Rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin' brought the heat on their recent collaborative effort, We Don't Trust You. The impressive project sees the duo drop some of their best work to date.
One track in particular has garnered attention for a straightforward diss of one of the rap industry's biggest figures: Drake. On "Like That,' Kendrick Lamar appears for a fiery verse where he directly challenges the "One Dance" artist.
"F-the big three/N- it's just big me," he declares, solidifying himself as the cream of the rap crop. The "Big Three" Lamar references are himself, Drake, and J. Cole.
On "First Person Shooter," a track off of Drake's 2023 album For All the Dogs, J. Cole professes the impressive status of the three rappers, chiding: "Love when they argue the hardest MC/Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?/ We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali."
K-Dot is one of Lamar's many monikers -- others include the all too catchy "Kung Fu Kenny." Aubrey, meanwhile, is Drake's real first name. The three rappers are widely considered the best living of this generation, but Lamar is here to challenge that notion. He's dubbed himself as incomparable; there is no one who can step to the Compton native. On "Like That," Lamar does not hold back, specifically stating that he "Choos[es] violence."
Lamar continues, stating that he's a "K with all these 9s," and identifying himself as a 10/10 rapper while his competitors are mere 9s. On "Like That," Lamar does not believe in "Sneak dissin,'" rapping, "First-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches" in a direct reference to Cole's track.
While Future takes no direct shots at Drake, keeping Lamar's verse on the track indicates where the "Xanny Family" rapper stands in this beef. Time will tell if Future will take an open stance and deliver a shady verse of his own.
Metro was described as calling out Drake in Morse code, per some TikTok users. Though Metro's explosive production does not use Morse code, the aggressive keys and snappy hi-hats serve as a diss in themselves. Some mused-though it remains entirely unconfirmed-that this flashy instrumental solo is flexing a space that could have been used for a Drake feature.
Rather than pick up the microphone, or hop in the recording booth, Drake seemingly responded to the "Like That" insults with a simple Instagram post. The Canadian rapper posted five photos in an Instagram slide, showcasing himself posing, performing on stage, partying, and rocking a Princeton jersey.
He captioned the post: "They rather go to war with me than admit they are their own worst enemy," punctuated by the crying-laughing emoji." The post indicates a carefree attitude towards the attack, but one can't help but wonder if Drake will return with more heat.
Given the buzz surrounding "Like That," all eyes are on Drake to clap back against Lamar, Future, and Metro. Drake has yet to release, or tease, a musical response of his own.
