Kendrick Lamar is taking over Drake’s hometown tonight for the first time since the pair’s public rap beef and fans are already buzzing at what’s to come. 

The Compton rapper is making his first of two appearances at Rogers Centre this week for the Grand National Tour, joined by alternative R&B singer SZA. Lamar’s tour stop marks his first stadium tour in the city, achieving the feat before Drake. 

With some fans already taking the sides of each rapper, most are generally excited to see the explosive vibes that the live shows on Thursday and Friday are about to bring to the city. Some Drake fans are even planning an “OVO Takeover” on Thursday and Friday to blast the rapper’s songs outside of the Rogers Centre in a peaceful act of support for the rapper. 

WHAT CAUSED THE RAP BEEF BETWEEN DRAKE AND KENDRICK LAMAR?

While there are speculated back-and-forth subliminal messages between the duo since 2013, the industry friends-turned-foes’ official feud dates back to 2024, following the release of “Like That,” a collaboration between Lamar, fellow rapper Future and record producer Metro Boomin. 

Joining forces with Future and Metro Boomin who aren’t fond of the Canadian rapper, Lamar dropped the damning line, “Mother*** the big three, n**, it’s just big me,” a direct response to Drake’s 2023 hit “First Person Shooter,” where feature artist J. Cole put all three rappers up on a pedestal as the best in the game. 

Shockwaves rippled through the industry, prompting a months-long series between all three rappers. Shortly after the direct hit, J. Cole released diss track “7 Minute Drill,” a sort of “warning shot” to Lamar as the rapper described before quickly rescinding and apologizing for it. But Drake refused to back down, prodding Lamar with songs “Push Ups” and soon after “Taylor Made Freestyle,” a song which would get taken down due to the unauthorized AI-generated vocals imitating West Coast rappers Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur. 

From there, the pair ensued a tenacious back-and-forth of lashing songs. Lamar’s threatening “Euphoria” and “6:16 in L.A.” would soon meet the wild allegations in Drake’s “Family Matters,” where the latter accused Lamar of domestic abuse and infidelity in his relationship with his fiancée Whitney Alford, as well as fathering a child who is biologically from his friend and label co-founder Dave Free. 

Lamar’s jaw-dropping “Meet the Grahams” came only a mere 20 minutes later, addressing members of Drake’s family, accusing him of hiding a rumoured daughter, alleging that the Canadian rapper is attracted to underage girls and that he is the head of a sex trafficking ring run out of his Toronto mansion. 

The next day, Lamar dropped “Not Like Us,” a West Coast hyphy-inspired hit with an aerial shot of Drake’s Bridle Path home as the cover art with 13 red markers above its roof, symbolizing the presence of alleged registered sex offenders as a part of his team. In the track, Lamar addressed him directly with “Say Drake, I hear you like ’em young,” and a few lines later, followed up with the renowned lyric “tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor.” 

WHAT HAPPENED FOLLOWING THE BEEF?

In the following days, two separate individuals were taken into custody by the Toronto Police for attempting to break into Drake’s residence. Additionally, a security guard on the property was shot in an apparent drive-by shooting. Months later, the beef culminated with Drake filing a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, claiming the label prioritized profit over his safety by heavily promoting “Not Like Us,” which he says included false allegations against him and incited violence. 

COULD DRAKE CRASH THE GRAND NATIONAL TOUR?

Prior to the beef, Lamar and Drake have taken on multiple collaborations together over the years such as their most notable project, the Janet Jackson sampled “Poetic Justice.” Even most recently, SZA and Drake, who had briefly dated around 2009, released “Rich Baby Daddy” in 2023. Interestingly, both songs will appear on the Grand National Tour setlist. 

But those hoping tonight will lead to a highly-anticipated reconciliation might be out of luck. Drake is set to appear on a livestream with Kai Cenat at the same time of the concert, where the pair will host a giveaway as part of their “Somebody Loves Me” music video challenge.

However, as the tour wraps in Toronto on Friday, who’s to say what the show could bring. 

Both shows at the Rogers Centre kick off at 7 p.m., and tickets, which have significantly dropped in price since the presale, are still available for purchase.