Drake Takes Aim at Kendrick Lamar & Joe Budden on New Album with PARTYNEXTDOOR
Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR just dropped their highly anticipated joint album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, and as expected, the 6 God had a few words for his enemies—including Kendrick Lamar and Joe Budden.
On the track “Gimme a Hug,” Drake doesn’t hold back, referencing his heated feud with Kendrick, which saw heavyweights like Rick Ross, Metro Boomin, and The Weeknd side against him. Though he never names Kendrick outright, his lyrics make it clear who he’s talking about:
“Drake elimination, fake intimidation / Take a minute, take a deep breath, have a little bit of patience… / You Neo in The Matrix, these n****s just Nemo in the ocean / Small fish, making kids feel emotion / Using you for promotion.”
He goes on to suggest that his rivals are just waiting for him to fall:
“Funny how it’s only bh n*s that are waiting on The Boy’s obituary / ‘Cause if I die, it’s these ns that become the sole beneficiary.”
One line in particular seems like a direct shot at Kendrick’s lyrical style:
“Have the girls up at 29 on stage twerking with a dictionary?”
This could be a dig at Kendrick’s dense, wordplay-heavy raps and a possible reference to the dictionary screenshot on the cover art of Kendrick’s diss track Euphoria.
After a beat switch, Drake switches up the vibe and downplays rap beef altogether:
“They be dropping shit, but we be dropping harder shit / F* a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit.”**
But Kendrick isn’t the only one in Drake’s crosshairs. He also takes aim at Joe Budden on the same track with a jab at Budden’s podcast co-host and former video vixen, Melyssa Ford:
“Melyssa Ford, you a legend from the 6, hate to see you with a d*-sucker.”**
Another track, “Brian Steel,” appears to address Young Thug’s recent plea for him, Future, and Metro Boomin to end their beef. Thug had publicly called for peace last year, saying, “Music ain’t the same without us collabin’.” But Drake makes it clear that he’s not ready to squash anything just yet:
“Broski just hit me, said, ‘Put all the beef on the side,’ I can’t.”
Dropping just in time for Valentine’s Day, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U features 21 tracks with guest appearances from Yebba, Chino Pacas, and rising Houston singer Pim. The album was released under Universal Music Group, despite Drake’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against the label.
This is Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s first full-length project together, continuing a long-running creative partnership that has produced hits like “Recognize,” “Over Here,” and “Come and See Me.”
With this project, Drake seems to be embracing a more laid-back, R&B-driven vibe—but he’s still keeping the smoke alive when it comes to his rivals.