Drake drops three albums in one day, rekindles feud with Kendrick Lamar
by Juliet La Sala · The Washington TimesGrammy-winning rapper Drake dropped three albums simultaneously on Friday: “Iceman,” “Habibti,” and “Maid of Honour.”
The release was promoted with a 25-foot-tall ice sculpture in Toronto, which fans attacked with pickaxes, hammers and blowtorches trying to find a hidden release date, as well as a projection onto the CN Tower.
The albums include 43 songs and 149 minutes of music, marking his first solo releases since his feud with rapper Kendrick Lamar in 2024.
The Drake-Kendrick feud started in the spring of 2024 when the pair traded “diss” tracks, such as Mr. Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which labeled Drake a “certified pedophile” — allegations Drake called false and dangerous.
“Not Like Us” received critical acclaim, topping the Billboard Hot 100, winning five Grammys, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Mr. Lamar also performed the song at the Super Bowl 2025 halftime show.
Drake responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, but a judge dismissed it, ruling that the track’s lyrics aren’t verifiable statements of fact.
In Drake’s newly released albums, fans quickly found references to Mr. Lamar, such as a track dismissing the “big three” rap hierarchy and a line comparing Mr. Lamar’s height to that of Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history.
The chorus of “Ran to Atlanta” was read by many fans as a direct response to Lamar’s lyric in “Not Like Us” mocking Drake for running to Atlanta “when you need a check balance.”
Advertisement Advertisement
Contact the author
Juliet La Sala
Follow author updates Follow Click to follow. Manage followed authors