To borrow a phrase from our foremost cultural observer, Azealia Banks, the boys are fighting.

For almost a year now, Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been embroiled in one of rap’s most public and memorable beefs. It all started back in March of 2024 when Future and Metro Boomin’ dropped the joint album, We Don’t Trust You, practically dedicated to sneak-dissing Drake. The most notable diss on the record, though, came from Lamar who’s featured on the song “Like That.” His “f— the big 3” line, referring to Drake and J.Cole, ignited a weeks-long back-and-forth between Drake, Lamar, and eventually a handful of other rappers.

Most of the drama remained between Drake and Lamar, as they released several explosive songs accusing one another of some pretty heinous crimes, including Lamar calling Drake a “pedophile.” It was Lamar, who ultimately came out on top thanks to the Mustard-produced “Not Like Us.” The track became 2024’s song of the summer and a certified West Coast anthem. It also won five Grammys last month, including Record and Song of the Year. Lamar’s success also seemingly earned him the coveted gig of headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show last month, making him the first solo rap act to do so.

Almost a year since the release of “Like That,“ Drake and Lamar aren’t really at war. Drake, at least, has ostensibly waved the white flag, directing his ire at his and Lamar’s record label instead. On January 15, Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group for defamation regarding the lyrics in “Not Like Us.” (He originally filed a petition last November accusing UMG and Spotify of “artificially inflating” the popularity of the diss track and participating in a pay-for-play scheme with iHeartRadio, before withdrawing it.) The current defamation suit claims that the allegations in “Not Like Us” specifically, the “certified pedophile” lyric, endangered Drake and his family. The suit references a shooting outside of Drake’s Toronto mansion a few days after the song’s release and two other break-in attempts at Drake’s home over the following two days. On March 17, UMG filed a motion to dismiss, stating that their signee “lost a rap battle that he provoked” and calling the suit “a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.”

After nearly 15 tumultuous years in the game, Drake is hardly a stranger to mess and beefing with other rappers. At first, it seemed like this latest feud was exactly what rap’s sensitive king needed in a rather uninspired era in his career, defined by dull musical output and gross jabs at women. However, following Lamar’s verbal lashings and his heavily mocked decision to pursue legal action as a response, it’s hard to see how Drake’s career completely overcomes this moment.

Who’s beefing with who?

On March 22, Future and Metro essentially released a breakup album from their frequent collaborator and former comrade, Drake. (Drake and Future have nearly 30 collaborations combined, and Metro executive-produced their 2015 mixtape What A Time to Be Alive.) We Don’t Trust You is packed with subliminal messages seemingly directed at Drake, regarding his shady maneuvers. However, it was Kendrick’s relatively gentle prodding on the track “Like That” that was ultimately the most incendiary.

On the track — which has sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in a row now — he raps “Motherfuck the big three, it’s just big me,” renouncing his informal association with rap peers Drake and Cole. On the recent Drake song “First Person Shooter,” off his latest album For All the Dogs, Cole claimed on his guest verse that he, Drake, and Lamar are the “Big 3” of the current era of hip-hop. Nevertheless, Lamar’s ire on “Like That” is mostly pointed at his noted frenemy Drake, brushing off his purportedly unstoppable commercial success. “Your........

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