Drake’s More Life is finally here, and what’s a Drake project without some passive aggressive subliminal shots?
With this new album playlist, Drake has mostly avoided calling out his rivals’ names directly, which kind of makes sense, since as the #1 artist in the world right now, it’s like he knows that addressing anyone by name only gives them the attention they’re seeking.
Instead he seems more interested in providing a spotlight to artists he actually enjoys, giving high-profile features to two artists known more in the U.K. than stateside: grime rapper Giggs and soul singer Jorja Smith. South African DJ/producer Black Coffee also gets a listed feature on “Get It Together.”
But for anyone willing to break down the lyrics line for line, the shots are there, typically without the need for much reaching. As Joe Budden proved with “4PM In Calabasas” during their beef last summer, anyone that Drake puts in his sights knows it, even if the rest of the world doesn’t.
With More Life, Drizzy has likely maintained his spot at the top of the Hip Hop/R&B/Pop pile with a project that will be received better by critics than VIEWS was, and is expected to do huge numbers, even as a digital-only release.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the shots Drake sent flying at his opponents on More Life.
Meek Mill
How you let the kid fighting ghostwriting rumors turn you to a ghost?
At this point, Drake probably just disses Meek Mill out of habit. With the lyric above, from playlist opener “Free Smoke,” Drake digs up the coffin he buried his Philly rival in with “Back To Back” to drive one more nail into it. Drake has apparently retired that Grammy-nominated song, which is a reasonable explanation for why he had to put together some new jabs.
On “Can’t Have Everything” he brings up the subject again, rapping:
Niggas tried to serve me up a cheesesteak
I gave them back a clean plate
The cheesesteak reference is obviously to Philly’s favorite artery clogger, with Drake metaphorically “eating” Meek in their battle. He even loops in Meek’s label boss Rick Ross in the song, threatening to reignite the fire whenever they’re ready: “Tell your big homie I’m all for going there again/ He ain’t even die and I ball with his inheritance.”
With Rick Ross waging his own war of words with Birdman on Rather You Than Me track “Idols Become Rivals,” Drake seems to have involved his “Aston Martin Music” collaborator in the clash just after Ross played up his own role as peacemaker on RYTM‘s “Triple Platinum,” rapping that he “had a phone call with Drake so we could fix the madness.”
And the Meek disses don’t stop there.
Drizzy keeps going with more targeted insults on “Lose You.”
All you did was write the book on garbage-ass Rollies
Ego stroking, picture posting
Claiming that you’d do it for motivational purposes only, but you just had to show me
See I know because I study you closely, I know when somebody lying
Drake frames Meek as someone with more flash than class — in stark contrast to his own “world-class finesse” — and makes reference to “motivational purposes,” a phrase that Meek used previously in his IG profile description and tweets.
Tory Lanez
Drake’s beef with Tory Lanez has been simmering for a while, with the Toronto rivals trading shots both subtly and unsubtly over the years. Lanez, as a rising star and considered by most as the #2 MC out of Toronto right now, has everything to gain by holding his own in a conflict with “The 6ix God,” and Drake gives him more material to fire back at on playlist-closer “Do Not Disturb.”
If we do a song it’s like takin’ my kids to work with me
You overnight celebrity, you one day star
Swear I Told You that I’m in this bitch for eternity
I am a reflection of all of your insecurities
Behind closed doors, a lot of 6 God worshipping
Done talk now, ’cause there’s other shit that’s concernin’ me
In the More Life lyrics Drake positions Lanez as his son, making sly references to his birth name (Daystar Peterson), his latest album’s title (I Told You), and possibly one of his songs (“One Day”).
Jay Z
In “Free Smoke,” the opening track of the playlist, Drake addresses many of his recent headlines, including his probably-not-just-rumored-at-this-point fling with J-Lo, his disagreements with Meek and the ongoing cold war with Jay Z.
