Hip-hop is a blood sport. We like to pretend it’s all about the art, but honestly, the culture thrives on friction. If you’ve been anywhere near a screen or a speaker lately, you know Kendrick Lamar is at the center of the storm. It’s not just a "who’s the best" debate anymore. It’s personal. It’s deep. And in 2026, the smoke hasn't fully cleared.
The biggest question remains: who does Kendrick Lamar have beef with right now?
While names like J. Cole and Big Sean float around, there is one name that defines this era of conflict: Aubrey "Drake" Graham. This isn't just a couple of guys trading bars. This is a total breakdown of a decade-long cold war that finally turned into a scorched-earth tactical exchange.
The Drake Feud: More Than Just Music
You've probably heard "Not Like Us" roughly ten thousand times. It’s the song that basically defined the summer of 2024 and somehow still feels fresh in 2026. But the beef with Drake didn't start with a catchy mustard-produced beat.
It started way back in 2013. Kendrick dropped a verse on Big Sean’s "Control" and called out every big name in the game. He named Drake. He named J. Cole. He named A$AP Rocky. At the time, Kendrick called it "friendly competition." Drake didn't see it that way. He told Billboard it sounded like an "ambitious thought" but wasn't "murdering" him on any platform.
Fast forward through a decade of "sneak disses"—those subtle jabs hidden in lyrics—and we hit the 2024 explosion.
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The Timeline of the 2024 Blowup
- "Like That" (March 2024): Kendrick guest-stars on a Metro Boomin and Future track. He rejects the idea of a "Big Three" (him, Drake, and Cole). His line "Motherfuck the big three, n***a, it's just big me" was the starter pistol.
- "Push Ups" & "Taylor Made Freestyle": Drake fires back. He mocks Kendrick's height and his deals with major labels. He even used AI voices of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg, which was a huge mistake. 2Pac’s estate threatened to sue, and Drake had to pull the track.
- The Week of Terror: In May 2024, Kendrick unleashed a barrage. "Euphoria," "6:16 in LA," "Meet the Grahams," and "Not Like Us."
It got dark. Kendrick wasn't just saying he was a better rapper; he was accusing Drake of being a "colonizer" of the culture, a deadbeat father, and worse. Drake responded with "Family Matters" and "The Heart Part 6," alleging domestic issues in Kendrick’s own home.
By the time the dust settled, the industry had shifted. Even now, in 2026, the legal ripples are still felt. Drake actually sued Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify, alleging they "boosted" Kendrick's diss tracks with bots. The courts eventually tossed most of that out, but it shows how high the stakes were. This wasn't just rap; it was a corporate war.
What Happened with J. Cole?
If Drake is the arch-nemesis, J. Cole is the guy who realized the building was on fire and took the stairs while everyone else was fighting in the elevator.
Cole was actually the one who sparked the "Big Three" talk on the song "First Person Shooter." When Kendrick bit back on "Like That," Cole tried to play along. He dropped "7 Minute Drill," a track that criticized Kendrick's discography.
Then, the unthinkable happened.
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At his own Dreamville Festival, Cole apologized. He said the diss track didn't sit right with his spirit. He called Kendrick one of the greatest to ever touch a mic and removed the song from streaming services.
Most people clowned him for it at the time. They called him "Fold-Cole." But looking back from 2026, as Cole prepares to drop The Fall Off—which is rumored to be his final album—people see him differently. He didn't want the "bad blood" that ruined the relationship between Kendrick and Drake. He chose peace over the "friendly fade" that turned into a life-altering feud.
The Collateral Damage: Future, Metro Boomin, and Rick Ross
When you ask who does Kendrick Lamar have beef with, you also have to look at who is on his side. This beef created a "civil war" in hip-hop.
- Future and Metro Boomin: They gave Kendrick the platform for "Like That." Drake took this personally, later mocking Metro on "Push Ups" with the now-infamous "Metro shut your ho ass up and make some drums" line.
- Rick Ross: Rozay jumped in almost immediately with "Champagne Moments," accusing Drake of getting a nose job.
- A$AP Rocky: Even Rocky took shots on the 2025 track "Don't Be Dumb," referencing the "BBL Drizzy" memes that Kendrick’s camp popularized.
Basically, if you were a major player in rap between 2024 and 2026, you had to pick a side. Kendrick didn't just have beef with Drake; he led an entire coalition against the "OVO" empire.
Why This Beef is Different
Most rap battles end with a handshake or a quiet disappearance. This one changed the business.
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Kendrick’s victory wasn't just "street cred." He won five Grammys for "Not Like Us" and headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in 2025, where he performed the diss tracks on the biggest stage in the world. It was a literal victory lap.
Meanwhile, Drake has been in a "reframing" era. He’s released introspective tracks like "Fighting Irish Freestyle," trying to distance himself from the 2024 carnage. But the "Not Like Us" shadow is long. It’s hard to be the "Certified Lover Boy" when the whole world is singing a song that calls you a "certified pedophile."
What Most People Get Wrong
People think this beef is over. It isn't.
Sure, the diss tracks have stopped dropping every 24 hours. But the tension is the new "normal." In 2026, you don't see Kendrick and Drake at the same parties. You don't see them on the same playlists.
There's also a misconception that Kendrick "hates" Drake just for the sake of it. If you listen to "Euphoria," Kendrick lays it out: "I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress." It’s a fundamental disagreement on what hip-hop should be. Kendrick sees it as a sacred craft from the streets; he views Drake as a pop star playing dress-up.
Key Takeaways from the Kendrick Lamar Rivalries:
- The Drake Beef is Permanent: This isn't a "we'll collab in five years" situation. It’s a deep-seated cultural and personal divide.
- J. Cole is the "Middle Child": He’s the only one who survived the fallout with his reputation as a "good guy" intact, even if he lost some "warrior" points.
- Legal Warfare is New: Drake's move to sue UMG over "Not Like Us" introduced a weird, corporate element to rap beef that we've never seen before.
- Kendrick's Dominance: By winning the beef, Kendrick solidified his spot as the undisputed "King of Rap" for the mid-2020s.
If you want to understand the current state of hip-hop, you have to realize that it's no longer a "Big Three." It’s a landscape defined by the aftershocks of the Lamar-Drake explosion.
What you should do next: If you really want to hear the nuance, go back and listen to "6:16 in LA" followed by Drake's "Family Matters." Ignore the memes for a second and just listen to the architecture of the arguments. It’s a masterclass in how two people can look at the same industry and see two completely different worlds. Keep an eye on J. Cole’s The Fall Off release on February 6, 2026—there’s a good chance he finally addresses his "exit" from the beef in a meaningful way.