Following a brutal rap battle and Kendrick Lamar’s explosive Super Bowl performance, Drake seemingly steps away from the feud in his latest track.
After nearly a year of lyrical warfare with Kendrick Lamar, Drake appears to have conceded defeat. The rapper’s latest song, Gimme a Hug, from his new collaborative album with Partynextdoor, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, sends a clear message: he’s ready to move on from the beef.
The Super Bowl Showdown
Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance at the 2025 Super Bowl featured a blistering rendition of Not Like Us, his viral diss track aimed at Drake. The moment cemented Lamar’s dominance in the battle, with the crowd erupting as he took multiple jabs at the Toronto rapper on one of hip-hop’s biggest stages.
Drake’s Response: A Change in Tone
Rather than firing back with another diss track, Drake’s Gimme a Hug strikes a different chord. The song opens with the lines:
“F— a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit / Tryna get the party lit for the bitches.”
It’s a stark departure from his aggressive responses throughout the feud, suggesting that the God’s Plan rapper is done playing the game. While Drake acknowledges that many have written him off, he reminds listeners that he’s still standing:
“Drake elimination, fake intimidation / Take a minute, take a deep breath, have a little bit of patience / Drizzy, you amazin’, you the inspiration / You set the bar for the next generation.”
A Battle That Shook Hip-Hop
The feud, which began in March 2024 when Lamar dismissed J. Cole’s “big three” claim on Like That, quickly escalated into one of the most intense rap battles in recent history.
Drake fired back with Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle, only for Lamar to respond with Euphoria and 6:16 in LA. What followed was a relentless exchange, culminating in Lamar’s Meet the Grahams and Not Like Us, which ultimately won five Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year.
Drake, however, fought back with Family Matters and The Heart Part 6, but it wasn’t enough to shift the tide in his favor. As Not Like Us dominated the charts and Lamar’s Grammy wins reinforced his victory, Drake found himself on the losing end of the battle.
Legal Disputes and Accusations
Beyond the music, the feud took an even darker turn when Drake sued Universal Music Group (UMG) for allegedly manipulating streaming numbers for Not Like Us. The lawsuit accused UMG and Spotify of artificially inflating Lamar’s streams and pushing a “false and malicious narrative” about Drake.
Lamar’s track included a line insinuating inappropriate behavior, referencing Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album title with the lyric: “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophile.” Although Lamar omitted the controversial line from his Super Bowl performance, the damage was already done.
Final Words from Drake
Despite the onslaught, Drake maintains his resilience in Gimme a Hug, rapping:
“N—-as want to see RIP me on a T-shirt like I’m Hulk Hogan / I appreciate the fans rocking with me, this is just a small token.”
He also acknowledges the support of 21 Savage, who stood by him through the feud:
“Savage, you the only n—-a checkin’ on me when we really in some s—t, brother.”
The End of an Era?
With Drake shifting his focus away from the beef and Kendrick Lamar basking in his Super Bowl victory, the battle seems to have reached its conclusion. While rap feuds have long been a staple of hip-hop culture, this one may go down as one of the most defining in recent memory.
As Drake moves on, one thing is clear: Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us didn’t just win a Grammy—it won the war.
