Drake References Kendrick Lamar During Surprise Concert Appearance

BYElias Andrews5.1K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
2017 Billboard Music Awards - Backstage and Audience
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 21: Recording artists Nicki Minaj and Drake attend the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by John Shearer/BBMA2017/Getty Images for dcp)
Drizzy and Nicki reunite amidst the chaos.

Drake was the most talked-about man on the internet on April 30. Kendrick Lamar made sure of it. The Compton rapper dropped the monstrous diss record "Euphoria," which left no stone unturned in terms of Drake's flaws. Fans were wowed, but Drizzy isn't letting the hype get to him. At least, not on the surface. The "Jimmy Cooks" rapper decided to surprise fans during the Toronto leg of Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday 2 Tour. The pair had fun onstage before Drake teased the next chapter in the Kendrick Lamar battle.

Drake's appearance was likely, given the the show was in his city, but it was not guaranteed. Minaj has had plenty of tour dates in which the 6 God hasn't appeared due to scheduling conflicts. Minaj brought him out, though, and made sure to give the man his flowers. "Make some noise for the king, Toronto," she said. "Make some noise for this icon, this legend." The duo sang their latest collaboration, "Needle," for the very first time. Drake was then given solo time onstage to perform one of his current hits, "Rich Baby Daddy."

Drake Alluded To K. Dot As He Left The Stage

Drizzy reciprocated the love that Minaj and the Barbz showed him. "Toronto make some noise for the greatest female rapper of all time," he announced. "Nicki, I love you." The love fest came to an end as Drake left the stage, however. The rapper walked off while assuring fans that he has some business to take care of with Lamar. "You know what time it is," he assured the fans. "You know what I gotta do."

Both Drake and Minaj are currently involved in rap battles. Drake has taken on Kendrick Lamar, while Minaj has been swapping disses with Megan Thee Stallion. The battles have played out in strangely similar ways. Lamar's "Like That" and Megan's "Hiss" both topped the Billboard Hot 100, with many citing them as the favorites to win their respective battles. Drake and Minaj have dropped disses in response, but neither release managed to chart as high as their competitors (yet, at least).

Still, fans can take solace in the fact that the Young Money icons are on good terms.

About The Author
Elias Andrews is a music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as the lead night shift contributor, which means he covers new music releases on a weekly basis. In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest and most turbulent stories in the world of music. He covered the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and the release of the disses “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams,” in particular, in real time. He has also detailed the ongoing list of allegations and criminal charges made against Diddy. Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
...