RAP BEEF TIMELINE · 2011–present
Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar
The long cold war — then 2024
They spent years trading competitive glances. In spring 2024, the polite sparring snapped into a rapid-fire run of diss records, videos, viral lyrics, counterclaims, and a public scorecard that moved by the hour.
THE RECORD
The moments
Music industry
The first competitive tremor
Kendrick appears on Drake’s Take Care deep cut “Buried Alive Interlude,” framing success and ambition in a way that later reads like the first faint crack in the friendship.
▶ Read “Buried Alive Interlude”Diss track
Kendrick says the quiet part out loud
On Big Sean’s “Control,” Kendrick name-checks Drake and a generation of peers. The friendly competition is suddenly broadcast as combat sport.
“I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you.”Kendrick Lamar, “Control”
▶ Read the “Control” verseDiss track
“Big Three” becomes fighting words
J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter” frames Cole, Drake, and Kendrick as rap’s Big Three. Kendrick later rejects the entire premise.
▶ Watch “First Person Shooter”Diss track
Kendrick blows up the Big Three
Kendrick’s verse on “Like That” turns subliminal tension into a direct challenge, declaring the top spot a one-man conversation.
“It's just big me.”Kendrick Lamar, “Like That”
▶ Watch “Like That”Diss track
Drake answers with “Push Ups”
After an initial leak, Drake releases a response that goes after Kendrick’s stature, industry deals, and pop collaborations.
“Size-seven men's on?”Drake, “Push Ups”
▶ Open “Push Ups”Diss track
“Taylor Made” forces a strange detour
Drake posts a freestyle that uses AI-generated vocals imitating Tupac and Snoop Dogg to taunt Kendrick. After Tupac Shakur’s estate objects, the track is removed from his social channels.
▶ Read the removed “Taylor Made” lyricsDiss track
“Euphoria” turns the temperature up
Kendrick returns with a six-minute record full of insults and personal attacks—the moment the exchange stops feeling strategic and starts feeling openly hostile.
“I hate the way that you walk.”Kendrick Lamar, “Euphoria”
▶ Watch “Euphoria”Social media
“6:16 in LA” points inside OVO
Kendrick posts directly to Instagram and implies people inside Drake’s camp are leaking information. The message is short; the paranoia it triggers is not.
▶ Open Kendrick’s Instagram releaseDiss track · disputed account
“Family Matters” opens the overnight rush
Drake’s video makes personal allegations about Kendrick’s family and his wider circle. As with the rest of the exchange, those claims remain disputed and are not presented as atlas findings.
▶ Watch “Family Matters”Diss track · disputed account
“Meet the Grahams” arrives minutes later
Kendrick releases his response shortly after “Family Matters,” addressing Drake’s relatives and making serious allegations of his own. Those allegations remain disputed; Drake denies them in his next record.
▶ Listen to “Meet the Grahams”Diss track · disputed account
“Not Like Us” becomes the anthem
Kendrick follows with a club-ready record that takes over the public conversation and gives the conflict its defining crowd chant.
“Tryna strike a chord, and it's probably A-minor.”Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
▶ Watch “Not Like Us”Diss track · disputed account
Drake closes with “The Heart Part 6”
Drake disputes Kendrick’s allegations and says the hidden-daughter information was bait. The exchange slows after the release, with no shared resolution.
▶ Listen to “The Heart Part 6”
THE RECEIPTS
Sources and listening
Drake ft. Kendrick Lamar — “Buried Alive Interlude” ↗Big Sean ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica — “Control” ↗Drake ft. J. Cole — “First Person Shooter” ↗Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar — “Like That” ↗Drake — “Push Ups” ↗Drake — “Taylor Made Freestyle” lyrics and removal context ↗Kendrick Lamar — “Euphoria” ↗Kendrick Lamar — “6:16 in LA” Instagram release ↗Drake — “Family Matters” official video ↗Kendrick Lamar — “Meet the Grahams” official audio ↗Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us” official video ↗Drake — “The Heart Part 6” official audio ↗ARTIST LENSES