Email Timeline Unravels Drake and Kendrick Lamar Rap Battle

In the dramatic saga unfolding within the hip hop culture, a rift has emerged between Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and several notable artists and producers. Once collaborators, they now find themselves at odds, as a series of revealing emails and diss tracks shed light on their fractured relationships.

According to Joe Budden on a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Kendrick Lamar emerged as a messenger for those aiming to sideline Drake from the industry. This marked a significant turning point in their relationship, which, despite initial amicable terms since 2012, has seen no collaborative tracks between them.

DJ Akademiks reports that tensions escalated when Kendrick declined a guest spot on Drake’s hit song "First Person Shooter," featuring J. Cole, released on October 6, 2023. This alleged rejection was speculated to be the catalyst for Lamar’s verse on “Like That” by Future & Metroboomin, released on March 22.

The conflict deepened when Lamar's diss track "Euphoria," released on April 30, addressed Drake’s feature request. The former TDE titan raps, “Surprised you wanted that feature request/ You know that we got some sh*t to address.” Further, he laments on the song, "Try cease and desist on the 'Like That' record?”

Metroboomin added fuel to the fire by sharing on X a leaked email, purportedly from Universal Music Group, sent on April 1, revealing Republic Records' attempt to block the radio release of Future, Metroboomin, and Lamar’s track "Like That." Coincidentally, Metroboomin’s iCloud was hacked around this same time.

Despite these efforts, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart on April 6. In retaliation, on April 12, Drake dropped diss tracks like "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle." However, the latter track, featuring an AI-generated version of Snoop Dogg and Tupac's voice, was removed after legal threats from Tupac's estate.

Ultimately, Kendrick Lamar emerged victorious with his chart-topping release of “Not Like Us,” while Drake’s “The Heart Pt. 6,” released on May 5, failed to make a significant impact.

For a deeper dive into this ongoing feud, below is a playlist of the songs featuring both the subliminal and direct disses exchanged by Drake and Kendrick Lamar.