Drake Reportedly Drops Longtime Agent That Also Represents Kendrick Lamar

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares 4.6K Views
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Drake Drops Agent Also Represents Kendrick Lamar Hip Hop News
Dec 5, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Recording artist Drake (gold jacket) sits courtside during a game between the Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Drake worked with Brent Smith at Wasserman Music for over ten years, and Kendrick Lamar's role in this split is a subject of speculation.

It seems like the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud from last year may be more consequential than fans thought. Of course, it had a massive impact on the culture, but what about the business? According to Billboard, Drizzy's recent reported split from his longtime booking agent has folks putting their tinfoil hats on.

The publication reported that he parted ways with Brent Smith at Wasserman Music under a low profile in order to avoid a lot of media attention. Smith repped the Toronto superstar for over a decade, starting at WME and continuing after he joined Wasserman in 2020. He's now their executive vice president and managing executive.

What's more is that Brent Smith also reportedly represents Drake's rival, Kendrick Lamar. According to Billboard, a source told them that the 6ix God and Smith haven't worked together for most of 2025, if not all of it. In fact, the source reportedly alleged that this breakdown was partly due to the two rap titans' beef.

Now, according to HITS Daily Double, The Boy partnered with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for his live representation. Per insiders who reportedly spoke to the publication, CAA's Alex Mebed and Daryl Eaton will manage his bookings. HDD also pointed to insiders' allegations that K.Dot was fine with sharing a booking agent with his enemy.

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Jan 14, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Canadian rapper Drake attends the game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

Meanwhile, with rumors of a massive 2026 tour with Aubrey Graham's Live Nation partners, we will see if this move has immediate repercussions. Also, Drake's new album ICEMAN will presumably come out soon, so fans are excited to see the live rollout.

Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar recently broke a touring record. He and SZA now lay claim to the highest-grossing hip-hop tour of all time. The "Grand National" trek has a few more shows left, so this number will be even higher. So far, it reportedly brought in over $332 million.

Will there be any other extracurricular developments related to this legendary but nonetheless tiring feud? Obviously. Will it come back up in the music? We'll see what ICEMAN holds. But either way, it's been way more complicated than just disses and hits.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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