DJ Khaled Seemingly Proves Drake’s Point After “ICEMAN” Diss

BY Aron A.
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Jul 25, 2023; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Recording artist DJ Khaled attends the game between the Atlanta United and the Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images/USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
"And your people are still waitin' for a free Palestine/But apparently everything isn't black and white and red and green, damn," Drake raps on "Make Them Pay."

Drake’s back with his latest album, ICEMAN, and no one is getting spared. Not even DJ Khaled, who frankly wasn’t much of a significant figure in hip-hop’s royal rumble in 2024 until he tried to roll out his album. His attempts to seem impartial failed. Then, he tried to announce that he had two Drake songs on his next album, and clearly, Drake wasn’t really interested in working with anyone who wasn’t coming to his defense.

Ultimately, it’s turned into a f*ck everyone campaign, and Khaled, specifically, caught one of the most personal disses on the album. On “Make Them Pay,” Drake fires shots directly at Khaled, claiming that his people are still waiting for him to do the bare minimum: say Free Palestine.

And, Khaled, you know what I mean/ The beef was fully live, you went halal and got on your deen/And your people are still waitin' for a free Palestine/But apparently everything isn't black and white and red and green, damn,” Drake raps.

DJ Khaled’s Apparent Response To Drake

Despite being completely f*cking silent on any issues related to Palestine throughout the past few years, Khaled shared a post that one might interpret as a response to Drake. He shared a video of himself riding a horse with his family in Jamaica, along with a specific quote from Sizzla’s “Dem Ah Wonder.”

LET GOD RISE AND ALL HIS ENEMIES SCATTER .
No man nuh badda than JAH and a wi a run JAH crew
Unoo come in a unoo thousands and two
They stand against you and hating me
Dem just caant go through dem heart nuh clean nor free
I remind dem so much of who they are supposed to be
I am of royalty dem lost dem identity
.”

In the song, Sizzla is basically saying that some people resent him because he reminds them of the dignity, identity, and higher standards they’ve abandoned. So if this does work as some sort of response to Drake, it doesn’t necessarily make sense considering Khaled has been mum as it relates to oppression, genocide, and the occupation of Palestinian land. And if Khaled truly believes that he “remind dem so much of who they are supposed to be,” then maybe he’s suggesting that Drake, too, shouldn't speak out against what's happening in Palestine. 

What do you think? Is DJ Khaled trying to slyly respond to Drake? Let us know in the comment section below.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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