Honestly, if you stepped away from the internet for even a weekend back in May 2024, you probably came back to a completely different world. The Drake Kendrick beef wasn't just a couple of rappers trading petty insults over a beat. It was a scorched-earth cultural moment that felt more like a true-crime documentary than a music rivalry. We aren't talking about "who has more money" or "who sells more records" anymore. This was a surgical, deeply personal attempt by two of the biggest artists on the planet to actually dismantle each other's lives.
It basically broke the rap industry.
One day we’re dancing to "Like That" in the club, and the next, we’re dissecting allegations of sex trafficking, domestic abuse, and secret children. It got dark. Fast. Even now, in 2026, the ripples are still hitting the shore with lawsuits and Super Bowl performances keeping the fire warm.
How It Actually Started (It Wasn’t Just One Song)
Most people point to the song "Like That" as the spark, but the tension had been simmering for over a decade. You’ve gotta go back to 2013. Kendrick dropped that "Control" verse and called out every big name in the game, including Drake. Drake didn't take it as "friendly competition." He took it personally.
Fast forward to late 2023. J. Cole and Drake released "First Person Shooter," where Cole called himself, Drake, and Kendrick the "Big Three."
✨ Don't miss: Holy Motors: Why Leos Carax Still Makes the Best Movie You’ve Never Seen
Kendrick wasn't having it.
He hopped on Metro Boomin and Future's track "Like That" in March 2024 and dropped the line that changed everything: "Motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me." It was a declaration of war. He didn't just want the crown; he wanted to prove the other guys shouldn't even be in the same room as the throne. J. Cole briefly entered the chat with "7 Minute Drill," realized the vibes were demonic, apologized at a festival, and literally deleted the song. He took a nap while the world burned. Smartest move of his career, probably.
The Diss Track Avalanche
Once Cole bowed out, Drake and Kendrick went head-to-head in a way we’ve never seen. It wasn't a "one song every few months" kind of beef. It was a rapid-fire exchange that peaked in a single weekend where the songs were dropping like news alerts.
The Opening Volleys
Drake fired first with "Push Ups," making fun of Kendrick’s height and his contract with Top Dawg Entertainment. He followed it up with "Taylor Made Freestyle," which used AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg. That backfired big time—Tupac’s estate threatened to sue, and Drake had to scrub it from the internet.
Kendrick’s Surgical Strike
Kendrick responded with "Euphoria," a six-minute masterclass in pure, unadulterated hatred. He didn't just rap; he explained why he hated Drake—the way he walks, the way he talks, his perceived lack of authenticity. Then came "6:16 in LA," where Kendrick claimed he had moles inside Drake's own camp, OVO.
The Nuclear Weekend
On May 3rd, 2024, things went off the rails. Drake dropped "Family Matters," a heavy-hitting track accusing Kendrick of domestic violence and claiming one of Kendrick’s kids was actually fathered by his manager, Dave Free.
Twenty minutes later. Kendrick dropped "Meet the Grahams." He didn't even acknowledge Drake’s song. He just posted a haunting, piano-heavy track produced by The Alchemist where he addressed letters to Drake’s son, Drake’s parents, and a "secret daughter" he claimed Drake was hiding. He called Drake a "manipulator" and a "predator." It felt less like a song and more like an intervention from a horror movie.
Why "Not Like Us" Changed the Game
If "Meet the Grahams" was the psychological horror, "Not Like Us" was the victory lap. Released less than 24 hours later, it became the "song of the summer" despite being a track that literally calls the most famous rapper in the world a pedophile.
Kendrick used a Mustard beat—pure West Coast energy—and turned the serious allegations into a club anthem. The "A-minor" line and the "certified lover boy, certified pedophiles" chant became inescapable.
- The Impact: It broke Spotify records for the most streams in a single day for a hip-hop song.
- The Cultural Shift: It reframed Drake from a "global superstar" to a "culture colonizer" in the eyes of many critics.
- The Visuals: The music video, which featured Kendrick’s actual family, was a direct rebuttal to the domestic abuse claims Drake made in "Family Matters."
The Legal Aftermath and 2026 Reality
You’d think a rap beef ends when the songs stop, but this one moved into the courtroom. In 2025, Drake actually sued Universal Music Group (UMG), alleging they used illegal tactics to boost "Not Like Us" and that the song was defamatory. Imagine being the label that owns both artists and having to navigate that mess.
The lawsuit was eventually dismissed, but it showed how much damage was done to the "Drake brand." By the time Kendrick performed his "Pop Out" show in LA and then headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in early 2025, the industry had largely moved on with Kendrick as the "winner."
Even recently, we've seen artists like ASAP Rocky basically say the beef doesn't even need a resolution because the scoreboard is already settled. Kendrick took home five Grammys for "Not Like Us," which is wild for a song that started as a diss track.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of fans think this was just about "winning" a rap battle. It wasn't. It was a clash of philosophies.
Drake represents the era of the "everything-player"—the pop star, the mogul, the guy who uses every sound from every city to stay relevant. Kendrick represents the "purist"—the guy who values lineage, roots, and lyrical "truth" above all else.
When Kendrick called Drake a "colonizer," he was arguing that Drake takes from the culture without actually belonging to it. Whether you agree with that or not, it was a more effective weapon than any joke about height or record sales.
Actionable Takeaways for Rap Fans
If you're trying to keep up with the legacy of the Drake Kendrick beef, here is how to look at it now:
- Listen to the Timeline in Order: Don't just hit shuffle. You have to hear "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams" back-to-back to understand the psychological warfare.
- Watch the Super Bowl LIX Performance: This was the final nail in the coffin. Kendrick performing these tracks on the biggest stage in the world, while omitting specific words but letting the crowd scream them, showed he had the "moral" and cultural high ground.
- Check the Lawsuits: If you're interested in the business side, look into the 2025 UMG filings. It gives a rare peek into how major labels handle their stars fighting.
- Follow the Collaborations: Notice who isn't working with Drake right now. Future, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross, and The Weeknd all took sides. The "Avengers" of rap basically teamed up against one guy.
This wasn't just music. It was a shift in how we view celebrity and authenticity in hip-hop. Drake is still a titan, but the "Big Three" conversation is effectively over. Kendrick didn't just answer the question; he changed the subject.