RAP BEEF TIMELINE · 2011–present
DJ Khaled vs. Drake
Hitmaking partners, neutrality, and “Make Them Pay”
A long run of major collaborations makes Khaled’s neutrality during Drake’s 2024 battle period feel consequential. By 2026, Drake addresses Khaled directly on “Make Them Pay,” turning an alleged loyalty rift into an active public friction point.
THE RECORD
The moments
Music industry
A decade of hitmaking makes the partnership a fixture
Khaled and Drake build a run of major collaborations across the 2010s and early 2020s, including “I'm On One,” “No New Friends,” “POPSTAR,” and “GREEK.”
Read the receipt ↗Social media · disputed account
Khaled stays quiet during Drake’s wider rap-war season
As Drake’s conflict with Kendrick Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin, and Rick Ross expands, Khaled publicly emphasizes unity rather than entering the fight. The meaning of that neutrality becomes a loyalty debate.
Read the receipt ↗Social media · disputed account
A two-song announcement vanishes
Khaled announces two forthcoming Drake appearances, then removes the post after a notably cool Drake comment. The sequence fuels public speculation but does not confirm private conflict.
Read the receipt ↗Diss track · disputed account
Drake names Khaled on “Make Them Pay”
Drake explicitly addresses Khaled on the track, criticizing his absence during the earlier feud and framing it as a loyalty failure. Khaled’s social post response remains indirect.
“The beef was fully live, you went halal, and got on your deen.”Drake, “Make Them Pay”
▶ Watch “Make Them Pay”Read the receipt ↗
THE RECEIPTS
Sources and listening
The Hollywood Reporter — Drake’s DJ Khaled “Make Them Pay” verse ↗ARTIST LENSES