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2024 was a major year for hip-hop, with some of the biggest artists in the game engaging in historic rap beefs. From public callouts and tweets to aggressive diss tracks, this year captivated audiences with entertaining pop culture moments.
From Kendrick Lamar and Drake's iconic back-and-forth in May to J. Cole's MIGHT DELETE LATER, the music soundscape was dominated by chart-topping records from highly publicized rap beefs.
3 notable rap beefs that broke the internet in 2024
This year, fans picked sides between their favorite rappers, dissecting lyrics to some of the most aggressive diss tracks seen in years. 2024 reminded the hip-hop community that rap beefs are deeply ingrained within a culture that thrives on competitiveness, authenticity, and self-expression.
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From witnessing long-standing rivalries boiling over to unexpected feuds seemingly springing out of nowhere, the following feature details three rap beefs that broke the internet in 2024.
Disclaimer: This feature is rated explicit. Reader discretion is advised.
1) Drake vs Kendrick Lamar
In what many refer to as the most historic rap beef of the 21st century, long-standing rivals Kendrick Lamar and Drake finally hashed out their issues in May 2024, with both rappers delivering multiple diss tracks over a week.
Their highly publicized back and forth stems from a bar off of Kendrick Lamar's featured performance on Like That, where he claims to be the greatest rapper of all time and seemingly dismisses J. Cole and Drake as potential competition to his legacy.
"Lost too many soldiers not to play it safe / If he walk around with that stick, it ain't André 3K / Think I won't drop the location? I still got PTSD / Motherfu*k the big three, n***a, it's just big me," Kendrick rapped on 'Like That.'
Drake, aka Drizzy, seemingly instigated the rap beef by responding to Lamar with his first diss track, Push Ups and released to streaming platforms on April 19, 2024, where he addresses several bars from Kendrick's Like That verse, rapping:
"Hugs and kisses, man, don't tell me 'bout no switches / I'll be rockin' every f**kin' chain I own next visit, ayy / I be with some bodyguards like Whitney / Top say drop, your little midget a** better fu*kin / Ayy, better drop and give me fifty, ayy'"
The OVO CEO also targets everybody who sneaked dissed him on Metro Boomin and Future's chart-topping collaborative albums, referring to the rap beef as a "20v1."
On the same day, he released another diss track, Taylor Made Freestyle, on social media platforms. The record was later deleted after Tupac Shakur's estate threatened legal action for Drake using AI to emulate the late rapper's voice.
Kendrick, aka K-Dot, seemingly remained silent for nearly two weeks before dropping the first of his multiple diss tracks, Euphoria, was released on April 30, 2024.
The 6-minute diss track exploded in popularity, topping Billboard Hot 100, with multiple news media outlets reposting the aggressive bars where he addressed disses from both of Drizzy's records, calling him out by rapping:
"I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct / We hate the b**ches you f**k 'cause they confuse themself with real women / And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin'"
Three days later, on May 3, Kendrick Lamar followed up with his second Drake-targetted diss track, 6:16 in LA, exclusively released to his official Instagram account at 6:16 am Pacific Time.
The song primarily revolves around K-Dot calling Drizzy out for supposedly using the internet and meme culture to "push agendas" while targetting his OVO entourage, rapping:
"If you were street-smart, then you woulda caught that your entourage is only to hustle you / A hundred n****s that you got on salary / And twenty of 'em want you as a casualty / And one of them is actually next to you / And two of them is practically tired of your lifestyle / Just don't got the audacity to tell you"
Almost 14 hours after 6:16 in LA was uploaded to Instagram, Drake responded with his third diss track, titled Family Matters, refuting multiple claims and allegations Kendrick made during their rap beef.
Drake's Family Matters instantly gained viral attention over multiple allegations against the Compton native, which included him claiming that one of Kendrick Lamar's children was fathered by his manager, Dave Free.
"Your baby mama captions always screamin', "Save me" / You did her dirty all your life, you tryna make peace / I heard that one of 'em little kids might be Dave Free / Don't make it Dave Free's / 'Cause if your GM is your BM secret BD / Then this is all makin' plenty fu*kin' sense to me," Drake rapped on 'Family Matters.'
