R&B/Hip-Hop

On last year’s For All The Dogs, Drake took to “8 AM in Charlotte” to savor his decade-and-half-long tyranny over the rap game, acknowledging his brute strength and chart supremacy: “Things get kinky after fifteen years of dominance,” he proclaimed. A year later, scarred by defeat against Kendrick Lamar, a beaten and battered Drake isn’t the scary king who once struck fear in the hearts of his opponents. This week, Drake filed two legal actions against UMG for allegedly spiking Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” streams during their lyrical squabble. Though seemingly against UMG, these legal actions have been perceived by The Culture as a desperate attempt to maintain his dominance, which for the first time is now being questioned.

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“Dot said squabble up, not lawyer up,” wrote Charlamagne Tha God on social media. Rapsody echoed those sentiments and tweeted the following on X: “Legal action over losing a rap beef. My my my. Not like us at all. #CultureOverEverything.” “You can’t be a bully, swing on someone, they swing back harder. You attempt to shoot, the guns jam, you prosecute for assault,” added DJ Hed on X, slaying Drake with barbs of his own. 

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Business tactics aside, crying foul in a rap beef after you attempted to pin Kendrick’s children onto another man — his business partner and childhood friend, at that — and label him a woman-beater is ludicrous. Drake, a proven mastermind in rap beef, has tangoed with Meek Mill, Pusha T and Kanye and said disparaging things. With him now taking this approach, even if his issues are actually with UMG, is why rap fans are starting to really call it quits with Drake.

From Serena Williams crip-walking at the ESPYs to “Not Like Us” to NBA star DeMar DeRozan jumping on stage during Kendrick’s Pop Out concert and then publicly chewing Drake following a game against his Toronto Raptors, Drizzy’s legacy over the last six months has been riddled with body blows. Though Drake was always at the end of dastardly jokes throughout his storied run, at least he had the charts behind him. After Pusha T nearly decapitated his career with “The Story of Adidion” in 2018, Drake managed to cut through the noise with undeniable hits. His Scorpion era, where he rattled off three Hot 100 No. 1 records — “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” and “In My Feelings” — kept his indomitable run intact and, if anything, made him seem like Teflon, even after staring in the eyes of defeat during his tussle with Pusha. 

Six years later, things have drastically changed. After “The Heart Pt. 6,” where Drake seemingly denounced the feud with Kendrick, he looked to rebound and operate in a space of normalcy. Unfortunately, things haven’t worked in his favor: Despite handing off features for Camilla Cabello and Gordo, the once highly sought-after Drake Stimulus Package returned with paltry results, with none of the songs reaching the top 40 of the Hot 100.

In hopes of reclaiming the summer, Drake followed with the release of 100 GIGS. The self-release was nostalgic, peeling back the layers on some of Drake’s most treasured moments, including studio sessions from his golden era. Though Drake’s decision to leak his records seemed genuine, a power play was at work, as he was testing the waters, showing UMG that he could be just as formidable on his own, distributing the music on his website and faux Instagram page, Plottttwisttttt. 

The three-pack, which included “It’s Up” featuring 21 Savage and Young Thug and the Latto-assisted “Housekeeping Knows,” packed a punch but failed to do damage culturally. Ultimately, UMG grabbed his freebies and released them on streaming services, hoping to salvage whatever streams they could after his move of defiance. Like his features on Cabello and Gordo’s records, none of the songs earned a top 20 slot, with “It’s Up” peaking at No. 24.

Despite the setbacks, Drake seems eager to rally on. He has an album with PARTYNEXTDOOR slated to drop, which he claimed during a Kick stream with Canadian streamer qXc is 75% done. This album, which is highly anticipated by his fans, could be a turning point in his career, as his popularity and power as a rap Goliath are beginning to wane.

Also, if Drake wins any lawsuit against UMG and proves that the streams on “Not Like Us” are illegal, he may change the streaming game forever. For years, it was a running joke that labels paid for streams and that everything was doctored to benefit their pockets. Though Drake may have been the biggest benefactor in this all, with his endless wins on the board, his decision to set his sights on UMG’s practices may reinforce the need to monitor streams even more closely. 

Aside from that, Drake will embark on an Australian tour next year, kicking things off the same day Kendrick performs at the Super Bowl. And while Kendrick is enjoying arguably the best year of his career to date, securing seven Grammy nominations, a Super Bowl slot, and most likely another No. 1 album next week with GNX, he has the support of the people behind him. The people made “Not Like Us” a cultural phenomenon, the same way they championed Drake in 2018 with his trio of hits. Fifteen years of dominance isn’t achieved by luck; you need greatness and the people’s faith baked into it. It’s not impossible yet for The Boy to recapture his top spot, but he’ll need God’s plan — or at least another “God’s Plan” — to finish the job.

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