Drake has returned with three new albums at once, and as expected, fans are not just listening for the music. They are listening for names, references, old tensions and every possible line that sounds like a shot.
The Canadian rapper dropped Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour, giving fans a lot to unpack across the new projects. But one thing became clear almost immediately: Drake had plenty to say about other celebrities, from DJ Khaled and Kendrick Lamar to Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, BTS, Jay-Z, LeBron James and Playboi Carti.
One of the most talked-about lines appears to be aimed at DJ Khaled. On Make Them Play, Drake calls out Khaled for not speaking publicly about Palestine, rapping, “Khaled you know what I mean, the beef was fully live, you went halal… and your people are still waiting for a ‘Free Palestine’ but apparently everything isn’t black and white and red and green. I’m seeing everyone’s true colours.”
Kendrick Lamar also appears to be a major target across the new music. On Dust, Drake raps, “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.” He then takes the criticism further by suggesting that some listeners support Kendrick out of guilt, saying, “White kids listen to you cuz’ they feel some guilt, and that’s how your soul get fulfilled, handing out turkeys on camera inside of your hood then you go back to the hills.”
Pusha T is also seemingly brought into the mix, with Drake appearing to reference his name being mentioned in the Epstein files. “Ya’ll was island hopping back then now your name’s redacted,” he raps.
The rapper also seems to turn his attention to ASAP Rocky and Rihanna, with a line that fans believe refers to Rihanna not promoting Rocky’s new single. “Yo baby mama ain’t even post your single, where she at?” Drake says.
BTS gets a mention too, though this one reads more like a backhanded compliment than a direct insult. Drake compares his own career arc to the K-pop group’s long rise to global recognition, rapping, “I’m feeling like BTS ’cause it took the whole career for me to be so discovered.”
Jay-Z is referenced through one of the internet’s longest-running debates. Drake raps, “I’ll take the 500k over the dinner,” pointing to the viral question of whether someone would rather have dinner with Jay-Z or take $500,000 in cash.
LeBron James also appears to catch a stray on Make Them Rememeber. Drake raps, “I shouldn’t even be shocked to see you in that arena, because you always made your career off of switching teams up,” a line fans are reading as a jab at the NBA star’s moves between teams over the years.
Playboi Carti is another name fans believe Drake is addressing directly. On Whisper My Name, he calls out someone he describes as a fake friend, rapping, “Baby boy please, I heard what you said to lil bro about me. Yeah, and when you run into me on ICEMAN what you gon’ do except freeze? You not bout to squeeze. You not in the streets.”
With three albums out at once, Drake has given fans more than enough material to dissect. But the disses are already becoming the main story around the rollout, turning the release into a full celebrity guessing game where every bar feels like it could be aimed at someone.