I didn’t listen to Hov on that old song
When he told me pay it no mind
I get more satisfaction outta going at your head and seeing all of you die
And I seen a lot of you die
The line referencing Jay Z isn’t necessarily a haymaker, but more of a meta-subliminal, where he calls back to Hov’s advice for him on their 2010 joint effort “Light Up” to avoid rivals who would try to “distract” him with “silly rap feuds.” Drake took the crown specifically by ignoring that advice, winning his rap feuds in spectacular fashion and eventually trading jabs with Jay Z as recently as last month.
The song can be seen as a warning to all future challengers (including Jay), basically telling them that if they want free smoke, they can get it — although it might end up costing them something once the battle’s over.
Pusha T, Kid Cudi & Joe Budden?
Notably, three people that he seemingly didn’t go at are Kid Cudi, Pusha T and Joe Budden.
Drake kicked off promotion for the project with three songs, among them “Two Birds, One Stone,” which made headlines for its slights against Pusha “You Made A Couple Chops And Now You think You Chapo” T and Kid “You Were The Man On The Moon, Now You Go Through Your Phases” Cudi.
But the track ended up on the cutting room floor of the final playlist, possibly because of the blowback Drake faced for kicking Cudi when he was down and probably because those fires have mostly been extinguished (until they flare up again).
[UPDATE: Oh wait, it looks like Drake did go at Kid Cudi in “Free Smoke” with: “Niggas moves so waste/ Please come outside the house and show yourself/ So I can say it to your face,” referencing Cudi’s rant on Twitter.]
Likewise Joe Budden hasn’t popped up on Twitter with any critiques or conspiracy theories about the project yet, but maybe he’s saving his thoughts for the next episode of his podcast.
For more on Drake’s More Life playlist, check out DX’s video below.
Meek and Tory I can see, but y’all reaching with the HOV shit, y’all adding on interest.lol
I know it hurts Drake and his fans he will never have the money, respect or sales of dudes like Jay-z, Snoop, Et al. They even changed the rules for this dude to boost his “sales” and he still can’t measure up. Haha
Snoop cant touch Drake lyrically, Jigga maybe but he got Ethered by Nas, Sorry I respect Drake more.
Really? If Dre day and vato weren’t indication of his abilities to send distraxks out let me tell you snoop can probably handle drake. And what does Nas’s either have to do with anything. One is nas the other drake and drizzy is nowhere close on the lyrical/writing tier of Nas.
Snoop is an absolutely terrible lyricist. He made BCT because he said his kids didn’t even respect his lyrical ability. That dude is awful. Just listen to his newest trump diss. He’s freestyled better than that before, it’s just bad.
Drake has ghost writers. So no he isn’t even in Snoops stratosphere. By the time he gets to Snoops age he will be broke from Baby getting all his money
Broke ass Nas entered nobody but himself. King HOV destroyed what little Nas had left in him and made him broke for the rest of his life.
Pretty sure Drake studio albums have easily outsold Jay Z (BP3, Magna Carter, Watch The Throne) over the time period of his debut album until now. However, Jay Z was at his most popular when the record industry was quite different and didn’t Jay Z do that Samsung deal to boost his Magna Carter “sales”?
he is dissing no one because he is a coward
Let’s face it, Drake regurally turn his haters & competitors to ghosts.
Passive aggressive millineal emo shit.
Hip hop culture is all about gossiping like 14 year old girls.
Drake really was dissing this guy named Maestro Fresh Wes because he made a song called certs without the retsyn and it was soooooo hot that everybody had to go find out what retsyn was (and also how to spell it). Drake is obviously jealous of Wes due to the fact that Wes was the first and hottest Canadian hip hop artist ever hey. Drake obviously is influenced by Wes and wants Wes to do a track with him. It’s so obvious hey.
Damn I heard about that too. Wes be killing it. Drake has a secret song where it’s all about how he loves Wes but only exclusive Drake fans get to hear it.
