After weeks of one of the most prolific rap beefs in recent memory, it seems the smoke between Drake and Kendrick Lamar is finally dying down. ICYMI, and we don’t know how you could have, the two giants reignited their long-standing disdain for one another in March with the release of Future and Metro Boomin’s track “Like That,” featuring a verse from Lamar that took aim at Drake and J. Cole. While Cole quickly bowed out, Drake and Lamar escalated their rivalry with a series of aggressive diss tracks.
Then the response came. Drake shot back with “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” targeting Lamar directly. Fans eagerly awaited each new release, encouraging the escalating conflict. Lamar quickly fired back with “6:16 in LA,” prompting Drake’s “Family Matters.” The feud intensified with Lamar’s “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us,” leading to Drake’s rebuttal, “The Heart Part 6.” These tracks became increasingly personal, featuring serious, albeit unverified, allegations about domestic violence, pedophilia, and secret children.
Initially seen as competitive, the potentially career-ending accusations between Drake and Lamar have raised the stakes, especially in this hyper sensitive cultural climate, suggesting the conflict on wax, could spill into the courtroom.
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Legal reporter Matt Ford humorously pondered on X, “Has anyone ever filed a defamation lawsuit over a diss track before?” Not too far reaching when you think about it.
Though unprecedented, a defamation suit isn’t out of the question. Daliah Saper, a principal attorney at Saper Law specializing in defamation, noted that public figures like Drake and Lamar would face high legal benchmarks. “They would have this added heightened pleading standard,” Saper explained, emphasizing the need to prove “actual malice.”
Saper highlighted a critical issue of public perception: “Do people now think Drake is a pedophile?” This question became pertinent after a video resurfaced showing Drake allegedly fondling a 17-year-old fan onstage. Lamar’s diss tracks accused Drake of predatory behavior and keeping sex offenders on his label’s payroll. In “Not Like Us,” Lamar went further, calling Drake and his entourage “Certified pedophiles.”
Saper suggested that Drake might consider legal action if he believed a PR campaign or responsive rap wouldn’t suffice to clear his name. For now, Drake has chosen to respond through music, addressing the allegations in “The Heart Part 6.” His defense—that his fame would have already led to his arrest if the claims were true—was criticized as tone-deaf, especially in the context of the #MeToo movement.
Drake also tackled Lamar’s claim of a secret daughter, rapping, “The ones that you’re getting your stories from, they’re all clowns. We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information/ A daughter that’s 11 years old, I bet he takes it.” Saper pointed out that this admission could undermine any defamation claim, as it suggests Lamar did not act with reckless disregard for the truth.
Ultimately, it seems unlikely that either rapper will pursue a defamation lawsuit. But in these times, you never know. Despite the serious, cancellable accusations, their careers have thrived amidst the feud, albeit for now, with boosted streams and sales. Saper concluded, “I do think it’s giving them each notoriety. They’re already incredibly famous, but this is elevating their music to another level. It’s probably ultimately a great PR play for both of them.”