Drake had to keep a stiff upper lip after being the target of viral jokes after Kendrick Lamar's diss track about him, Not Like Us, won five Grammys over the weekend. Compton-born Kendrick has been riding a high in the last year, with the star releasing a critically acclaimed album, and being announced as the performer for the upcoming Super Bowl. On Sunday evening, he also took home five awards after winning Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Music Video for Not Like Us.
The massive win at the award show was a huge moment for all as even Taylor Swift was spotted energetically dancing and singing to the song while Kendrick was walking on stage to accept his gongs. One moment even saw the entire crowd belt out: 'Why you trollin' like a b**h? Ain't you tired?/ Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor.". Unfortunately for Drake, the diss track about him won't be disappearing into the darkness anytime soon as Kendrick is still due to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show this weekend before heading on a tour. A PR expert has weighed in on the best moves Drake should take to ensure he comes out the ongoing feud unscathed.
While Drake and Kendrick have taken shots at each other throughout the years, it all started escalating in October 2023 when J. Cole collaborated with Drake on First Person Shooter, which has Cole call himself, Kendrick and Drake the 'Big three' in rap. A few months later, Kendrick hit back on Future and Metro Boomin's track, Like That, which saw him insist there wasn't no such thing as the "Big Three" as there's only "Big me".
The track is from the album, We Don't Trust You, which fans believe is filled with many shots aimed at Drake. A follow-up song, We Still Don't Trust You, further escalated the brewing beef between Drake and a few stars, including Future, The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky. In April, Drake returned with Push Ups and made jokes about Kendrick's small show size as well as his collaboration with Taylor Swift on Bad Blood.
In what seemed like no time, Kendrick responded with an insult-ridden hit, Euphoria, which is titled after the HBO show - which sees Drake as the executive producer. He also released 6:16 in LA, which fans believe makes fun of Drake's love for naming songs after times and locations. Not one to bow down, Drake - real name Aubrey Graham - dropped an eight-minute track called Family Matters filled with accusations against Kendrick.
Not even one hour went by before Kendrick came back with Meet The Grahams. A couple of hours later, the award-winning Not Like Us was released much to the shock and delight of fans all over the world. Drake tried responding with The Heart Part 6 but it didn't reach the same heights as Not Like Us. Clearly affected by the diss track, Drake filed a lawsuit against his own record label, UMG Recordings, claiming defamation as he referred to the accusations made in Not Like Us.
Then, in November, Drake filed a pre-action petition claiming UMG tried to artificially boost Kendrick's song on Spotify. Kendrick wasn't named in any lawsuit. And now, with the Super Bowl inching closer, Drake has the opportunity to make sure the feud - and the song - doesn't escalate any further. PR expert Jane Owen told us Kendrick's historical wins at the Grammys 'has got to be a sting' for Drake. Explaining how Drake should carefully choose his next steps, Jane explained how a 'power play' would be the best thing for him.
She said: "My suggestion is that he figure out a big announcement to pull focus and show that Drake is still on top. Perhaps a big brand collaboration to show his power isn’t just in music. Possibly a big appearance headlining a charity concert or a huge donation to a charity. Maybe even a new single drop as long as it’s guaranteed to make an impact. What would be super cool is if he released his own diss track right before the superbowl but there probably isn’t time for that?".
The PR expert continued: "Perhaps a funny or carefully written social media post hinting that his reign isn’t over and 'Legacy isn’t built in a day'. Also I suggest a public appearance perhaps courtside at an NBA game exuding chill and nonchalant vibes. Showing that he doesn’t care.". Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads. Get the latest news and deepest insight with End Zone - our NFL newsletter.
