<\/p>\n
\u00a0Drake has returned\u00a0as the \u201cIceman.\u201d And the stakes couldn’t be higher.<\/p>\n
The Canadian rapper released his ninth studio album Friday alongside two additional surprise projects, “Habibti” and “Maid of Honour.” In all, the “Hotline Bling” rapper released 43 songs.<\/p>\n
The releases are his first since his\u00a0very public feud with Kendrick Lamar<\/a>.<\/p>\n The beef between two of hip-hop\u2019s biggest stars erupted in the spring of 2024, with the pair trading a series of vitriolic tracks that culminated with Lamar\u2019s release of \u201cNot Like Us.\u201d The hit song was a direct attack on Drake, spurring Drake\u2019s\u00a0defamation lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0against their shared label that was dismissed. Drake\u2019s appeal of the dismissal is pending, but in hip-hop spaces, Lamar\u2019s victory over Drake\u00a0is undisputed.<\/a><\/p>\n Drake is at a crossroads. He’s still one of the most popular artists on the planet, and a successful entrepreneur with businesses spanning music, fashion, sports,\u00a0online gambling\u00a0and beyond. But he hasn’t had a smash single in a few years.<\/p>\n \u201cIceman\u201d is no surprise release. Drake has been teasing it for weeks, with livestreams and themed YouTube skits. He covered his favored courtside seats at Toronto\u2019s Scotiabank Arena in ice and turned a parking lot in downtown Toronto into a massive ice block installation. Fans used blowtorches, sledgehammers and pickaxes to reveal the album\u2019s release date.<\/p>\n \u201cIceman\u201d includes collaborations with 21 Savage, Future and Molly Santana. <\/p>\n Several tracks on the album appear to address his rivalry with Kendrick Lamar, including “Make Them Cry” and “Dust.”<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was the year you said you had slaps, cause I don\u2019t remember it going like that, I don\u2019t remember one word of your raps,\u201d he says in “Dust.”<\/p>\n Drake also takes swipes at A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, Jay-Z, LeBron James and Playboi Carti.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDrake is getting honest about the downside of gambling. The rap superstar is known for his love of sports betting and shocked fans with a peek at his recent losses, sharing on June 18 that after wagering $125 million in one month, he’s down nearly eight figures.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The second of the trilogy of albums released has 11 songs and features collaborations with Sexyy Red, Loe Shimmy and PARTYNEXTDOOR. <\/p>\n Maid of Honour contains 14 songs and collaborations with Stunna Sandy, Central Cee, Popcaan and Sexy Red.<\/p>\n The ninth, 10th and 11th studio albums are his first since 2023’s “For All the Dogs.”<\/p>\n Drake’s album rollout seems to reflect the pressure of the moment.<\/p>\n This could be his comeback album, says Sowmya Krishnamurthy, author of \u201cThe Blueprint: Inside the Business of Roc-A-Fella Records\u201d \u2014 and not just in terms of streams. \u201cReputation, culture, these are things that cannot be quantified,\u201d she says. \u201cMaybe he does spectacular commercially and that is great, but that doesn\u2019t mean that the music is good or has any lasting impact.\u201d<\/p>\n That’s why \u201cIceman\u201d feels so pivotal. \u201cLet\u2019s say it doesn\u2019t perform to certain standards. It will get harder and harder to see him as a viable artist,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Kendrick battle absolutely dethroned Drake. Up until then, he was considered the leader of the pack, insofar as sales and hit records,\u201d says Sowmya Krishnamurthy, author of \u201cThe Blueprint: Inside the Business of Roc-A-Fella Records.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKendrick Lamar is gearing up for his Super Bowl halftime show. During the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show press conference on Feb. 6 ahead of the big game, the rapper reflected on his recent Grammys success.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cHe also just hasn\u2019t been able to recover with a hit record. I often like to say all is forgiven with a hit,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Since the feud began, Drake has had only a few modest successes: \u201cNokia\u201d and \u201cWhat Did I Miss?\u201d peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.<\/p>\n Peter A. Berry, a music journalist with work in XXL and Complex, takes it a step further: \u201cPeople have beefed in rap before and people have lost public rap battles. But the loss that Drake took to Kendrick Lamar on a national and global stage is probably the biggest loss any rapper has ever taken in a big rap conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n He points to \u201cNot Like Us\u201d taking home record and song of the year at the 2025 Grammys<\/a>, a first for a rap diss track. The victory lap concluded with Lamar performing the chart-topper onstage\u00a0at the Super Bowl halftime show.<\/a><\/p>\n Not only did Drake lose the battle, but he was struck by his own weapons: \u201cNot Like Us\u201d is a rap song so catchy it bordered on pop, fueled by meme-able lyrics \u2014 the kind of thing Drake has long been known for. (See: \u201cKiki, Do you love me?\u201d from 2018’s \u201cIn My Feelings,\u201d or even \u201cYOLO\u201d from 2011’s \u201cThe Motto.\u201d)<\/p>\n‘Iceman’<\/h2>\n
‘Habibti’ and ‘Maid of Honour’<\/h2>\n
In hip-hop, reputation is central to cultural clout<\/h2>\n