Kanye West and Drake are two of the biggest names in hip hop, but they’ve also had one of the longest-running feuds in the genre. Their beef has unfolded over many years both publicly and behind closed doors. With both artists gearing up for major album releases, their feud has reignited. So what’s the full story behind Kanye and Drake’s beef? Let’s take a look at the timeline of their rivalry.
The Early Days: Collaboration and Competition
Believe it or not Kanye and Drake started out on good terms. Kanye directed the music video for Drake’s breakout 2009 single “Best I Ever Had.” They collaborated on songs like “Forever” with Eminem and Lil Wayne. Kanye produced and co-wrote Drake’s 2010 hit “Find Your Love.”
But hints of competition emerged even early on. In 2011, Drake referenced Kanye and Jay-Z’s smash album Watch the Throne on his song “I’m On One,” rapping “I’m just feeling like the throne is for the taking, watch me take it.” Clearly, Drake wanted to reach Kanye’s level of success.
Things Turn Sour: The Pusha T Beef
In 2018, tensions rose dramatically between Kanye and Drake. It started with Drake’s ongoing beef with rapper Pusha T. After Pusha dissed Drake on his Kanye-produced album Daytona, Drake fired back at both Pusha and Kanye on his song “Duppy Freestyle.”
Pusha then struck back hard with “The Story of Adidon,” which revealed that Drake had a secret son and made harsh personal attacks. Many speculated Kanye was the one who told Pusha about Drake’s son. Kanye denied it, but Drake seemed to hold him responsible on LeBron James’ show The Shop.
More Fuel on the Fire
A few other incidents made things even worse between Kanye and Drake In 2018, Drake said Kanye agreed to sell him the beat for “Lift Yourself” for $3 million, but Kanye used it himself with nonsensical lyrics.
Later that year, Kanye accused Drake of sneak dissing him on Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode.” In December 2021, Kanye also seemed to leak Drake’s Toronto address online at the height of their feud.
Recent Album Rollouts Cause More Drama
In 2021, tensions exploded again during the lead-up to major album releases from Drake and Kanye. Kanye’s album Donda and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy were slated to drop within days of each other.
Both artists took shots at each other in songs and on social media. Drake appeared to respond to Kanye’s release date on a radio show by saying “Certified Lover Boy on the way, and that’s for anyone in the way.” Kanye also called out Drake by name on his track “Life of the Party.”
Where Do They Stand Now?
In November 2021 Kanye extended an olive branch to Drake when he invited him on stage at a benefit concert and asked for the feud to end. For now, they seem to have buried the hatchet.
But with big personalities and egos like Kanye and Drake both vying to be the king of rap, their beef could easily be reignited down the line. Their long, turbulent history shows these two titans have plenty of unresolved issues between them, so the saga may not be over yet.
The Beef Broken Down
To quickly recap Kanye and Drake’s long-running feud:
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Early on they collaborated and Kanye helped elevate Drake.
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Competition brewed as Drake grew more successful.
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Beef with Pusha T caused major tensions between them in 2018.
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They took shots at each other about song beats, album releases, and more.
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Recent album rollouts brought their feud back into the spotlight.
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For now they’ve made peace, but their issues likely aren’t fully resolved.
Why Do These Rap Superstars Have Beef?
When two hugely successful artists like Kanye West and Drake are in the same industry, conflict and competition seem almost inevitable. Experts point to a few key factors that help explain their ongoing feud:
Competition
Kanye and Drake are two of the top artists in hip hop battling to be number one. With big egos and careers at stake, rivalry and conflict emerge as they try to outdo each other.
Personality Differences
While Kanye is outspoken and provocative, Drake is more laidback and calculated. Their contrasting personalities and approaches to fame have clashed.
Perceived Slights
As with many rap beefs, perceived disrespect or slights against each other stoked tensions. Diss tracks, song lyrics, and other provocations kept the feud alive.
Unresolved Issues
Even after making peace, these two megastars still likely have lingering resentments that could bubble up and reignite conflict between them anytime.
The combination of competition, clashing personalities, ego, and unsettled scores between Kanye West and Drake created the perfect recipe for an ongoing feud between two of rap’s biggest stars. Fans are left to speculate if and when their beef might flare up again.
