Kendrick Lamar’s feud with Drake fueled his biggest year yet, earning him Grammy wins, a viral hit, and a Super Bowl spotlight.

Kendrick Lamar is having the year of his career, and much of it is fueled by his high-profile feud with Drake.

At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Lamar took home five trophies, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for his scathing diss track “Not Like Us.” The song also won Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video.

The moment became even more iconic when Taylor Swift was seen dancing to the song in the audience, as the crowd chanted along to its most controversial lines.

This victory is just part of Lamar’s hot streak. With a Super Bowl halftime show just days away and a highly anticipated tour coming up, his dominance is undeniable. But how did a rap battle turn into one of the biggest moments of his career?

Lamar and Drake were once collaborators. Back in 2011, Lamar appeared on Drake’s album Take Care with “Buried Alive Interlude,” and Drake later returned the favor on “Poetic Justice” from Lamar’s album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

At the time, Drake was still shedding his Degrassi actor image, while Lamar was establishing himself as one of rap’s brightest new stars.

Things took a turn in 2013 when Lamar shook the industry with his verse on Big Sean’s “Control.” He directly called out multiple rappers, including Drake, and boldly proclaimed himself “King of New York.”

Drake brushed it off, saying it was just an “ambitious thought” and that Lamar could never surpass him.

Their rivalry escalated in October 2023 when J. Cole referred to himself, Drake, and Lamar as the “Big Three” on “First Person Shooter.” Drake went even further, comparing his own cultural impact to Michael Jackson.

Lamar, unimpressed, fired back with a verse on “Like That” in March 2024, making it clear there was no “Big Three”—only “Big Me.”

This diss ignited a larger battle. Future and Metro Boomin released We Still Don’t Trust You, packed with subliminal shots at Drake, featuring The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky. What started as a two-man rivalry quickly became an all-out hip-hop Infinity War.

J. Cole, sensing the heat, tried to join in with “7 Minute Drill.” But he quickly regretted it, pulled the track from streaming services, and issued a public apology, effectively stepping out of the feud.

Drake, meanwhile, struck back in April 2024 with “Push Ups,” mocking Lamar’s collaborations with Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift. Lamar responded with “Euphoria,” a track that not only attacked Drake but also revealed to many that Drake was an executive producer of HBO’s hit show Euphoria.

Within days, Lamar dropped “6:16 in LA,” parodying Drake’s habit of naming songs after times and locations. But things truly exploded when Drake released “Family Matters”—an eight-minute track packed with personal allegations against Lamar, including claims about his fiancée and alleged infidelity.

Lamar wasted no time. Within an hour, he released “Meet the Grahams,” a song that dragged Drake’s entire family into the feud. He even accused Drake of having a secret daughter, flipping the script on Drake, who had famously been exposed for hiding his son in a 2018 battle with Pusha T.

But it was “Not Like Us” that delivered the knockout punch. In it, Lamar accused Drake of inappropriate behavior toward underage girls. The song went viral, becoming an anthem across clubs, parties, and even NBA arenas.

Drake attempted to regain control with “The Heart Part 6,” claiming he had intentionally fed Lamar false information about a secret daughter. But by then, the damage was done. “Not Like Us” had taken on a life of its own, cementing Lamar’s victory in the public eye.

In a final twist, Drake took the battle to court. In December 2024, he filed a lawsuit against his own label, UMG, accusing it of artificially boosting “Not Like Us” on streaming platforms to undermine him.

UMG dismissed the claims, calling Drake’s lawsuit an attempt to “silence an artist’s creative expression.” The label insisted it had no reason to harm Drake, one of its biggest stars, and vowed to defend itself.

As the legal fight unfolds, one thing is clear: Kendrick Lamar has already won where it matters most. He dominated the Grammys, he owns the cultural conversation, and he’s about to take the Super Bowl stage with the world watching.

This was never just a rap beef. It was a defining moment—one that solidified Kendrick Lamar’s status as a legend.