Drake vs. everyone, explained

Everyone involved in Drake’s latest — and biggest — feud. vox.com/culture CULTURE   One of the great things about being a writer for a website that explains culture is that this pursuit frequently unearths a layer of deeper sociocultural meaning than initially expected. My favorite personal example is that time that a convoluted diss-off between [Pusha T and Drake]( revealed a larger ongoing conversation within hip-hop about authenticity and anti-Blackness, centered around Drake himself. So I can’t tell you how intrigued I was to hear that [Drake is beefing again]( — this time with, uh, everyone. As Vox’s Kyndall Cunningham explains, the feud started with diss tracks from Future, Metro, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Rocky, and then expanded to involve outliers like The Weeknd, Rick Ross, NBA player Ja Morant, and even swings at folks like Taylor Swift. On his own side, he’s roped in everyone from J. Cole to Uma Thurman, while treating the whole thing with humor. “His appropriately savage (yet funny) handling of his latest attack feels reminiscent of a more palatable, forgone iteration of Drake,” writes Cunningham. Despite his frequent misogyny and tendency to hold a grudge, these petty arguments seem to spark Drake’s creativity. He may have a crowded field of haters, but there’s a reason his fans keep showing up. —Aja Romano, senior culture writer Drake vs. everyone, explained [a picture of Drake at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, lit by deep blue lighting, he stands with outstretched arms and wears a diamond necklace over a black t-shirt. ]( Prince Williams/WireImage To borrow a phrase from our foremost cultural observer, Azealia Banks, the boys are fighting. Since the explosive drop of producer Metro Boomin and rapper Future’s first joint album, We Don’t Trust You, on March 22, a cold war has broken out involving the duo and the rest of hip-hop’s top-tier (male) millennial roster: Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Rocky. It’s been a strange few weeks, with shots being thrown in an extremely public and increasingly amusing way. In an utterly baffling move, Cole made a public apology for his own diss track, bowing out of the beef early. Meanwhile, like any argument you might see among a group of rich women on Bravo, [Drake is being put on blast for his rumored plastic surgery. (Thank you, Megan Thee Stallion.)]( This isn’t the first time this particular group of A-listers — all of whom dominated the mainstream rap charts of the 2010s — have exchanged lyrical blows. In particular, Drake and Lamar have sneak-dissed each other for a while now. However, to the average music listener, all these men have a more well-known history of collaboration, including features, a joint album, and tour stops. Lamar’s fiery verse, however, [on the We Don’t Trust You track “Like That,” has shattered any remaining semblance of camaraderie.]( In the weeks since, Future and Metro have released yet another rage-fueled album, hilariously titled We Still Don’t Trust You. And Drake finally — if not clunkily — released his own sprawling diss over the weekend, name-dropping everyone from SZA to Maroon 5 to Swifties. Did I mention Uma Thurman is also involved? After nearly 15 tumultuous years in the game, it’s no surprise that Drake has once again found himself on the receiving end of some hate. Still, this latest beef could be exactly what rap’s sensitive king needs in a somewhat uninspired era in his career, defined by a rather dull musical output and gross jabs at women. [Read the full story »](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( The endless quest to replace alcohol From kava to “sleepy girl mocktails,” can anything ever take the place of booze? [Read the full story »]( Monkey Man’s imperfect political critique still packs a punch Dev Patel’s action-packed directorial debut also takes aim at contemporary Indian politics. [Read the full story »](   Support our work We aim to explain what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters. Support our mission by making a gift today. [Give](   More good stuff to read today - [Everything ends. Even Bluey.]( - [Biden might actually do something about ludicrously expensive concert tickets]( - [Caitlin Clark’s staggeringly low starting salary, briefly explained]( - [How did the cost of food delivery get so high?]( - [Amazon is filled with garbage ebooks. Here’s how they get made.]( - [Civil War has little to say about America — but a lot to say about war]( - [Boeing’s problems were as bad as you thought](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.