Similar to Euphoria, this record featured three beat switches, with Drizzy once again going after Metro Boomin, Future, The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, and Rick Ross. That said, the entire third verse of Family Matters is directed toward Kendrick Lamar, with Drake rapping:
"Kendrick just opened his mouth, someone go hand him a Grammy right now / Where is your uncle at? 'Cause I wanna talk to the man of the house / West Coast n****s do fades, right? Come get this a** whoopin', I'm handin' 'em out"
Almost immediately following the release of Family Matters, Kendrick Lamar would deliver his third diss track, titled meet the grahams.
The 6-minute record is considered one of the most scathing diss tracks released during their rap beef, as Kendrick dedicates four verses to each member of Drake's family before targeting the OVO CEO on his final verse, rapping:
"You lied about your ghostwriters, you lied about your crew members / They all p***y, you lied on 'em, I know they all got you in 'em / You lied about your son, you lied about your daughter, huh / You lied about them other kids that's out there hopin' that you come / You lied about the only artist that can offer you some help / F**k a rap battle, this a long life battle with yourself"
He kicks off meet the grahams by addressing Drake's son, Adonis Graham, before speaking to his parents, Sandra and Dennis Graham. His third verse garnered massive attention online after Kendrick seemingly addresses an "11-year-old daughter" Drizzy had allegedly fathered, as seen in lines like:
"Dear baby girl / I'm sorry that your father not active inside your world / He don't commit to much but his music, yeah, that's for sure / He a narcissist, misogynist, livin' inside his songs / Try destroyin' families rather than takin' care of his own / Should be teachin' you time tables or watchin' Frozen with you / Or at your eleventh birthday singin' poems with you"
Less than 24 hours after meet the grahams was released, Kendrick Lamar teamed up with DJ Mustard to deliver one of the biggest records for 2024, and his fourth and final diss track, titled Not Like Us, was uploaded to all major streaming platforms on May 5.
The five-time Grammy-nominated West Coast record has garnered close to a Billion streams on Spotify since its release, gaining notoriety over Kendrick's catchy vocal inflections, a bouncy production fueled by aggressive bars like:
"Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any b**ch that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil' sister from him / They tell me Chubbs the only one that get your hand-me-downs / And Party at the party playin' with his nose now / And Baka got a weird case, why is he around? / Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles"
Kendrick seemingly doubles down on prior allegations of Drake being a predator and the OVO entourage allegedly engaging in pedophilia. Even the cover art for the song plays into this theme, with Lamar altering a screenshot of Drizzy's mansion to resemble a s*x offender registry.
Less than a day after Not Like Us hit streaming platforms, Drake uploaded his fourth diss track, The Heart Part 6. The title of this record seemingly plays on Kendrick's "The Heart" series, a staple he has maintained throughout his career.
Drake's The Heart Part 6 is the final diss track delivered during their rap beef, with him attempting to dismantle several allegations made on meet the grahams and Not Like Us.
The OVO CEO seemingly claims that his team intentionally leaked false information to Kendrick's circle, which allegedly included details of a "hidden daughter." Major accusations in this record find Drake claiming Lamar's disses were self-projected trauma, as seen on lines like:
"This is trauma from your own confessions / This when your father leave you home alone with no protection, so neglected / That's why these pedophile raps and sh*t you so obsessed with, it's so excessive / They actin' like it's so aggressive, but you just never known affection / I don't wanna diss you anymore, this really got me second-guessin' / "Touch My Body" by Mariah Carey play, you probably start reflectin"
2) The 2024 Rap Beef
While Drake vs Kendrick Lamar was the most notable rap beef of 2024, their rivalry boiling over can be credited to Metro Boomin and Future releasing their chart-topping collaborative albums.
Both projects, We Don't Trust You and We Still Don't Trust You, was released to streaming platforms on March 22 and April 12, respectively. The tracks had the Atlanta rap duo recruiting some of the biggest hip-hop artists for hard-hitting trap records fueled by sneak disses aimed at Drake.
"You a n***a number one fan, dog / Sneak dissin', I don't understand, dog / Pillowtalkin', actin' like a fed, dog / I don't need another fake friend, dog / Can't be 'bout a ho, 'cause we sharin', dog / In you feelings, n***a, why you playin', dog?," Future rapped on 'We Don't Trust You.'