LMAO Maestro Fresh Wes is still alive?
Of course he’s still alive. He always seems to show up on shows on CFMT. It’s weird. I think Drake was going at the true Canadian legend Kish here.
As a total aside, I’ve never found Kanye about to rap, amazing behind the boards though.
I hate when people do all of this in-depth breakdown shit on lyrics. If he was dissing somebody, who gives a fuck except dumb mofos who take sides on this shit like they’re family members or some shit. Hell, dudes in his own crew would produce a song with people he has problems with if they could pay them, so please fans stop playing yourself and just listen to the music. Case in point, his collabos with Young Thug. I don’t think anyone has dissed his mentor Wayne harder in recent years, but it’s business. By the time you catch up with the so called beefs, these dudes have hugged and made up, about to do songs or appearances together.
Who gives a fuck whos he dissing he got bodied by joe budden ..murdered may i remind u and didnt say shit..n no one even remembers but nicki never replied to remy n got backlash forever. Fuck drake pussy ass say names like pac…if i were gonna diss ill say names fuck all yall
Facts
Its funny when 6 fraud disses people!!! He will never be the best rapper!!! He a POP star!!! Not a RAPPER!!!
Oh and I saw MEEK MILL tear down the Wells Fargo Center and it was sold out!!! I don’t think ghosts rock sold out arenas!!! He won the battler but he aint turn meek into a ghost!!!!
You went to a Meek Mill concert and are admitting that shit in public?
Jump off the bandwagon
For sure!! We flew first class took a sprinter to Philly watched MEEK shut the WELLS FARGO CENTER DOWN, the next day we went and watched my niece play a basketball game for LIU then we flew back to Tennessee first class and went back to our houses and cars we own!!! WHAT YOUR LIFE LIKE?!?!?!
Actually pretty well. I’m married with kids and living that American dream that you see in the movies pretty much with it all being a 10/10 on all fronts. Listening to Meek Mill has nothing to do with how you’re living though. That’s like anybody admitting they would have went to a Drake concert or to those people who listen to enough of Khaled’s shit to know that he’s always saying “they” in reference to somebody in particular. Different strokes I guess. I just want insight into you people and who you are. Inquiring minds want to know.
Good!! I thought you was one of those dudes who don’t have enough money in they pocket to put air in my tire but be on the internet talking greasy!! Glad to hear you aren’t one those!! This is a HIPHOP SITE!!! if YOU DONT WANT TO TALK ABOUT HIPHOP leave!!!
No one is fucking with Drizzaveli. He kills all opponents on sight and turns them to ghosts. #DrakeIsLoveDrakeIsLife #MoreLife
Drake is the arguably the best rapper of this generation. Every popular rapper/artist gets hate at the peak of their career. Just look at Jay-Z, Tupac, Biggie, Michael Jackson, Eminem… All of them got hated, now they are legends.
Wrong. Kendrick is the best rapper of this generation. He’s got better bars and better music than Aubrey. “Every popular rapper/artist gets hate at the peak of their career. Just look at Jay-Z, Tupac, Biggie, Michael Jackson, Eminem… All of them got hated, now they are legends.” What is your point? You do realize that popularity doesn’t automatically make you a legend. MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Ja Rule, Chingy, Soulja Boy, etc., were also popular and hated on and there’s not a single soul on this planet who will call any of them legends with a serious face.
Nobody in their right mind would argue drake is the best rapper of this generation. Not even close. He’s a pop artist that is a trash rapper. Can’t wait for the time to come that Kendrick ends his career.
No one’s gonna respond he just did it so more people will be interested in listening
For yall to eve wonder and ask this just makes Drake look an even bigger puss.
He can’t even let It know who he is dissing. Everything has to be subliminal.
Don’t encourage his behavior hiphopdx.com. yall better than that. I think
Rule Number 1: Dont diss when you Sound gayer than 2 Men having Sex
The headline should read “Who are Drake’s ghost writers dissing in More Life?
hahahahaha batard xD
you made my day !
