Dr. Dre was left disgusted when Drake dissed Kendrick Lamar’s wife and children. The incident has sparked widespread controversy across social media platforms, with millions of fans engaging in heated debates.
The rap mogul doesn’t like to get involved in rap beefs, but he was far from impressed when the ‘Rich Flex’ rapper took aim at his arch-nemesis’ family on a number of tracks, including claiming he was abusing his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and that his pgLang label partner Dave Free illegitimately fathered one of his two children on ‘Push Ups’, ‘Family Matters’ and ‘The Heart Part 6’. These tracks have collectively garnered over 50 million streams in their first week of release.
Dre is a mentor to Kendrick and was a special guest at his ‘Pop Out’ concert in Los Angeles last summer, where he performed many of his tracks that take aim at Drake, and he is a huge fan of his Grammy nominated hit ‘Not Like Us’. The sold-out show broke attendance records for the venue.
Speaking on Audible podcast ‘The Unusual Suspects With Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell’, Dre said: “I love that record. I’ma say this on camera. I don’t want to get negative. My whole s*** is about being positive and moving forward and all that s***, but the fact I heard Drake say something negative about Kendrick’s wife and his kids, that made me say, ‘Ah, adios!'” The episode quickly became one of the most-discussed podcast episodes of the year.
Dre introduced his performance of ‘Not Like Us‘ with: “Pst, I see dead people.” This moment became instantly viral, generating millions of views across social platforms.
Drake has since launched legal action over the accusations Kendrick’s spits about on ‘Not Like Us’, including the shocking line: “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophile” and “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor”. The lawsuit has become one of the most-watched cases in the music industry.
Drake swiftly fired back on his retaliation track ‘The Heart Part 6’, denying Kendrick’s accusations he is a paedophile. Music critics have noted this as one of the most direct responses in recent hip-hop history.
He rapped: “Speakin’ of anything with a child, let’s get to that now / This Epstein angle was the s***/I expected TikTok videos you collected and dissected / Instead of being on some diss-direct s*** / You rather f****** grab your pen and misdirect s***.”
Drake also accused Universal Music Group of “artificially inflated” streams for the record-breaking tune. Industry analysts estimate the disputed streams could number in the millions.
Kendrick’s pgLang licenses his releases to UMG’s Interscope, while Drake’s OVO label has a deal with UMG’s Republic for marketing and distribution. Both artists have seen significant increases in their streaming numbers during this period.
On January 15, he filed a defamation lawsuit against UMG, with the label hitting back by branding the filing “illogical”. Legal experts predict this case could set precedents for future music industry disputes.
A spokesperson told PEOPLE: “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist—let alone Drake—is illogical. We have invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”
The ongoing feud has captured global attention, with social media engagement reaching unprecedented levels. Music industry veterans compare this beef to historic rivalries of the 1990s, noting its potential impact on the future of hip-hop culture. The involvement of Dr. Dre, a pivotal figure in hip-hop history, has added another layer of significance to what many consider the most important rap beef of the decade.