While Kendrick's Like That was the only record to call out Drake, multiple tracks on these albums find artists like Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky, and The Weeknd addressing their issues with the OVO CEO.
"Call up Pluto, Metro, should've put me on the first one / N****s swear they b***h the baddest, I just bagged the worst one / N****s in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or somethin'? / I smash before you birthed, son / Flacko hit it first, son / Still don't trust you, it's always us, never them / Heard you dropped your latest sh*t / Funny how it just came and went," A$AP Rocky rapped on Show Of Hands.
Following the release of Push Ups, the hip-hop community was taken by surprise after Kanye West decided to release an official remix to Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Metro Boomin's Like That.
The song dropped shortly after Ye topped the charts with his collaboration album, Vultures 1, alongside Ty Dolla $ign, who also features on the Like That remix. The diss track is notable for Kanye's opening verse, where he targets Drake and J. Cole before Future delivers a fresh verse at the end.
"Where's Lucian? Serve your master, n***a / You caught a little bag for your masters, didn't ya? / Lifetime deal, I feel bad for n****s (Bad for n****s) / Y'all so outta sight, outta mind / I can't even think of a Drake line / Play J. Cole, get the p***y dry / Play this sh*t back a hundred-thirty times," Kanye West rapped on 'Like That Remix.'
Not long after Kanye West entered the 2024 rap beef, Rick Ross released a diss track, titled Champagne Moments, in response to callouts made by Drake on Push Ups.
On his diss track, Ross drops several allegations against the OVO CEO. From claiming the Canadian rapper uses ghostwriters to suggesting that Drake had undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries, Champagne Moments included bars like:
"Like his moves, but he never had to fight in school / Always ran, another n***a had to write your grooves / Flow is copy-and-paste, Weezy gave you the juice / Another white boy at the park wanna hang with the crew / Pulitzer Prize winner switchin' up like dyed denim / Get incentives for all the killings while we ride rentals"
Rick Ross also notably coined the term "BBL Drizzy" after uploading multiple social media posts taking shots at Drake for allegedly having undergone recent cosmetic surgeries.
This led to the term becoming a meme, generating millions of interactions across social media platforms. Not long after Champagne Moments was released, Metro Boomin announced the release of hip-hop's first "diss-trumental," titled BBL Drizzy, released for free as part of a $10,000 competition for individuals who made the best record.
3) J. Cole vs Kendrick Lamar
While J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef lasted merely two days, the Dreamville rapper officially responded to K-Dot's call out on Like That with a highly aggressive response on a now-deleted diss track, titled 7 Minute Drill.
The record was included on his Grammy-nominated mixtape, MIGHT DELETE LATER, released to all streaming platforms on April 5, 2025. Cole's competitive nature is extremely notable on 7 Minute Drill, with him delivering bars that dismiss Kendrick's entire discography and acclaimed legacy within hip-hop, as seen in lines like:
"He still doin' shows, but fell off like The Simpsons / Your first sh*t was classic, your last sh*t was tragic / Your second sh*t put n****s to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third sh*t was massive and that was your prime / I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine / Now I'm front of the line with a comfortable lead / How ironic, soon as I got it, now he want somethin' with me"
Two days after the release of his mixtape, J. Cole publicly apologized to Kendrick at his 2024 Dreamville Concert, citing that he never wished to engage in this rap beef, praying his fanbase and Lamar forgive the "misstep" in his career. Much like the title of his mixtape, the rapper would proceed to then delete 7 Minute Drill from all streaming platforms.
On October 10, 2024, several months after the 2024 rap beef concluded, J. Cole released a record titled Port Antonio, diving deeper into his thoughts and opinions surrounding Drake and Kendrick Lamar going up against each other.
"They say I'm pickin' sides, ayy, don't you lie on me, my n***a / Then start another war, ayy, Drake, you'll always be my n***a / I ain't ashamed to say you did a lot for me, my n***a / F**k all the narratives / Tappin' back into your magic pen is what's imperative / Remindin' these folks why we do it, it's not for beefin," J. Cole reflects on the 2024 rap beef on 'Port Antonio.'
Other notable rap beefs from the year include Nicki Minaj going up against Megan Thee Stallion on her diss track titled Big Foot and Eminem taking multiple shots at rival Benzino on Lyrical Lemonade's Doomsday 2.
