Drake Appears To Continue His Rap Beef With Kendrick Lamar With "Gimme a Hug"

Apparently, despite Kendrick Lamar fans claiming that he officially "won" the beef between himself and Drake after his Super Bowl halftime show, it's not over. At least, it doesn't seem to be, if you look at the potential meaning of "Gimme a Hug" by Drake. The rapper released the song after Kendrick's multiple Grammy wins and iconic Super Bowl halftime show.

But is Drake's "Gimme a Hug" in response to Kendrick, or is it meant to move away from their squabble altogether? Fans are here for more drama between the rappers, especially if it means they could get a rebuttal from Kendrick. But what has Drake said, if anything, about the meaning of his song, and does "Gimme a Hug" have anything to do with Kendrick?

Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR released the song "Gimme a Hug" upon putting out the collaborative album Some Sexy Songs 4 U. The song is, presumably, another chapter in Drake and Kendrick's beef. He doesn't mention Kendrick by name, but he does start off the song by mentioning "fake intimidation" and he talks about people waiting on his obituary.

There's also a line in "Gimme a Hug" where Drake says, "F--k a rap beef, I'm tryna get the party lit / Tryna get the party lit for the b---hes." Again, he doesn't specifically mention Kendrick, but it's clear that the song is partially in response to their ongoing beef that they have shared through different songs directed at one another.

Some Drake Stans are here for his song, even if the entire thing isn't a slap in the face for Kendrick, but also references other rappers.

"GIMME A HUG," one fan shared on X (formerly Twitter) with a fire emoji. "Y'all never making me hate Drake I'm sorry."

Another user posted, "Gimme a hug is crazy Drake I can't lie."

But there are some who are less than impressed with Drake's single. One user shared in a tweet, "Everybody freaking out over gimme a hug when that s--t was mid."

Drake also mentions his fans and the loyalty they have shown him. And in that regard, "Gimme a Hug" could also be about that. It's a pretty introspective song that touches on a lot of things going on in his personal and professional life amid his and Kendrick's public beef and smack talking.

It's hard to say exactly when Drake and Kendrick's beef began, but it was likely back in the early 2010's, when they began taking subtle and then not-so-subtle jabs at each other through their songs. As two rappers who were quickly rising at the time, they may have seen each other as rivals in the rap game.

After Kendrick won multiple awards at the 2025 Grammys and then performed at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, some fans assumed the beef was over and that Kendrick had, for all intents and purposes, won. But with a reference to Kendrick in "Gimme a Hug," fans were left waiting for Kendrick's response in one of his own songs.