A$AP Rocky is speaking out about the latest twist in the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar saga, and he isn’t holding back. In his new ELLE cover story published Tuesday (September 23), the Harlem rapper called out Drake for pursuing legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick’s hit diss track, Not Like Us.
The fiery record, which became the defining anthem of their spring 2024 rap battle, climbed charts worldwide and turned into a cultural moment, with fans dubbing it the “song of the summer.” Drake responded with Family Matters, a diss that also took aim at Rocky. But while Rocky kept quiet during the lyrical feud, he admits that the courtroom drama changed his perspective.
“It was healthy for Hip-Hop,” Rocky said of the battle. “The battle was between Kendrick and Drake, not Drake and everybody else who might have said something at that time. And that’s mainly why I fell back.”
However, he couldn’t co-sign Drake’s decision to sue.
“I just hate the way it’s turning out with [Drake] suing and all that,” Rocky explained. “What part of the game is that? What type of sh*t is that? That’s none of my business, I guess.”
Rocky & Drake’s Complicated History
A$AP Rocky’s critique hits harder considering his own rocky history with Drake. The two were once collaborators and even toured together, but their relationship has soured over the years. Much of that tension reportedly stems from Rocky’s romance with Rihanna, Drake’s longtime on-again-off-again love interest.
Drake and Rihanna created timeless hits like Work and What’s My Name, but their bond fizzled out by 2018 when Rihanna told Vogue they no longer maintained a friendship after his public love declaration at the 2016 MTV VMAs.
Fast forward to today, Rocky and Rihanna are life partners and parents to two children, RZA and Riot, with a third on the way. Their growing family has made them one of the most high-profile couples in music and fashion.
The Bigger Picture
For Rocky, the rap battle between Drake and Kendrick was supposed to stay on wax, fueling Hip-Hop’s competitive spirit. But with Drake now taking the fight to court, Rocky suggests the move feels out of step with the culture.
As the legal case plays out, fans will continue debating whether Not Like Us should’ve stayed as one of the greatest rap diss tracks of its era—or if lawsuits are now part of rap’s playbook.
You can read A$AP Rocky’s full ELLE cover story here.
