Drake's strategic moves to counter Kendrick Lamar's Grammy sweep and Super Bowl show revealed by PR expert
Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us won five Grammy awards on Sunday night and a PR expert has told Drake the best moves he should take to ensure he comes out of the ongoing feud unscathed
Drake found himself the butt of viral jokes after Kendrick Lamar's diss track about him, Not Like Us, scooped up five Grammys over the weekend.
Kendrick, a native of Compton, has been on a roll in the past year, releasing a critically acclaimed album and being announced as the performer for the upcoming Super Bowl. On Sunday evening, he also bagged five awards including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Music Video for Not Like Us.
The big win at the award show was a momentous occasion for all, with even Taylor Swift seen energetically dancing and singing to the song while Kendrick was making his way to the stage to accept his awards. One memorable moment saw the entire crowd chanting: 'Why you trollin' like a b----? Ain't you tired? / Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor, reports the Mirror.
Unfortunately for Drake, the diss track about him is not going away anytime soon as Kendrick is still set to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show this weekend before embarking on a tour. A PR expert has offered advice on the best steps Drake should take to emerge from the ongoing feud unscathed.
PR expert Jane Owen told The Mirror UK that Kendrick's historical wins at the Grammys 'has got to be a sting' for Drake. She advised Drake to carefully plan his next moves, suggesting a 'power play' would be his best option.
She said: "My suggestion is that he figure out a big announcement to pull focus and show that Drake is still on top. Perhaps a big brand collaboration to show his power isn't just in music. Possibly a big appearance headlining a charity concert or a huge donation to a charity. Maybe even a new single drop as long as it's guaranteed to make an impact.What would be super cool is if he released his own diss track right before the superbowl but there probably isn't time for that?"
The PR expert further suggested: "Perhaps a funny or carefully written social media post hinting that his reign isn't over and 'Legacy isn't built in a day'. Also I suggest a public appearance perhaps courtside at an NBA game exuding chill and nonchalant vibes. Showing that he doesn't care."
The ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has been escalating since October 2023, when J. Cole collaborated with Drake on the track First Person Shooter. In this song, Cole referred to himself, Kendrick, and Drake as the 'Big Three' of rap. However, Kendrick disagreed with this sentiment in Future and Metro Boomin's track, Like That, where he claimed there was no "Big Three," as there's only "Big me. "This song is from the album We Don't Trust You, which fans speculate contains numerous jabs at Drake. The follow-up song, We Still Don't Trust You, further fueled the growing tension between Drake and other artists such as Future, The Weeknd, and A$AP Rocky. In April, Drake retaliated with the song Push Ups, poking fun at Kendrick's small concert size and his collaboration with Taylor Swift on Bad Blood.In a swift response, Kendrick fired back with the insult-laden hit Euphoria, named after the HBO show for which Drake serves as executive producer. He also released 6:16 in LA, a track that fans believe mocks Drake's penchant for naming songs after times and locations. Not one to back down, Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, released an eight-minute track titled Family Matters filled with accusations against Kendrick.In less than an hour, Kendrick Lamar retaliated with Meet The Grahams.
A few hours later, the award-winning "Not Like Us" was released, shocking and delighting fans worldwide. Drake attempted a comeback with "The Heart Part 6," but it fell short of the success of Not Like Us. Clearly stung by the diss track, Drake sued his own record label, UMG Recordings, alleging defamation in response to the accusations made in "Not Like Us.
"Then, in November, Drake filed a pre-action petition claiming that UMG had tried to artificially boost Kendrick's song on Spotify. Kendrick wasn't named in any lawsuit. Now, as the Super Bowl approaches, Drake has the chance to prevent the feud - and the song - from escalating further.