One of the most aggressive battles in hip-hop music history has just ed its one-year anniversary, and while the war for public opinion has been settled, the legal war rages on. In January, Drake filed an explosive lawsuit against UMG Recordings (Courthouse News), the musical partner he's shared for over a decade, claiming defamation and preferential treatment to another of their artists, Kendrick Lamar, in their war of words, most notably on the record "Not Like Us", in which Lamar repeatedly makes accusations about Drake's alleged sexual proclivities with minors. 566q3w

Kendrick Lamar is about to make history with longtime collaborator, SZA. Since both artists shared the TDE label, Kendrick and SZA have created a bevy of songs together while building a friendship together. They are currently traveling the globe for the Grand National Tour, and while touring, their collab song "Luther" continues to garner new plays worldwide.

Kendrick Lamar is following up his historic Grammys run with more prestigious nominations. The 51st edition of the American Music Awards takes place in Sin City (AKA: Las Vegas) on the evening of May 26. It's the first edition of the ceremonies to be held in Vegas after previously occurring in the Los Angeles area, and will also be the inaugural broadcast to take place on Memorial Day. Before this, the AMAs were most recently shown in October or November, with the intent of a shift to a Memorial Day showing to also allow for the honoring of U.S. troops and veterans.

Kendrick Lamar's movie collaboration with South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker moves to 2026. First announced back in 2022 and set to release in summer 2025, the untitled film features Lamar, Stone, and Parker all producing alongside filmmaker Dave Free with a script from screenwriter Vernon Chatman. Lamar, of course, is best known for his career as a rapper, recently performing at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, while Stone and Parker created the animated South Park Comedy Central sitcom, which is returning for season 27.

The "Swamp Princess" does it again; Florida rapper-singer Doechii, who has already taken the rap world by storm with the release of last year's surging mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, has recently seen her Billboard Hot 100 chart fortunes take a significant leap. This is all thanks to a feature on another rapper's song, the social media app TikTok, and a clip from the classic television series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Between his widely publicized beef with fellow rapper Drake last year, surprise releasing a new album called GNX in November, and headlining February's Super Bowl halftime show, it's been a busy time in the career of Kendrick Lamar. Though that's nothing new for the artist hailing from Compton, California, who has already claimed a truckload of music awards (including over 20 Grammys), been all over physical/digital media and television, and even had his music honored with a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018.

Some Kendrick Lamar fans may not realize that his legendary 2024 beef with Canadian rapper Drake began in 2013 with another surprise guest feature. Although the Compton-born Kendrick was on good throughout the initial years of his come-up in the early 2010s, Kendrick verbally fired at Drake and a handful of other notable rappers – even the late and great Mac Miller – on a Big Sean verse in 2013. This was considered to be a "friendly competition" by Kendrick despite it being an unprovoked attack on the faces of Hip-Hop. Looking back on it now, Kendrick's 2024 feud with Drake makes much more sense.

"Luther" has turned out to be one of the breakout hits of Kendrick Lamar'sGNX album. Despite the album being hyped largely on the back of Kendrick's beef with Drake, one of its most popular songs is a loving ballad featuring SZA. On top of being ranked among the album's best songs, "Luther" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Whether fans like it or not, Drake may not have lost the rap battle to Kendrick Lamar as badly as fans think he did. Granted, he still lost, and no one is questioning that. Kendrick's Super Bowl halftime performance solidified his win beyond all doubt. That being said, critics came out of that halftime show convinced that Drake's career had just been obliterated beyond repair.

After the Super Bowl, Drake has finally responded to Kendrick Lamar. At the height of the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef, the hip-hop world was quick to give K-Dot the victory after the astronomical success of "Not Like Us." Even with the W in his column, Lamar performing the record at the Super Bowl Halfitme Show confirmed beyond all doubt who won.