The 2024 calendar isn’t even two full weeks in and already, we’ve got rap beef cooking on the horizon — maybe.
Fans pressing play on Kid Cudi’s new album Insano are pretty convinced that there is, as line from guest rapper ASAP Rocky on “WOW” sounds like it could be referring to Drake. As true rap beef lore heads may remember, Drake has feuded with both fellow blog-era rappers as often as he’s collaborated with them, so there could be a little bit of merit to the speculation.
In his verse on the song, Rocky raps, “These n***as can’t stomach me, gotta go get a mandrake.” Fans have interpreted this as a clever way to sneak Drake’s name into the line, which references a natural remedy for stomach problems. It could also be reference to Drake’s 2023 admission that he’s taking time off to deal with a stomach issue. You can hear the song for yourself above.
i love ASAP ROCKY for this,like literally bro. this double entendre is way crazy.
getting a mandrake that would protect the stomach,but again getting a man Drake who’s been dissing him and Riri.
Asap here killed it and this is why I love lyrical geniuses,they entertain me pic.twitter.com/BDAu12AQVp— nerd (@trynnagerrit) January 12, 2024
Drake dropping Rocky’s name since 2018.
His fans:
Asap Rocky mentions “mandrake “
Drake fans: He’s so desperate
Only one of those 2 men is bothered by the other, and it’s not Rocky.— HUN43RD (@Asapsandman) January 12, 2024
This asap rocky diss to Drake might be the worst bar of all time
— Oluwamucho (@MuchoTV2) January 12, 2024
So did anyone confirm the asap Rocky diss toward Drake on that Kid Cudi, or y’all not on that Insano yet?
— A-Son (@ap3_trillog) January 12, 2024
ASAP Rocky appears to diss Drake on his feature verse on Kid Cudi’s new album.
“These n**gas can’t stomach me, gotta go get a man Drake” pic.twitter.com/QalfXw6ASX
—
MoodBoi Luwie
(@KiddLuwie) January 12, 2024
Rocky citing himself as the source of Drake’s tummy troubles might be a nod to their shared dating history; Drake dated Rocky’s current partner Rihanna in 2016, however, she moved on pretty quickly. And while Drake insists he’s over it — most recently, on his For All The Dogs song “Fear Of Heights” — the fact that he keeps talking about it undercuts his argument pretty thoroughly.
(Drake also notably had a back and forth with Cudi after the Cleveland rapper appeared to shade him on Twitter in 2015. Drake later dissed him on “Two Birds, One Stone,” then collaborated with him on Certified Lover Boy. Basically, rap is wrestling, all this is kayfabe, and it’s hilarious that people keep taking these artists seriously.)
In any event, there’s probably a certain amount of good-natured gamesmanship going on here; and we’ll probably see Drake and ASAP on each other’s music at some point in the future. In the meantime, it’s fun to speculate (for some people) about when and how Drake will respond.