Moral of the Story: ‘Never Beef With Kendrick’
A recap of my thoughts and a Kendrick/Drake beef Timeline.
They say Drake has made a “statement” in response to Kendrick Lamar's performance during the Super Bowl halftime show through a recent post on Instagram. Unless his response was his OVO necklace, I don't get it….
Kendrick, 37, captivated fans during his appearance at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, where he performed a well-known diss track directed at Drake. The feud between Drake and Kendrick has persisted since 2023. In his Instagram post, Drake shared several images of himself performing in front of a large audience, captioning the post with the phrase “$$$inema.”
Included among the images was a photograph of Drake's distinctive OVO owl chain, which features over 100 carats of Asscher cut diamonds. This necklace, a representation of his record label, was designed by Jason Arasheben. The abbreviation “OVO” stands for “October’s Very Own,” signifying Drake's birth month. The image of his chain appeared to serve as a direct rebuttal to Kendrick's choice to wear an “A” chain during his Super Bowl performance. Fans interpreted this as a reference to Kendrick's lyric “A minor” from his song "Not Like Us."
Reactions to Drake’s post included fans asserting he remains “undefeated,” with others commenting: “Let them watch and enjoy,” “Still on top!” and “The GOAT.”
How anyone can still think that after last night is beyond. But to each their own.
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime
The show on February 9 was nothing short of spectacular, brimming with powerful messages that had fans buzzing on social media. The resounding takeaway? Don’t mess with Kendrick Lamar. Fellow rapper JPEGMAFIA didn’t hold back, declaring, “It’s over. Never beef with Kendrick.” The hype peaked when a fan shared an electrifying photo of the "GAME OVER" message lighting up the Caesars Superdome crowd at the show's climax. Social media was abuzz, with one user exclaiming, “Kendrick killed it. Game over.”
Tyga, who watched the performance live, looked genuinely stunned as the entire crowd erupted, singing along to the iconic line 'a minor.' The energy was palpable, and it was clear: Kendrick had left an unforgettable mark on the Super Bowl stage!
**Drake's Performance in Australia**
In the hours leading up to Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance, Drake addressed unnamed former partners during a concert in Australia. He urged the audience, “If you have ever devoted your time, energy, money, heart, and soul to someone who ultimately wasted it, I encourage you to engage with this song!”
His comments encouraged concertgoers to celebrate their personal growth, stating, “If you are doing better than your ex, I want to see you turn up!”
Shortly after, Kendrick invited Drake's former partners, Serena Williams and SZA, on stage during his halftime show. Williams was seen on stage crip walking her way through Kendrick Lamar's hugely anticipated song, “Not Like Us.” Sza joined him for their song '“All The Stars” from the Black Panther soundtrack and “Luther.” Samuel L. Jackson also appeared as Uncle Sam. Popping up ever so often in between set/ song changes. Mustard, the Beat producer also joined Kendrick on stage.
**Timeline of the Drake and Kendrick Feud**
- On October 6, 2023, Drake and J. Cole released the track "First Person Shooter," in which J. Cole claimed the three of them represent the "big three" in hip-hop.
- On March 22, 2024, Kendrick addressed this claim in his verse on the song "Like That" by Metro Boomin and Future, asserting, “It is just big me,” while accusing both rappers of indirect insults.
- On April 5, 2024, J. Cole released his Kendrick diss track “7 Minute Drill,” wherein he issued “warning shots” at Kendrick for allegedly seeking attention and criticized his recent musical efforts as “tragic.”
- On April 7, 2024, J. Cole retracted his comments and withdrew from the feud, indicating that he felt compelled to respond due to societal pressures.
- On April 13, 2024, Drake replied to Kendrick with “Push Ups,” utilizing humor to challenge Kendrick regarding his stature and collaborations with mainstream artists such as Taylor Swift and Maroon 5.
- On April 19, 2024, Drake issued a subsequent diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” featuring AI-generated voices of Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur, pressuring Kendrick for a response.
- On April 30, 2024, Kendrick released the six-minute diss track “Euphoria,” in which he criticized Drake's biracial identity, questioned his parenting abilities, and characterized him as a “scam artist.”
- On May 1, 2024, Drake responded to Kendrick’s diss by posting a clip from the 1999 film “10 Things I Hate About You,” in which the character articulates reasons for her feelings of disdain—echoing Kendrick’s lyrics from “Euphoria.”
- On May 3, 2024, Kendrick produced a second diss track, “6:16 in LA,” alleging that Drake’s inner circle was working against him and indicating that he faced inevitable consequences for his actions.
- Following this, Drake released “Family Matters,” where he accused Kendrick of infidelity, prompting Kendrick to issue “Meet the Grahams,” his fourth diss track aimed at Drake.
**Ongoing Feud**
Since 2023, Kendrick Lamar and Drake have been in a very public and intense feud. The conflict escalated after Kendrick was announced as the performer for the Super Bowl halftime show. Just four months later, Drake took legal steps against his record label, Universal Music Group, because of a diss track by Kendrick.
In a lawsuit filed in January 2025, Drake claimed that Universal Music Group knew Kendrick's song made serious accusations against him, suggesting he was a pedophile. Drake also alleged that the label helped Kendrick secure the highly coveted Super Bowl performance. Just hours before Kendrick's Super Bowl show, Drake's legal team released a statement about the lawsuit.
They criticized UMG for presenting their actions as a matter of artistic freedom, saying, “There is nothing entertaining about pedophilia or child abuse in the real world." They expressed confidence that the evidence they would present in court would reveal how UMG prioritized their profits over the well-being of their artists.
Drake sued UMG in mid-January for defamation, claiming they promoted Kendrick’s hit diss song “Not Like Us.” He had previously filed two separate legal actions in November 2024, arguing that they artificially boosted the song’s popularity using tactics like bots and playlists. Drake was labeled the loser of their beef back in May 2024, while Kendrick celebrated his wins, including a successful music video, five Grammy awards, and now, the Super Bowl performance, where he even referenced Drake in a song lyric.
During his Super Bowl show, Kendrick jokingly hinted at wanting to perform “Not Like Us” but mentioned that he was hesitant because of the ongoing lawsuits. This was the first time he directly addressed the legal issues related to his song, which do not actually involve him personally.
Universal Music Group has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the popularity of Kendrick's song was due to its quality rather than any manipulation. They pointed out that Drake has also used their resources to promote his own music, even when it included disses aimed at other artists.
As the lawsuit unfolds, it will be interesting to see how it impacts Drake’s upcoming collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, titled $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, scheduled to release on February 14. This date is significant for Drake, as it marks the anniversary of his breakthrough mixtape, So Far Gone, which was released on February 13, 2009, and six years later, he shared his surprise mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, on February 13, 2015. The project continues the decade-long musical partnership between PartyNextDoor and Drake, which started in 2013 with "Over Here." The announcement came during a surprise appearance by Drake at PartyNextDoor's August 2024 concert in Toronto, where he teased, "When it gets a little chilly, PartyNextDoor and Drake album will be waiting right there for you." Anticipation has increased with a social media clip featuring PartyNextDoor’s vocals, showcasing the album's smooth, R&B-influenced sound. This will be Drake’s third major collaborative project, following albums with Future and 21 Savage. I wonder if it'll feature another distrack?? Check out a snippet of “Crying in a Chappell.” Son to be released. Feb 14th. Drake is the North Star of petty, but I think it would be really dumb of him if he called out K Dot on this new album.
Isn't it crip walking?