also claims that "Not Like Us" caused Drake to suffer "economic harm."

Hours after the filing made headlines, Billboard unearthed another action by Drake's company, filed the same day in Texas court. The second petition claims that UMG "funneled payments" to the radio conglomerate iHeartRadio in order to boost spins of "Not Like Us."

Drake's lawyers alleged that UMG could have blocked "Not Like Us" from being released because it "attacked the character of another one of UMG's most prominent artists, Drake, by falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harboring sex offenders and committing other criminal sexual acts," per Billboard.

"The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue," a spokesperson for UMG told BI.

"No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear," the spokesperson added.

Representatives for Lamar and Drake did not immediately respond to BI's requests for comment. A representative from Spotify declined to comment.

In January, Drake sued UMG for spreading a 'false and malicious narrative'

In a defamation lawsuit filed January 15 in federal court, Drake claimed UMG "approved, published and launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track" which was "intended to convey the specific, unmistakable and false factual allegation that Drake is a criminal pedophile, and to suggest that the public should resort to vigilante justice in response," per The New York Times.

The suit also accuses UMG of valuing "corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists," citing the security guard who was injured outside Drake's home as an example of the song's repercussions. (The cover art for "Not Like Us" is a photo of Drake's home in Toronto, covered in red sex-offender markers.)

Drake withdrew his November legal action filed in New York against UMG and Spotify in favor of filing the new defamation suit in federal court.

The news comes just weeks before Lamar is set to headline the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.

Lamar is also expected to attend the 2025 Grammy Awards the week before, where "Not Like Us" is nominated for song and record of the year.

Representatives for Drake and UMG didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from BI.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.