Drake continues to stir the pot with mixed messages in his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar. Despite claiming to have “officially” moved past their rivalry, the rapper remains consistent in his subtle provocations. According to DJ Akademiks, Drake is focusing on delivering the content his fans love, but his trolling of Kendrick Lamar shows no sign of slowing down. His latest move—a photo of him wearing a Tupac Shakur shirt with the caption “Only God Can Judge Me”—is his most overt jab yet.
For those familiar with the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar saga, the significance of Tupac Shakur is clear. Drake has previously used Tupac’s voice to diss Lamar on the AI-assisted track “Taylor Made Freestyle” and flaunted his purchase of Tupac’s personalized ring for $1 million. On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar holds Tupac in high regard, considering him his favorite artist. Lamar’s 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly” famously features a conversation with Tupac’s “ghost,” and he has paid tribute to the late rapper numerous times. Lamar responded to Drake’s slander with his hit “Not Like Us,” where he raps, “You think the Bay ‘gon let you disrespect ‘Pac, nga. I think that Oakland show gon’ be your last stop, nga.”
The feud escalated further during Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out” show on Juneteenth, where he altered the lyrics to “Euphoria” to directly address Drake, suggesting that if Drake returned Tupac’s ring, he would gain Lamar’s respect. Unsurprisingly, Drake declined the offer and instead doubled down on the trolling with his new shirt. The phrase “Only God Can Judge Me” hails from Tupac’s album “All Eyez on Me,” a grandiose sentiment that Drake seems to embrace for his own legacy.
Drake has long expressed admiration for Tupac. In a 2011 interview with The Boombox, he spoke of aspiring to emulate Tupac’s free spirit. “He was somebody who was a free spirit and he did not care,” Drake said. “He just did what he felt. I wish I could have a little more ‘Pac to my persona. I’m working on it.” However, as recent events indicate, Drake’s journey has taken a different path, marked by ongoing tensions and public jabs at his rivals.