Drake has spoken publicly for the first time since Kendrick Lamar‘s major Grammy wins, following Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” that targeted the Canadian rapper.
On February 4, 2025, during the opening of his Anita Max Win Tour in Australia, Drake sent a message of resilience to his fans.
“My name is Drake. I started doing music in 2008,” the 38-year-old artist said, as shared in a clip by NFR Podcast on X. “I come all the way from Toronto, Canada. The year is now 2025, and no matter what, Drizzy Drake is very much alive, and that’s all thanks to you. I love you.”
Drake, who recently announced a collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR titled $ome $exy $ongs 4 u, continued his message of gratitude.
Earlier in the night, Drake made a dramatic entrance wearing a hoodie with faux bullet holes, leaving a trail of smoke behind him, as captured in a fan video on X. He later shared photos from the concert on Instagram with a reflective caption: “They thought Einstein was lying & Shakespeare was barely rhyming & Edison wasn’t lit despite what he was designing. So how can I give af what they say about my stars aligning.”
Drake’s performance came two days after Lamar, 37, took home five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year, at the 2025 Grammys. While Drake did not comment directly on Lamar’s wins, his father, Dennis Graham, shared his thoughts in a street interview filmed after the event.
“I don’t care nothing about that s—. That ain’t got nothing to do with me,” the 70-year-old Graham said. “All the best to him, man. I don’t do that bulls—.” He also described the show as “excellent.”
The ongoing tension between Drake and Lamar began over a year ago, with the release of Drake and J. Cole‘s track “First Person Shooter,” in which they referred to themselves, along with Lamar, as the “big three” of rap. This led to a series of diss tracks from both artists. In May 2024, Lamar released “Not Like Us,” which included lines about Drake and controversial accusations involving underage girls.
In January 2025, Drake took legal action, suing Universal Music Group (UMG) for promoting a track that he claims falsely accused him of pedophilia and called for violence against him. The suit also denied the allegations, emphasizing that Drake has never been charged with any criminal acts.
UMG responded through a spokesperson, stating, “We’ve invested massively in his music, and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.”
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