The Big Three Finally Go To War. Who You Got?
Timeline of events:
10/6/23: Drake releases his eight studio album “For All The Dogs” which features a J. Cole assisted single named First Person Shooter. He ties Michael Jackson for most number ones which will be consistently references throughout the feud.
Notable moments:
Drake gives us insight on his views of his G.O.A.T. status with these creative bars:
I love a dinner with some fine women when they start debatin' about who the G.O.A.T“
I'm like go on 'head, say it then, who the G.O.A.T.?
Who the G.O.A.T.? Who the G.O.A.T.? Who the G.O.A.T.?
Who you b*tches really rootin' for?
Like a kid that act bad from January to November, n*gga, it's just you and Cole.
Then J. Cole follows up by rapping:
“Love when they argue the hardest MC
Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?
We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali”
3/26/2024: Future and Metro Boomin release “I don’t trust you.” One of the prominent tracks features an assist from Kendrick him. Apparently he got wind of those bars and decided to fire back.
His notable moments:
“Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD
Motherf*ck the big three, n*gga, it’s just big me”
And the atomic bomb has been dropped. Kendrick lets his true feelings be known regarding Coles mention on “First Person Shooter”.
“What? I’m really like that
And your best work is a light pack
Nigga, Prince outlived Mike Jack’
Nigga, bum
‘Fore all your dogs gettin’ buried
That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Semetary”
K. Dot raps it up by shooting more subs at Drake while using Stephen Kings classic horror movie as a punch line. Michael Jackson and Prince comparisons are used to explain the dynamic between Kendrick And Drakes different style of artistry. And with those bars, the table has been set.
4/5/23: Interlude before the main event: J. Cole catches wind of Lamar’s big 3 diss and drops his response.
Notable moments:
“Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic
Your second shit put niggas to sleep, but they gassed it”
The interesting about these bars is in the past, Cole has publicly spoken much admiration towards Kendrick’s past projects. But here he lets out his true thoughts. Considering how his last two projects did not generate the same radio play as his prior such as D.A.M.N, Cole might’ve had some what of a point.
“He averagin’ one hard verse like every thirty months or somethin’
If he wasn’t dissin’, then we wouldn’t be discussin’ him”
Nice play off one of Jay’s old disses to Nas. Cole pokes fun at Kendricks reclusiveness and lack of material throughout the years. Then the beat switches and you get a small glimpse of what J Coles truly capable of
“Now it’s poppin’ outside like the top of July
My text flooded with the hunger for a toxic reply
I’m hesitant, I love my brother, but I’m not gonna lie
I’m powered up for real, that shit would feel like swattin’ a fly
Four albums in twelve years, nigga, I can divide”
His flow along with the beat switch makes one thing clear. If J. Cole wanted it, Kendrick would have a serious problem on his hands. But lucky for him, You can tell Cole doesn’t harbor any real animosity.
4/7/23: Overall, he got a luke-warm response from his audience which resulted in his next move. He not only apologized for releasing it, but also removed it from all streaming services citing his mental health concerns. So far, Cole has exited the ring with no signs of returning. He was also heavily ridiculed by the media for this move.
Drake, on the other hand, was silent for 22 days before he finally kicks off the main event.
The Main Event – Round 1: Push Ups Vs Euphoria
04/19/24: Drake responds to Lamars subs with this scathing diss.
Drake takes shots at not only K. Dot, but Future, Rick Ross, The Weeknd, and Ja Murant.
“I could never be nobody number-one fan
Your first number one, I had to put it in your hand
You pussies can’t get booked outside America for nan’
I’m out in Tokyo because I’m big in Japan”
Future catches a stray for putting Lamar on the song in the first place.
“Your last one bricked, you really not on shit
They make excuses for you ’cause they hate to see me lit
Pull your contract ’cause we gotta see the split
The way you doin’ splits, bitch, your pants might rip”
Drake lets it be known that Like J Cole, he wasnt feeling Kendricks last album either. But the meat of his diss revolves around the discussion of K. Dots contract issues. For an artist as established as he is, there is no way a label should be locking them up in a 360 deal. If what Drake says has truth to it, K. Dot might wanna hire a lawyer ASAP.
Pipsqueak, pipe down
You ain’t in no big three, SZA got you wiped down
Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down
Drake reminds Kendrick that there are better options for his big 3 spot.
What the fuck is this, a 20-v-1, nigga?
What’s a prince to a king? He a son, nigga
Get more love in the city that you from, nigga
Metro, shut your ho ass up and make some drums, nigga
With all the years of subs and behind the scenes friction, everyone has been jabbing at Drizzy lately. So he lets its be known its essentially OVO vs everybody. The Michael Jackson and Prince comparisons continue as he clevely twists K. Dots diss around and reminds him that Mike had a son name prince. But the most disrespectful line in the entire record is the last bar. Metro is going to have to deal with hearing that quoted every time a Drake stan decides to be petty.
“Niggas really got me out here talkin’ like I’m 50, ayy
Niggas really got me out here rappin’ what I’m livin’
I might take your latest girl and cuff her like I’m Ricky
Can’t believe he jumpin’ in, this nigga turnin’ 50
Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy”
Rick Ross catches a stay. If Drake would’ve reworded the fourth bar differently, it couldve been a dope triple entendre using ross’s arch nemises 50 cent while also referencing the C.O. allegations. He acknowledges Ross only has some of the hits on his list due to his assist, which has truth to it.
