Baby Keem Album Reignites Drake-Kendrick

The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar dates back to 2013, when Lamar called out Drake and other prominent rappers on Big Sean's track "Control," claiming he wanted to metaphorically "murder" them. While Lamar initially framed the verse as "friendly competition," it marked the beginning of a decade-long period of subliminal disses and speculation. The rivalry escalated significantly in March 2024 with the release of "Like That," a collaboration between Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar. On the track, Lamar directly rejected the notion of a "big three" in modern hip-hop (alongside Drake and J. Cole), rapping, "motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me." This reignited the feud, moving it from subtle jabs to overt diss tracks. Following "Like That," a series of diss tracks were exchanged. Drake responded with "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle." Lamar then released "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA." The back-and-forth continued with Drake's "Family Matters" and Lamar's "Meet the Grahams" and the widely successful "Not Like Us." The lyrical battle involved serious allegations, including accusations from Lamar of Drake being a "certified pedophile" and Drake alleging domestic abuse and infidelity within Lamar's relationship. Drake denied Lamar's accusations on his track "The Heart Part 6." Baby Keem, who is Kendrick Lamar's cousin, released his debut studio album, *The Melodic Blue*, on September 10, 2021. His second studio album, *Ca$ino*, was released on February 20, 2026, marking a nearly five-year gap between the two projects. Keem and Lamar have collaborated on several tracks, including "Family Ties" and "Range Brothers" from *The Melodic Blue*, showcasing their close musical and familial relationship. Their collaboration on "Family Ties" won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. Keem also has production and writing credits on Lamar's album *Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers*. The "Control" verse in 2013 was a pivotal moment, with Kendrick Lamar naming a list of his peers, including Drake, J. Cole, and A$AP Rocky, and asserting his dominance. The verse was intended to bring a more competitive spirit back to hip-hop. While some artists released response tracks, many, including Drake, initially downplayed its significance. The 2024 escalation saw J. Cole initially respond to Lamar's "Like That" verse with his own diss track, "7 Minute Drill," but he later publicly apologized and removed the song from streaming services. This left Drake as the primary target of Lamar's subsequent tracks.