Popular Canadian rapper Drake released his latest project “Her Loss,” a joint album with fellow hip-hop artist 21 Savage, last Friday. Widespread criticism emerged on Twitter shortly after its release when fans called attention to a lyric that appeared to be pointed at female rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
The line comes from “Circo Loco” in which he raps “This b—– lie ‘bout gettin’ shots, but she still a stallion.” Fans and rapper Lil Yachty have insisted that the lyric is a double entendre that actually refers to a woman being dishonest about a different type of shot: body-enhancing injections. However, most people believe Drake was indeed referring to Megan’s claims that she was shot by Tory Lanez during an argument in 2020.
After listening to the 16-track album and doing a little digging into Drake’s celebrity relationships, it became evident that the Texas rapper wasn’t the only celebrity Drake mentions on the album. Here’s a breakdown of other disses on “Her Loss.”
DRAM
Lyric: “Tried to bring the drama to me, he ain’t know how we cha-cha slide”
There’s beef between Drake and DRAM dating back to 2015 that I was completely unaware of until now. Apparently, after Drake dropped “Hotline Bling,” DRAM repeatedly alleged that the track ripped off his debut single “Cha Cha.”
DRAM addressed the subtle mention from “BackOutsideBoyz” by responding in a video posted to his Twitter account. In his rant, the rapper best known for his 2016 single “Broccoli,” implies that there was a physical altercation between him and Drake’s bodyguards. He also very reasonably stated that Drake shouldn’t bring issues from years ago back to the surface.
Kanye West
Lyric: “Linking with the opps, b—–, I did that s— for J. Prince/ B—–, I did it for the mob ties”
This line from “Circo Loco” sees Drake mentioning the benefit concert he performed at with West in 2021, their first show together since 2016.
At the show, Drake referred to West as his “idol,” but this line suggests that the rappers hadn’t buried the hatchet on their feud after all. Drake essentially says he only agreed to perform alongside West to satisfy J. Prince, co-founder of the Houston record label Rap-A-Lot, who encouraged him to attend.
It’s one thing to perform with someone you don’t like, but it’s another to go out of your way to make it seem like you’re on good terms with them. If Drake was going to turn around and once again refer to West as his “opp,” the “idol” comment was unnecessary.
Ice Spice
Lyric: “She a 10 tryna rap, it’s good on mute”
This is probably the most lighthearted dig on the list. Fans have speculated that this lyric from “BackOutsideBoyz” is a diss toward Ice Spice, a female rapper who gained popularity from her August single “Munch (Feelin’ U)” which went viral on TikTok.
The mention is surprising, considering he invited her to OVO Fest 2022 and was spotted hanging out with her.
It’s not a harsh comment by any means and Ice Spice even joked about the bar on social media, tweeting “at least ima 10.”
Alexis Ohanian
Lyric: “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie/ He claim we don’t got a problem but/ No, boo, it is like you coming for sushi”
Now, this was the diss that made the least sense. It’s no surprise that a rapper would target other artists in the industry in their music, but Drake dissing Serena Williams’ husband on “Middle of the Ocean” came completely out of left field.
Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, has been married to the tennis star since 2017. The union came two years after dating rumors emerged, but were never confirmed, about her and Drake.
Truth be told, Ohanian hasn’t done anything to deserve “groupie” status, making Drake a certified hater.
While I wouldn’t say that I’m Drake’s biggest fan, there are songs from each of his albums I enjoy, including those with disses. One of his most notable diss tracks is 2015’s “Back to Back” which is directed at Meek Mill and full of spot-on bars that actually make the song one of the rapper’s most underrated hits.
Ultimately, Drake has a long history of dissing, and while some digs are tasteful, the ones he makes on “Her Loss” are unnecessary, random and, in Megan’s case, borderline disrespectful.