“Nigga, shout out to the hooper that be bustin’ out the griddy
We know why you mad, nigga, I ain’t even trippin’
All that lil’ heartbroken Twitter shit for bitches”
Ja morant catches a few bars due to his previous shots at Drake over dating his ex. Drake understands why the twitter melt down happened and in so many words tells him to get over it.
In response to the shots, Ross returns fire with Champagne Moments on the same day. We will dissect these bars in a different post. But in this one, the focus is on the Big 3.
04/19/24: Kendrick remained silent for the following week. Drake decided he wasn’t about to let him off the hook and released a second track titled “Taylor Made”. He rapped using A.I. Tupac and Snoops voice along with his cadence.
“Since “Like That, ” your tone changed a little, you not as enthused
How are you not in the booth? It feel like you kinda removed
You tryna let this shit die down, nah, nah, nah
Not this time, nigga, you followin’ through”
This was a solid creative jab to add on to push ups (although 2pacs estate seems to disagree). Drake is not letting Kendrick dodge this fade this time.
04/30/24: Overall, another week goes by before Kendrick returns fire with Euphoria.
Notable moments:
“Them super powers gettin’ neutralized, I can only watch in silence
The famous actor we once knew is lookin’ paranoid and now is spiralin’”
K. Dot has been silently observing Drakes antics on social media throughout his silence and feels they have been signs that he lost it.
“Fabricatin’ stories on the family front ’cause you heard Mr. Morale
A pathetic master manipulator, I can smell the tales on you now”
Drake hinted that Kendricks wife cheated with a body guard on Push Ups. Kendrick lets him know what the reality is.
“Somebody had told me that you got a ring, on God, I’m ready to double the wage
I’d rather do that than let a Canadian nigga make Pac turn in his grave”
Drake bought a ring from Pac a while back. Kendrick would rather buy it from him to spare Pac the embarrassment.
“I hurt your feelings? You don’t wanna work with me no more? Okay
It’s three GOATs left, and I seen two of them kissin’ and huggin‘ on stage”
J Cole continues to catch strays.
It’s always been about love and hate, now let me say I’m the biggest hater
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 bitches you fuck ’cause they confuse themself with real women
And notice, I said “we,” it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feelin’
K. Dot channels his inner Dmx. Back on an old breakfast club interview, X let his hate for Drake be known as he continued to let the world know how much hate he has for Drake, not only as an artist but as a human overall. Kendrick used this angle as ammo against the boy.
“Surprised you wanted that feature request
You know that we got some shit to address”
This bar was interesting because it hints at Drake reaching out to possible put Kendrick on First Person Shooter. That song would’ve been the first time we wouldve heard the big 3 all on the same track.
“”Back To Back,” I like that record
I’ma get back to that, for the record”
This line flew over everybodies head. The foreshadow….
“Why would I call around tryna get dirt on niggas? Y’all think all my life is rap?
That’s ho shit, I got a son to raise, but I can see you don’t know nothin’ ’bout that”
Pusha walked to K. Dot could run when it comes to questioning Drakes parenting ability.
Ain’t twenty-v-one, it’s one-v-twenty if I gotta smack niggas that write with you
Yeah, bring ’em out too, I’ll clean ’em out too
Kendrick flips Drakes 20v1 line back on him and lets its be known, he and all the ghost writers can get it.
5/3/23: Shortly afterwards, Kendrick also released a second ‘Jab’ at Drake (Remember his back to back line?). The song was hilariously titled 6:16 in L.A.
Notable moments:
“Are you finally ready to play have-you-ever? Let’s see
Have you ever thought that OVO is workin’ for me?
Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person
Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it”
This track wasnt necessarily a diss as so much a warning to Drake. According to Dot, not everyone in his camp has his best interest at heart.
“If you were street-smart, then you woulda caught that your entourage is only to hustle you
A hundred niggas 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
But let me tell you some game ’cause I can see you, my lil’ homie”
These bars are bound to keep Drake up at night wondering if there is truth in them. The last one lets us know that Kendrick doesn’t plan to hold this “beef” agaisnt Drizzy in the long run.
Final thoughts?
Drake set the bar for expectations with his ‘Back 2 Back’ diss record. It not only picked Meek apart, but got heavy rotation and a Grammy nom. Drizzy then experienced a low with his Pusha-T battle. He only lost because he never gave a response. Now he has once again stepped up to the plate to who is considered the Pacquaio to his Mayweather. He held his own and used the 20v1 angle as an excitement factor. This Dragonball royal rumble works well with giving Drake a slight edge in the fight. But unfortunately, Kendrick’s response was too concentrated and surgical to beat. He broke apart Drakes camp and put him in a position to psychotically question the company he keeps. You can tell he studied the Art of War and is executing his tactics masterfully. J Cole showed a glimpse of why he could’ve been feared but bowed out too early. Like K.D.’s decision to go to the warriors, this could forever be a stain on his legacy. Overall good first round with above expectation responses from both Drake and Kendrick. My only critique is Drake may wanna focus on K. Dot only moving forward, as the 20v1 angle can get stale real fast.
GOATVERSES Official vote for round one goes to:
G.O.A.T. VERSES 
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