Watch Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” Video”
The first sign there were issues between the two happened in January of 2011, when Drake appeared on British DJ Tim Westwoods radio show for an interview and seemed to take a jab at Ye and Jay-Zs then-upcoming joint album, Watch the Throne, while talking about his own potential collab project with Lil Wayne.
“I heard some other guys are coming out with an album, too,” he said. “Theres two other rappers that are coming out with an album together. I dont know where they got that idea.”
That December, Drake appeared to take another swipe at Kanye on DJ Khaleds “Im on One” on which he raps, “Im just feeling like the throne is for the taking/Watch me take it.”
Listen to Pusha T’s “The Story of Adidon”
From there, the curious cycle of beef and making up would continue in a series of events. Drake took a shot at Ye on French Montanas “No Stylist” in 2018. Ye denied he leaked the information about Drake having a son to Pusha T and apologized to Drake on Twitter. A few weeks later, the Chicago rapper-producer changed course and started dissing Drake on Instagram after speculation began circulating about if Drake was referencing Yes then wife Kim Kardashian as “KiKi” on the hit song “In My Feelings.”
The rumor that Drake slept with Kim Kardashian was growing, and Kanye wasnt happy about it. “People making rumors or thinking you f**king my wife and youre not saying nothing… that dont sit well with my spirit,” Ye wrote on Instagram.
Drake would later go on LeBron Jamess YouTube talk show The Shop and admit he felt betrayed by Kanye. In December of 2018, Ye shared a screenshot of a message from an alleged Drake associate asking to clear a Ye sample for “Say Whats Real.”
“This proves s**t faker than wrestling,” Ye captioned the post. He later shared that he had talked to Drake and things appeared to be settled. Not so fast. The following day, Ye announced that if anything happened to him, Drake should be the No. 1 suspect. Like we said, its complicated.
A Timeline Of Drake & Kanye West’s Beef | Genius News
FAQ
Were Drake and Kanye ever friends?
Drake and Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — have just about seen it all throughout their decorated careers. The pair of rap titans have been friends, collaborators, mentors, enemies and more over the course of the last 15 years.
Who is bigger, Kanye or Drake?
Drake dominates total streaming numbers but Kanye shows fantastic growth. Drake is so much bigger than Kanye West when it comes to Spotify followers with over 3 times the amount of followers than Kanye.
Did Drake and Kanye West have a beef?
Drake and Kanye West’s beef didn’t sit well with the respective mothers of their children, who each chimed in on social media about the drama. Kim Kardashian tweeted, “My husband is the most brilliant person, the most genius person that I know.
What is the Drake & Kanye West feud?
The Drake–Kanye West feud is an ongoing and highly publicized feud, or informally a “beef”, between American rapper Kanye West and Canadian rapper Drake. The conflict has unfolded over several years and has involved public statements, social media exchanges, and musical releases.
When did Kanye & Drake’s beef become a ‘boiling point’?
The true boiling point of the current iteration of their beef emerged on August 21, 2021, when Drake’s feature on Trippie Redd’s new album was shared to streaming platforms and the rapper took aim at Kanye again.
What happened between Kanye West and Drake?
MUSIC heavyweights Kanye West and Drake have crafted several recognizable songs together. Over the years, things between the Eazy rapper and the Her Loss hitmaker have turned sour. Before they fell out and began feuding, Kanye West and Drake collaborated several times Credit: Getty
Did Kanye & Pusha have a beef?
Many fingers were pointed at frequent collaborator Kanye, who was close with Drake for years prior to Drake and Pusha’s beef. Although this was never confirmed, it set the tone for their relationship going forward. The beef became fairly tame for a while, but then the ‘Donda’ rollout began.
Are Kanye West & Drake friends?
Everybody needs good neighbours but things must be a little fraught in Kanye West and Drake ‘s neighbourhood right now. The heavyweight rappers’ friendship has been on a rollercoaster journey through the years but has hit new lows in 2018, with secret kids, Travis Scott, Pusha T, and more all being dragged into the pair’s feud.