Drake Addresses Kendrick Lamar and Joe Budden Beefs on New Album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U

Though he doesn't mention Kendrick by name, the 6 God alludes to his bitter feud with the Compton rapper

Drake’s highly anticipated collaboration album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, titled $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, has finally arrived. The project, which was teased earlier this year with the leak of a snippet from the song “Gimme a Hug,” features Drake addressing some of his ongoing feuds, including those with Kendrick Lamar and Joe Budden.

While Kendrick is not mentioned by name on the album, Drake appears to allude to his bitter feud with the Compton rapper on “Gimme a Hug.” The feud, which also saw the involvement of Rick Ross, Metro Boomin and The Weeknd, began last year and quickly escalated.

In his opening verse on “Gimme a Hug,” Drake raps about being targeted for “Drake elimination” and facing “fake intimidation.” He goes on to reference being called an “inspiration” and the “Neo in The Matrix,” while comparing his rivals to “small fish” and “Nemo in the ocean.”

“N-ggas want to see ‘RIP me’ on a t-shirt like I’m Hulk Hogan / I appreciate the fans rocking with me, this is really just a small token / Really fucking with a visionary / Only reason I ain’t got a girl and I ain’t getting marriеd / ‘Cause I’m really out herе, filling up the itinerary ’til I’m six feet in a cemetery,” Drake continues.

“Bulletproof doors so heavy, got me rolling ’round like a dignitary / Funny how it’s only bitch n-ggas that are waiting on The Boy’s obituary / ‘Cause if I die, it’s these n-ngas that become the sole beneficiary / And what the fuck are they gon’ do with it? / Have the girls up at 29 on stage twerking with a dictionary?”

The latter bar seems to be particularly aimed at Kendrick, who is known for his verbose rhymes. It may also be a reference to the cover art of Lamar’s “Euphoria” diss song, which is a screenshot of an online dictionary.

After a bouncy beat switch, Drake downplays rap beef altogether, spitting: “They be dropping shit, but we be dropping harder shit / Fuck a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit / Tryna get the party lit for the bitches / Them Nike tights is hugging on that ass like they missed it.”

“Gimme a Hug,” which features a second beat switch that samples Aaron Hall’s 1993 R&B hit “I Miss You,” also hears Drizzy taking aim at another longtime rival, Joe Budden.

“Melyssa Ford, you a legend from the 6, hate to see you with a dick-sucker,” he raps, referencing the former video vixen who co-hosts The Joe Budden Podcast.

Elsewhere on the album, “Brian Steel” — which is named after the lawyer who represented Young Thug in his RICO trial and negotiated his release from jail — sees Drake responding to the YSL rapper’s plea for him, Future and Metro Boomin to bury the hatchet.

“Broski just hit me, said, ‘Put all the beef on the side,’ I can’t / Mm-hmm, I’m heated now, yeah / N-ggas want meet up, talk about shit, I’m vegan now / Evil eyes were staring at me and I see it now,” he raps.

Shortly before he regained his freedom last October, Thug posted on X (formerly Twitter): “@Drake @1future @MetroBoomin we all bruddas. Music aint the same without us collabin.”

Pluto appeared to be on board with the truce as he reshared the post, although Metro has yet to publicly address it.

Released right on time for Valentine’s Day, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U clocks in at 21 songs and features appearances from Yebba, Chino Pacas and rising Houston singer Pim.

Interestingly, the album was released through Universal Music Group, as well as other labels such as OVO Sound, Republic and Santa Anna, despite Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the music giant.

$ome $exy $ongs 4 U is Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s first album together following a long-running working relationship that has produced tracks like “Recognize,” “Over Here” and “Come and See Me.”

It also serves as Drizzy’s first full-length offering since his rivalry with Kendrick Lamar boiled over last year — a battle he was largely deemed to have lost.