Haha you killed me
Drake is an actor making teenybopper music, he isn’t an artist. Give it up HHDX, Drake ain’t hip hop. He got exposed as a fake. This site needs to be called TeenybopperDX
about time jay comes out and blow this shit out tha water no more subs just attack mode.
Jay’s not going to do that, that’s why he put meek out there like a pawn as a test. He’s having a hard enough time trying to get any buzz to put his album out, he does not allow himself to be associated with any failure and he’s wayyyyy too calculated to put himself out there like that without having a good idea of the outcome
Only few rappers could spit below the threshold of conscious perception like this.
Admit it, No ghoswriter could spit like this.
He’d be fired and have to give a refund.
Haha Oh you gat jokes? Must admit you a funny one. More Life brother!
zzzzzzzzzzz boring
Corny
some weak ass bars
So if the ghost writer writes the diss but drake records it… is is the ghost dissing or is it drake?
Its also Kanye who is “influential” even though he has 20 Songwriters and 10 Producers helping to do a Song. And he has more Writers helping out and for way longer time Ghostwriters than Drake. But everybody call Kanye a Genius and influential but call Drake whack.
Because Kanye at least makes the music. Drake literally copies word for word from a reference track. Kanye is an artist. And who gives a fuck about Kanye. Did I say anything about Kanye?
He is not making the music. if you have 10 people helping you producing a Beat, how much do think is from him?? No, you didnt say anything about kanye I did. To show the double standards people have, hating on Drake but saying Kanye is a musical genius. Kanye is more of a fraud than Drake is in Music and specially in Fashion but everybody is okay with that
“Said am top 5 but am top 2 and am not 2” Says it all really.
Drake is the god of this rap game. In 2017 evry other rapper is nothing compared to drake. Drake makes rap music relevent in 2017 with out drake rap music would be dead.
Because of Drake, Rap music is dead.
Can feel the tension from haters in this comment section haha
fuck fake drake, bitch made coward still sneak dissing people..everyone knows who your talking about, be a fucking man and say their name if you got a problem with someone, don’t hide like a bitch behind subliminal disses. 70% OF FAKE DRAKE’S FANS WEAR HIGH HEELS..THE OTHER 30% ARE QUEER THAT WEAR SANDALS #DRAKEISFAKEDRAKEISWACK
Dont let that fool you from the fact Drake writes all his shit and writes for others too.Quentin was sent to tarnish or end him but truth always conquer lie so it made him bigger.Drake forever the all conquering underdog.
“Winning is problematic, people like you more when you are working towards something, not when you have it”
Free Schmoke, Free Schmoke, ayy!
Sooo because he’s the number one artist right now he shouldn’t have to call out who he’s dissing? That sounds super weak.. all that subliminal, sneak dissing shit is garbage. Your number one, all the more reason to say what you want to who you want. Stop giving these top chart rappers the pass on this weak shit.
Not subliminal if everyone knows who he’s talking about
Drake wack
i think he is dissing your wack ass website
who gives a pass to any of them? kanye is a bigger fraud than drake. and I have never heard anybody give credit to dre or eazy for being a great rapper nevermind the best. Dre is one of the greatest producers ever and a hip-hop pioneer. and drake is the milli vanilli of hip-hop. and saying jay did something his whole career that drake now copies isnt helping the argument it just proves how unoriginal and uncreative he is. Drake is not a person hes an idea put together by the music industry. as soon as they decide they are done with him his career is over because he has absolutely no talent.
He’s not a rapper he’s an actor
drake dissed kid cudi on free smoke
How has no one thought of Kendrick? They’ve been going back and fourth for years
If you read Drakes bars, they are personal shots at best… how is it trash when they relate to the actual artist? LOL.. your still bumping Drake when your with your girl homie