Just when we thought we’d moved on from the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, here comes part two.
Drake’s long-anticipated ICEMAN landed on May 15, arriving alongside two additional surprise releases, Habibti and Maid Of Honour. And despite the time that’s passed, the 39-year-old Toronto star seems to still have a lot on his mind when it comes to Kendrick Lamar.
“Damn who is this guy for real, hundred million streams vanished,” he said during Episode 4 of his ICEMAN livestream on YouTube, reports Complex. “What was the year you said you had slaps, cause I don’t remember it going like that, I don’t remember one word of your raps,”
Those remarks immediately sparked speculation online, with many viewers convinced he was taking aim at Lamar.
The pair’s tensions have been bubbling for years, reaching a major flashpoint when Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against his own label, Universal Music Group, over the release of Lamar’s 2024 hit ‘Not Like Us.”
On that track, Lamar calls back to Drake’s 2021 project with the line: “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophile.”
After Lamar’s dominant 2025 Grammy night — five wins including song of the year for ‘Not Like Us’ — plus a Super Bowl halftime performance that featured the diss, much of the internet declared Lamar the clear winner. Drake’s lawsuit was later dismissed in October 2025.
On ICEMAN — rolled out with a high-profile takeover of Toronto’s CN Tower — Drake also appears to point bars at a few other well-known names, including NBA icon LeBron James.
“I shouldn’t even be shocked to see you in that arena, because you always made your career off of switching teams up,” Drake raps on ‘Make Them Remember’.
He continues with: “Please stop asking what’s going on with 23 & me, I’m a real one and he’s not, it’s in my DNA.” The first part is widely read as a reference to James’ history of moving franchises, as well as his appearance at Lamar’s concert in Los Angeles.
So far, James hasn’t addressed the lyrics.
Elsewhere on the album, listeners have floated the idea that Drake also takes a swipe at DJ Khaled, according to Complex. “Your people are still waiting for a ‘Free Palestine,’ but apparently everything isn’t black and white and red and green,” Drake raps.
With new shots, old grudges, and plenty of theorising online, the project has already set off debate — and it’s been building for a while. Drake has been teasing it since 2024, and the title is thought to reference Val Kilmer’s character in Top Gun. Notably, the film is hitting its 40th anniversary this weekend.