Yesterday (April 19), Drake officially released his new song “Push Ups,” which is his response to Kendrick Lamar’s poignant verses on his chart-topping song “Like That.” He then mocked Lamar: “Tyler makes freestyles.” The song, shared on social media, begins with lyrics that sound like 2Pac and Snoop Dogg. The third verse comes from Drake and has no obvious artificial intelligence vocal processing. Find “Taylor Made Freestyle” on X.
In the opening verse, AI 2Pac goads Kendrick Lamar into responding to Drake. “Kendrick, we need you, savior of the West Coast/to etch your name in some hip-hop history,” the voice raps. “Fuck this Canadian light skin, dot/we need an undisputed west coast win, man.”
AI Snoop Dogg continues to question Lamar’s street credentials while also encouraging him to complain with Drake: “I know you never went to jail and wore a jumpsuit and shower shoes/never opened fire on anyone Gun, never stabbed anyone/Never done any violence to anyone, it was the brothers who gave you the power/But you still gotta show the damn owl who’s boss in the west/Now it’s real It’s time to take power action.
Drake ends the song with more criticism for Lamar, while also praising Lamar’s “Bad Blood” collaborator Taylor Swift, who preceded Drake’s “Push Ups” Hours after releasing massive double album The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology: “But now we have to wait.” One week, ’cause Taylor Swift is your new top/If you’re gonna give up, she has to approve. He later added, “Yeah, tribute to Taylor Swift/The biggest gangster in the music game right now/You know, when she dropped, I moved my album.”
Drake’s evocation of 2Pac is reminiscent of the closing credits of Kendrick Lamar’s “Mortal Man” from “To Pimp a Butterfly.” In that song, Lamar used 2Pac’s archival audio to speak with the late California rapper. In addition to the album, Lamar has long expressed his admiration for 2Pac, writing to him in 2015, “The people you touched at that little intersection changed their lives forever.”
Drake’s use of AI Snoop Dogg’s voice has been met with responses from a real, live Snoop Dogg. The Long Beach artist, who also appeared on Institutional’s show “To Pimp a Butterfly,” acknowledged “Taylor-made freestyle” in a video posted on social media. “What did they do? When? How? Are you sure?” he asked. “You guys had a great night.” “
Kendrick Lamar reignites feud with Drake with a scathing verse on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” The track prompted a response from J. Cole, another target on the track, who shared his “7-minute workout.” Cole quickly distanced himself from the beef, publicly apologizing for the song and pulling it from digital streaming platforms.
