A$AP Rocky is sharing his thoughts on one of the most heated rap battles of recent years. In his cover story for ELLE on September 23rd, the Harlem star addressed his role during the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar and explained why he decided to pull back after taking a few shots of his own.
Rocky acknowledged that competition has always been part of the culture. “It was healthy for hip-hop,” he said, noting that he came to realize the focus should remain on the two central figures. “The battle was between Kendrick and Drake, not Drake and everybody else who might have said something at that time, and that’s mainly why I fell back.”
Before stepping aside, Rocky dropped a few sharp words aimed at Drake on “Show of Hands,” a track from Metro Boomin and Future’s 2024 release WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU. Drake later mentioned Rocky in his multi-part diss record “Family Matters,” though most of the firepower was directed at Lamar.
The part of the saga Rocky takes issue with is how it moved beyond music. Drake launched a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group in early 2025, accusing the company of allowing “Not Like Us” to spread damaging claims. “I just hate the way it’s turning out with [Drake] suing and all that,” Rocky remarked. “What part of the game is that? What type of s—t is that? That’s none of my business, I guess.”
Drake’s court filing alleged UMG “chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.” UMG rejected the accusation in a statement to Billboard, saying, “We have not and do not engage in defamation — against any individual.” More recently, Drake’s lawyers accused the label of holding back evidence, pointing to potential emails from CEO Lucian Grainge regarding Lamar and “Not Like Us.”