Drake brings Kendrick on tour.
Drake and Kendrick exchange verses on projects.
2013
- Kendrick drops CONTROL
- No one mentioned on CONTROL feels a way except Drake
- Drake goes on HOT 97 and essentially says Control was a bitch move despite Angie Martinez trying to explain to him that it wasn't a diss. He then said in multiple interviews that the verse wasn't inspiring, it wasn't impressive, it was for clout, and that no one will remember it.
- Drake goes on ESPN, and according to Marcellus Wiley, he went off on Kendrick on air, dissing him publicly. According to Wiley, Drake's people had that portion of the interview removed from the air.
Drake drops THE LANGUAGE and takes, what many people considered, some stabs at Kendrick
Kendrick spits the BET CYPHER verse taking shots at Drake
Drake pops back with SHIT REMIX
- A few days after the VIBE MAGAZINE article drops and Drake discusses how CONTROL messed up his album rollout.
2014
- Macklemore beats Kendridk for the Grammy and posts the screenshot of the text he sent Kendrick saying he thought GKMC should've won. Drake responded in Rolling Stone, "To name just Kendrick? That shit made me feel funny."
Kendrick drops bars about Drake on Jay Rock's song, "Pay For It"
- Kendrick gets asked on The Breakfast Club and Shade45 if he and Drake would have an all-out battle and he says he couldn't see it since they're two different types of artists motivated by different things -- lots of people heard that as shade.
2015
Drake drops IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE and takes shots at Kendrick on USED TO
And 6PM IN NEW YORK with a "Money Trees" reference
Kendrick drops TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY with obvious and not-so-obvious jabs at Drake on King Kunta:
- Of note, this was released before Meek went on his tirade about Drake having ghostwriters (TPAB dropped in March, Meek crashed out in July).
A lot of people (myself included) also thought YOU AINT GOTTA LIE had shots at Drake as well
- If you look at both Meg's and Ross' shots at Drake, they essentially said the same things a decade later about how it's known that Drake is a poser who dickeats other sets, hoods, and tries to be cool with the hood.
Drake has more subs to Kendrick on The Game's track 100:
Kendrick throws shots back on Dre's album:
A clear reference to the titles/hooks of Drake tracks from IYRTITL
And:
- The Six of course being a double entendre of Toronto having the nickname of The Six and Six being the number of pallbearers who carry caskets. The Great White line is also now a bit funnier since Ross been calling Drake "white boy."
2016
- Things die down a bit and it even seems like Drake may have been trying to squash things by referencing "This Dick Aint Free" on VIEWS
2017
A week later, Kendrick drops a surprise track, The Heart Pt. 4, and takes shots at Drake:
And:
- A response to Drake's SUMMER SIXTEEN when he said he used to wanna be in Rocafella then he turned into Jay. Hov and Drake had a little go back and forth too.
- Kendrick drops DAMN the following month and there are minor subs on there but nothing too scathing.
He does take shots on the Mask Off remix though in direct response to Drake's 100 subs:
2018
- Drake congratulates Kendrick for DAMN outselling MORE LIFE.
Kendrick slaps away the olive branch though on the track with SZA:
Of note, some folks say this wasn't a response to Drake, just a coincidence.
Drake drops immediately after:
A reminder that Drake put Kendrick on his first tour. The "You and I" line was masterful as well, a triple entendre. You and I regularly, U-N-I as in Uni, the shortening of university, AND U and I, two tracks from TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY.
- Drake shares old DMs between Kendrick and himself. Some people took this as him extending an olive branch reminding folks how cool they used to be.
Others took it as Drake throwing it back in Kendrick's face that he's the one who put K.Dot on his biggest stages since Drake threw subs again on SCORPION:
Another reference to a TPAB song.
2019
- Kendrick goes on hiatus
- Drake, on a rare interview (Rap Radar), says he respects Kendrick (speaking of both Cole and K.Dot).
2020
- Kendrick still on sabbatical.
- Drake tearing the charts up.
2021
Kendrick comes back from a self imposed exile (his words -- "SIE") on a track with Baby Keem and takes what many perceived as a shot at Drake:
Folks speculated it was in response to Drake on VIEWS: "Top five no debating... Top five, top five, top five..."
Add in folks were saying Drake slid in Keem's girl's DM which seemed to have been confirmed by Keem:
Drake responds:
Some folks said this is about Kanye though. Could be another two birds, one stone situation though.
He also dropped FORGOT I WAS FAMOUS with Lil Uzi and took shots at Kendrick:
More of the "I put you on" framing and the reference to another Kendrick track, Backseat Freestyle
2022
Kendrick drops Mr. Morale and Father Time had this:
- Drake drops HONESTY, NEVERMIND on Kendrick's birthday. Coincidence?
- Drake goes on stage and talks about artists who take "three, four, five years off."
2023
2024