Drake’s highly anticipated eighth studio album, “For All the Dogs”, dropped on October 6th and has caused quite a stir. Beyond the album’s reviews and public opinions, Drake has stirred controversy with his lyrics. As fans and critics listened to the album, listeners began to notice a pattern—he’s not holding back. In fact, Drake managed to call out at least six individuals across three distinct songs. Some may even say he “dissed” them. In case you missed it, here is a rundown of all the disses featured in Drake’s “For All the Dogs.”
Calling for You (feat. 21 Savage)
The beef between Drake and Virginia Beach rapper Pusha T dates all the way back to the early 2010s. The loyalty Drake holds for Lil Wayne likely fueled the tensions between them, but things escalated significantly in 2018. When Pusha T disclosed that Drake had a son and unveiled old photos of him in Blackface, it seemed that he won that round.
During an interview with Rap Radar, Drake openly acknowledged his defeat, while Pusha T continued to take shots at Drake in a leaked track intended for the posthumous Pop Smoke album. Since then, Drake has been quiet—until now.
“Calling for You” seems to be a track that alludes to a woman with whom he enjoys spending time. Approximately two minutes into the song, a female voice can be heard complaining about flight-related issues and not being seated in first class. She goes on to say:
Ah, he lied to me
Yo, he lied to me
Like I didn’t give a f*ck that we sat in economy
I gave a f*ck ’cause he said the economy was full
It was not full
He said, “Economy was—”
He said, “There was no first class, so we’re sitting in economy”
I get up on that plane
I see so many seats in first-class
Twelve, fourteen seats
Coincidentally, on October 3rd, Pusha T tweeted to American Airlines, expressing frustration about paying for a first-class ticket on a flight that did not have a first-class section. While this may not be an outright diss, Drake certainly appears to be making fun of Pusha T’s situation. This has led fans to speculate whether Drake intends to revisit the beef. However, it seems unlikely, given that he recently announced his plans to take a break to focus on his health and family.
Fear of Heights
The most recognizable diss that Drake included in his latest album targeted singer Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky. The Toronto rapper wasted no time and started the song with references to his past relationship with Rihanna. Not to mention, he did this while also referencing her Caribbean heritage:
Ayy, ayy, look
Why do they make it sound like I’m still hung up on you?
That could never be
Gyal can’t run me
Drake addresses the memes and jokes that followed Rihanna’s pregnancy announcement in 2022. Notably, the rapper confessed his undying love for the Barbadian singer during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. The stunt was awkward for viewers to watch and clearly uncomfortable for Rihanna, as she had not anticipated his public declaration. Their romantic relationship came to an end in 2017, and in 2018, Rihanna announced that they were no longer friends.
Fans have speculated for years that Drake might still be in love with Rihanna and that he must be heartbroken seeing her move on. In an effort to clear the air, he addresses the situation by asking, “Why do they make it sound like I’m still hung up on you?” Implying that he no longer holds romantic feelings for her.
Did He Go Too Far?
The shots at the beauty mogul get deeper when Drake expresses his relief that they didn’t become a couple and his discontent with their past intimate dealings. These statements seem contradictory to his previous assertion of not having feelings for her anymore. It raises the question: if he genuinely had no feelings for her, why would he even be discussing her?
Better him than me
Better it’s not me
I’m anti, I’m anti
Yeah, and the sex was average with you
Yeah, I’m anti ’cause I had it with you
Drake does not stop there and goes on to say that since their relationship, he’s had experiences with women whom he considers more attractive than Rihanna. He takes his final shot at former friend and rapper A$AP Rocky, implying that the only vacation they take is to Antigua, which is near her home country.
Okay, I’m auntie like your daddy’s sister
Auntie like a family picture
And I had way badder bitches than you, TBH
Yeah, that man, he still with you, he can’t leave you
Y’all go on vacation, I bet it’s
Antigua
Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky, have yet to address the diss, and they are not expected to. It is unclear why Drake decided to mention the two, especially since he is admittedly no longer interested in her.
Away from Home
The Hotline Bling rapper was able to address three different people in just a few bars. His first diss on “Away from Home” was to Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Esperanza Spalding:
Four Grammy’s to my name, a hundred nominations
Esperanza Spalding was gettin’ all the praises
This bar likely stems from the loss he experienced to her at the 2011 Grammy Awards, where Esperanza Spalding won the Best New Artist category. Drake’s loss in this category was a shock to many, including his old friend, Kanye West. Nevertheless, this incident occurred well over 10 years ago and seems to have come out of left field.
Kendrick Lamar
He hasn’t finished yet! He can’t leave out rival rapper, Kendrick Lamar:
I’m tryna keep it humble, I’m tryna keep it gracious
Who gives a f*ck Michelle Obama put you on her playlist?
Then we never hear from you again like you were taken
Drake first references the rapper when stating that he was trying to keep it humble. In 2017, Lamar released his album, “DAMN”, which included his hit single, “HUMBLE.” Drake keeps going when he mentions our forever First Lady, Michelle Obama. She included Lamar on two of her playlists, but Drake was left off. He takes his last dig at Lamar, addressing the hiatus that K-Dot took between his albums “DAMN” and “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” when he says that we never hear from him again, like he was taken.
Drake has taken very few breaks in his music career and seems to hold disdain for those who do, especially Kendrick Lamar. He even said so during the opening night of the “It Was All a Blur” Tour. He stated,
“I look around at all these faces. I know it’s summertime, I gotta give you sh*t! I don’t know about these guys that go away for three, four, five years and wanna chill out and all that sh*t. That’s not me.”
Sir Lucian Grainge
To conclude this section of disses in the song, he delivers an unexpected jab at Sir Lucian Grainge, the Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group:
Who the CEO of Universal? They mistaken
‘Cause Google sayin’ Lucian, but that just doesn’t make sense
Who fillin’ up the piggy bank? Who bringin’ home the bacon?
It is unclear why he decided to include the CEO in his list of grievances, but it seems as though the OVO Sound leader is unhappy with his record label. According to the lyrics, he wants more credit for all that he brings to the table in his deal with the music group.
Why All the Animosity?
Drake has never shied away from confrontation, a trait that has been evident throughout his career. However, fans are now wondering why he chose to diss these specific people at this time. Some listeners speculate that it might all be a strategic move to generate more streams and media attention. Not many people are talking about the content of his album, but more so about all of the drama he has involved himself in.
In any case, Drake is first and foremost a musician, and we all know music to be an outlet for expressing feelings, emotions, trauma, and grievances. While the reasons behind these disses remain unclear, they sure are entertaining.
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