21 Savage has disclosed that he cautioned Drake against becoming embroiled in what would later become one of the most intense and culturally resonant rap feuds in recent memory: Drake versus Kendrick Lamar. Speaking candidly on the Perspektives With Bank podcast, the Atlanta rapper reflected on his private conversations with Drake as tensions with Lamar were beginning to escalate.
According to 21 Savage, his advice was unequivocal. He urged Drake to “leave that alone” and not rise to the provocation, warning that the conflict was unwinnable from the outset. While Savage believes Drake emerged largely intact from the lyrical skirmishes, he maintained that the odds were stacked against him. “You finna go into a battle that you can’t win,” he recalled telling Drake. “There’s no way you can win.”
Savage elaborated on his reasoning with a broader meditation on success and perception. In his view, Drake’s dominance in popular music rendered victory meaningless. Even if Drake were judged the lyrical winner, Savage argued, there would be no tangible upside. “When you’re already at the top,” he said, “where does winning put you? You can’t go Number One-Point-One.” In that sense, the feud represented a scenario in which even triumph would feel hollow.
Despite his misgivings, Savage acknowledged that both artists delivered strong material during the dispute, which rapidly became a viral cultural event. However, the consequences of the feud extended well beyond music. In October, Drake filed an appeal seeking to revive his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over Kendrick Lamar’s incendiary diss track Not Like Us. A federal judge had previously dismissed the case, ruling that the song’s most controversial allegations—among them branding Drake a “certified paedophile,” claims Drake has repeatedly denied—constituted nonactionable opinion within the context of artistic expression.
The ruling appeared only to amplify the song’s impact. Not Like Us swiftly re-entered major charts and saw a notable surge in streaming figures, underlining Lamar’s continued cultural momentum. The legal dispute itself began last year, when Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC, accused UMG and Spotify of artificially inflating the track’s streaming numbers. UMG responded forcefully, characterising the lawsuit as the reaction of an artist unwilling to accept defeat in a rap battle.
Drake’s legal team has since countered that argument, insisting that millions of listeners interpreted Lamar’s lyrics as statements of fact rather than hyperbolic insults. The controversy reached a new symbolic peak when Lamar performed the track during his historic Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, later confirmed as the most-watched halftime performance ever.
Key Moments in the Drake–Lamar Saga
| Date / Period | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Early feud | 21 Savage warns Drake privately | Advises against engagement |
| Feud peak | Exchange of diss tracks | Viral cultural moment |
| October | Drake appeals defamation dismissal | Legal escalation |
| Post-ruling | Not Like Us re-enters charts | Renewed commercial success |
| February | Lamar headlines Super Bowl LIX | Feud reaches global audience |
As the dust continues to settle, 21 Savage’s reflections offer a rare glimpse into the personal counsel behind the spectacle—reminding audiences that, in some battles, the cost of participation may outweigh any conceivable reward.