RAP BEEF TIMELINE · 2016–2021
Kid Cudi vs. Drake
Tweets, “Two Birds,” and “IMY2”
Kid Cudi calls out Drake and Kanye in a 2016 tweet thread about writing teams. Drake’s “Two Birds, One Stone” responds with lines about Cudi’s mental health, drawing backlash. Five years later, Cudi appears on Drake’s “IMY2,” turning a hard public split into a visible collaboration.
THE RECORD
The moments
Social media · disputed account
Cudi calls out writing teams
Kid Cudi posts a series of messages criticizing Drake and Kanye West, framing the issue around teams of writers and creative authenticity.
“They keep 30 people in the room to write songs for them.”Kid Cudi, 2016 posts
Read the receipt ↗Diss track · disputed account
“Two Birds, One Stone” draws backlash
Drake releases a track with lines many listeners understand as aimed at Cudi, including references to his mental health. The response is widely criticized after Cudi enters treatment.
“You was the Man on the Moon, now you go through your phases.”Drake, “Two Birds, One Stone”
▶ Listen to “Two Birds, One Stone”Read the receipt ↗Reconciliation
“IMY2” makes the reconciliation audible
Drake includes Kid Cudi on Certified Lover Boy’s “IMY2,” a high-profile collaboration that resolves the public split more clearly than an interview could.
▶ Find “IMY2”Read the receipt ↗
THE RECEIPTS
Sources and listening
Kid Cudi & Drake — “Two Birds, One Stone” to “IMY2” ↗ARTIST LENSES