They’re gone now. The dust has settled, the memes have mostly faded into the digital archives of TikTok, and we’re left staring at the wreckage of what was arguably the most significant cultural event in hip-hop since the nineties.
When Drake dropped the track "The Heart Part 6," he used a specific phrase that stuck in the craw of rap purists and casual listeners alike: holding all the roses. It was a weird, defensive flex. He was trying to claim victory in a war where the ground was actively shifting beneath his feet. You’ve probably seen the phrase tossed around on Twitter or Reddit by stans trying to justify why their favorite artist didn't actually lose. But what does it actually mean to hold the roses when the garden is on fire?
Rap isn't just about rhymes anymore. It's about optics.
The Moment Drake Claimed He Was Holding All the Roses
To understand why this phrase became a lightning rod, you have to look at the timeline of May 2024. Kendrick Lamar had just unleashed a literal blitzkrieg. "Euphoria," "6:16 in LA," "Meet the Grahams," and "Not Like Us" dropped in such rapid succession that the industry was gasping for air.
Drake’s response, "The Heart Part 6," was widely panned.
In the lyrics, Drake suggests he fed Kendrick fake information about a secret daughter, essentially claiming he orchestrated his own downfall to trick Kendrick into a lie. He positioned himself as the mastermind, the one holding all the roses while Kendrick "baited" the hook. Honestly, it felt like someone losing a game of chess and claiming they meant to lose their Queen just to see how the other person would react. It didn't land.
The phrase itself implies a sort of funeral for the opponent’s career. You hold roses at a burial. Drake was trying to say he was presiding over Kendrick’s demise.
Instead, "Not Like Us" became a global anthem.
Why the Strategy Backfired So Badly
The thing about "holding all the roses" is that it requires the audience to believe you. Hip-hop is built on a foundation of "verifiability" and "energy." When Kendrick accused Drake of being a "colonizer" of the culture, he tapped into a pre-existing sentiment that had been bubbling for a decade. Drake’s attempt to pivot toward a narrative of "I planned this" felt like a retreat.
Specifics matter here. Look at the charts.
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By June 2024, "Not Like Us" was breaking Spotify records previously held by Drake himself. It was the fastest song to hit 100 million streams. If Drake was holding all the roses, he was holding them at his own wake. This is the nuance that many people get wrong. Winning a rap beef isn't just about having the better "facts"—since half the claims in these fights are unverifiable—it’s about who controls the rhythm of the streets.
Kendrick didn't just rap better; he moved better.
He stayed silent. He let the music do the talking until the "Pop Out" concert on Juneteenth. That concert was the final nail. When Kendrick performed "Not Like Us" five times in a row with the entire West Coast behind him—Dr. Dre, Top Dawg, NBA stars like Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan—it was clear who actually had the flowers.
The Cultural Weight of the "Rose" Metaphor
Historically, giving someone their "roses" in hip-hop means giving them respect while they are still alive to smell them.
Think back to Kanye West’s "Big Brother" or the countless interviews where veteran rappers complain about the "new generation" not respecting the architects. By subverting this and claiming to be holding all the roses, Drake was trying to shut down the conversation of Kendrick’s greatness. He was saying, "I am the one who decides who gets honored."
It was a power move that ignored the reality of his position.
The Industry Shift
For years, the music industry operated under the "Drake Effect." If you got a Drake feature, you were set. If you went against him, you disappeared.
That's over.
The 2024 feud proved that the "monoculture" is dead. You can be the biggest streaming artist in the world and still lose the "culture." It’s a weird dichotomy. Drake still does numbers. He will always do numbers. But the aura of invincibility—that sense that he is holding all the roses of the genre—is gone.
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We saw this play out in real-time. Metro Boomin, Future, Rick Ross, ASAP Rocky, and even The Weeknd all took shots. It wasn't just Kendrick; it was a localized uprising against a decade of dominance. When you try to hold all the roses, you eventually get pricked by all the thorns.
What This Means for Hip-Hop in 2026 and Beyond
We are now living in the aftermath.
The "Big Three" conversation (Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick) has been permanently altered. J. Cole’s "apology" at Dreamville Fest was initially seen as a weak move, but in hindsight, it looks like the smartest thing anyone did. He stepped out of the way of a moving train. He didn't want the roses if they came with that much blood.
Kendrick, meanwhile, secured his legacy as the "Boogeyman."
The Viral Nature of Modern Beef
In the past, a rap beef lived on radio and in magazines. Now, it lives in "reaction" videos.
Creators like Kai Cenat and Akademiks became the frontline for how these songs were perceived. When Drake used the holding all the roses line, he was playing to the streamers. He was looking for the "W" in the chat. But Kendrick was playing for history.
- The Streaming Data: Kendrick’s catalog saw a 49% increase in streams during the month of May.
- The Brand Impact: Drake’s OVO brand faced unprecedented scrutiny, with the "Not Like Us" video literally using a map pin on his house.
- The Narrative: The "mastermind" defense rarely works in public relations unless there is immediate, tangible proof.
Misconceptions About the Ending
A lot of people think Drake "lost" because Kendrick is a better lyricist. That's only half the story.
Drake lost because he miscalculated the temperature of the room. You can't claim to be holding all the roses when the audience is screaming for your opponent. It's like a comedian telling a joke, nobody laughing, and the comedian saying, "Actually, that was a social experiment and you all failed."
It’s just not how art works.
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Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show announcement was the definitive period at the end of this sentence. In the promo video, Kendrick stands in front of a giant American flag, firing footballs into the distance. He doesn't mention Drake. He doesn't have to. The fact that he was chosen for the biggest stage in the world—in New Orleans, no less—is the ultimate proof of who the industry has decided to crown.
Lessons in Reputation Management
If you're looking at this from a business or branding perspective, there's a lot to learn.
- Don't over-explain. Drake’s biggest mistake in "The Heart Part 6" was explaining the joke. If you have to tell people you’re winning, you’re probably not.
- Timing is everything. Kendrick waited for Drake to finish his tour. He waited for the "First Person Shooter" momentum to peak. Then he struck.
- Authenticity beats artifice. The "I fed you fake info" angle felt manufactured. Kendrick’s anger felt visceral and real.
Honestly, the whole saga was a masterclass in how to lose a lead. Drake started with the world in his hands. He was the hitmaker. He was the one holding all the roses. But by trying to keep them all for himself and dismiss the very real criticisms leveled against him, he ended up empty-handed in the court of public opinion.
How to Apply These Insights
Whether you're a creator, a marketer, or just a fan, the "Roses" incident teaches us that the narrative is owned by the people, not the person at the top.
If you want to maintain a position of power, you have to be willing to engage with the truth. You can't just spin a web of "I planned this" and expect everyone to nod along. People crave vulnerability and honesty, even in the middle of a war. Kendrick gave them "Meet the Grahams," a song so dark it felt like a horror movie. Drake gave them a defensive rebuttal.
Next time you find yourself in a high-stakes conflict, remember: the person holding all the roses is usually the one who didn't have to tell anyone they were holding them.
Take a look at your own "brand" or public presence. Are you over-explaining your wins? Are you trying to control the narrative too tightly? Sometimes the best move is to let the work speak and let the audience bring the flowers to you. Stop chasing the roses and start planting the garden.
That is the only way to ensure that when the next storm comes, you're still standing.