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Rb Hip Hop

Drake Calls Out Those Who Switched Sides on Him During Kendrick Lamar Beef on ‘Fighting Irish’

The freestyle was released and quickly taken down from Conductor Williams' YouTube page.

Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on Dec. 9, 2022 in Atlanta.

Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on Dec. 9, 2022 in Atlanta.

Prince Williams/Wireimage

After closing the book on a turbulent 2024, Drake may be looking to make the most of a clean slate in the new year. Conductor Williams, a producer who has worked with the OVO boss, released a brand new Drizzy freestyle on his YouTube page on Friday (Jan. 3).

While the video was quickly taken down, fans grabbed the “Fighting Irish” freestyle and spammed the viral clip across social media. The visual captures Drake’s side profile as he raps through a small, grainy TV screen.


On the track, the 6 God gets introspective about the trials and tribulations of his 2024 over Conductor’s gleaming production, and seemingly blasts those who switched sides on him throughout the Kendrick Lamar feud.

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“The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets, seemed like they loved every minute/ Just know the s–t is personal to us and wasn’t just business/ Analyzing behavioral patterns is somewhat suspicious,” he raps.

Drake appears to be targeting those he considered close friends, such as NBA stars DeMar DeRozan and LeBron James, who were in attendance for Kendrick’s Pop Out concert in June. The Fighting Irish was also the mascot for LeBron’s high school team when he attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio.

Drizzy also dispels on the track Kendrick’s notion that he has a drinking problem, which Lamar alleged on the diabolical “Meet the Grahams.” “I don’t have a drinkin’ problem, I got a subtle addiction/ I got my father’s habits and I got my mother’s permission,” Drake rhymes.

He also sent a possible subtle jab at Universal Music Group regarding his legal actions alleging that his parent label artificially inflated the popularity of Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track. “I hate to see their empire crumble on judges’ convictions,” he spews. (UMG denied his allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue” in a November statement to Billboard.)

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Drake and Conductor have connected in the past on For All The Dogs tracks such as “8am in Charlotte” and “Stories About My Brother.”

Billboard has reached out to Drake and Conductor Williams for comment about the track and its removal.

This article first appeared on Billboard U.S.

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Coco Love Alcorn
Courtesy Photo

Coco Love Alcorn

FYI

Music News Digest: Music Community Rallies to Support Coco Love Alcorn Through Cancer Journey

Also this week: more trouble for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Toronto scene veteran Paul James turns 75 with a free hometown show at The Phoenix and a date is set for the first Canadian Blues Music Awards.

Canadian pop and jazz singer-songwriter and choir leader Coco Love Alcorn has just revealed that she is fighting an aggressive form of cancer. This will involve a long period of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and further surgery. Alcorn explains that "I have had to cancel all my touring, teaching, and performances for 2026 and my local choir is on hiatus till further notice. I also had 3 trips planned to BC this winter/spring to record my new album and that project is also on hold."

A GoFundMe campaign to assist her has been set up. Donate here. The rapid and generous response to her campaign reaffirms the peer respect she enjoys.

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