"We already know Abel don't like Aubrey" — Fans react to Weeknd attending Kendrick Lamar's Pop Out show as a guest

The music world was abuzz on June 19 when Grammy-winning artist Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, made a surprise guest appearance at Kendrick Lamar's Pop Out show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Fans quickly reacted on social media, especially given ongoing rumors of a feud between The Weeknd and Aubrey Graham, known professionally as Drake.

As one tweeted,

"Hit-Boy...Oh yeah Drake done frfr," another wrote.

"I would give anything to see what Drake is doing right now," third on X.

Many showed love for the Canadian artist for his genuine support for the concert and suggested that Abel always brings the vibe wherever he goes —

"Man, I'm so down to see The Weekend showin' up for support! That dude's got heart and always brings the vibes. Kendrick Lamar's got some serious skills too - those lyrics are like a punch in the gut, you know? And Tupac... man, he's just iconic. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre bringing th," third tweeted.

"I was wondering if he'd show up or even potentially be invited on stage. Honestly I'm glad he wasn't invited on stage because this event was designed to be a celebration of West Coast legacy past, present and future," another wrote on X.

The others were merely enjoying themselves, but when Abel showed up, it became a blast for them —

"The weeknd was singing word for word 😂🔥🔥🔥," one wrote.

"Weeknd just chilling in general admission is crazy 😭," another tweeted.

"At this point, you gotta start listing who wasn't around... Baka. and who else," another on X.

"Greatest night in HipHop since Jay Z “retirement” concert," other wrote.

The recent feud speculation between The Weeknd and Drake started when the track Drop and Give Me 50 was leaked on April 13, 2024, and Drake subtly took a jab at Abel, Kendrick Lamar, and more. Also, fans alleged that the track used artificial intelligence. However, the speculations went to rest after Power 105 and iHeartRadio supported the track and showed its authenticity, reports Tribune.

The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar joined forces in 2018 for a science fiction film, Black Panther. The duo collaborated on the track Pray for Me, released on January 22, 2018.

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The relationship between Canadian artists The Weeknd and Drake

The Weeknd (Image via Getty)

The duo's sweet and sour relationship dates back to the early 2010s when Drake introduced Abel to his fans. They collaborated for Drake's sophomore album, Take Care, where they dropped a track together, Crew Love. The following year, things went sour when Weeknd joined Republic Records instead of Drake's OVO Sound. The Canadian rapper tweeted —

"You won't get away with just a thank you...you owe me a favor," Drake on X.

The noticeable rift was seen between the two in 2015, when Abel, in an interview with Rolling Stone, suggested that he gave up almost half of his album work for Drake's 2011 Take Care. The statement added weight to the feud because fellow rapper Meek Mill accused Drake of ghostwriting for his tracks the same year.

"I gave up almost half of my album. It’s hard. I will always be thankful — if it wasn’t for the light he shined on me, who knows where I’d be. And everything happens for a reason. You never know what I would say if this success wasn’t in front of me now," Abel said.

Canadian rapper, Drake (Image via Getty)

The duo reunited in 2017 at the OVO fest, but it did not last long, as, in 2019, Abel seemingly dissed Drake on Lost In The Fire. Since then, the feud never settled to rest, most recently in 2024 as Drake aimed The Weeknd, most specifically on his team, alleging that the team lied about being from Canada —

"Y’all [expletive] manager was Chubbs lil’ blunt runner / Claim the 6ix, and you boys ain’t even come from it / And when you boys got rich, you had to run from it / Cash blowin’ Abel bread, out here trickin’ (Out here trickin') / [expletive] we do for [expletive] he doin’ for [expletive] (What the [expletive]?)," Drake rapped.

On April 13, 2024, The Weeknd, in his Instagram story, reacted to an alleged leaked diss by Drake. He posted a picture of himself while eating popcorn, unbothered by Drake's remarks on him or his team.

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Kendrick Lamar's The Pop Out — Ken and Friends, which kicked off on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, had many surprises, guests, and performances, including Tommy the Clown.