Drake Reignites Feud with DeMar DeRozan, Threatens to Pull Down Raptors Jersey: DeRozan Responds with a Swift ‘Good Luck’.
The longstanding beef between rapper Drake and NBA star DeMar DeRozan heated up again this weekend as Drake publicly took aim at his former friend, vowing to remove DeRozan’s jersey if it’s ever retired by the Toronto Raptors. The feud traces back to Kendrick Lamar’s song “Not Like Us,” which seemed to strain the relationship between the rapper and the former Raptors player.
Drake, who has long been a public supporter of the Toronto Raptors and even held a friendship with DeRozan during his tenure on the team, now appears to have cooled his stance. The tension started after Kendrick Lamar released “Not Like Us,” a diss track that called out Drake, with DeRozan receiving a shout-out in the lyrics. Lamar, a Compton native like DeRozan, rapped, “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither,” a line that fueled speculation about DeRozan’s shifting loyalties. Since then, DeRozan has been seen aligning himself with Lamar, appearing in the rapper’s “Not Like Us” music video and making a surprise appearance on stage during Lamar’s “Pop Out” Juneteenth concert. This stage appearance also included other NBA stars who have had ties with Drake, such as LeBron James
, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
The relationship between Drake and DeRozan once seemed solid. In a past interview with Shannon Sharpe, DeRozan had described Drake as a friend “forever.” However, that friendship seems to have soured, as evidenced by Drake’s recent comments during the Toronto Raptors versus Sacramento Kings game on Saturday, November 2. The game, which celebrated Raptors veteran Vince Carter with a jersey retirement, provided Drake with a platform to take direct jabs at DeRozan. During the live broadcast, Drake threatened, “If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.” He didn’t stop there, allegedly mouthing, “Fk outta here, p*y,” as DeRozan walked by, leading to a social media frenzy as fans dissected his words and actions.
When asked for his reaction to Drake’s threat, DeRozan was unphased. The seasoned NBA player coolly responded, “He’s gonna have a long way to climb to take it down. Tell him, ‘Good luck.’” His confident retort underscored his unwillingness to engage in public drama, suggesting that he’s moved past the conflict, even if Drake hasn’t.
Meanwhile, as Drake was stirring up drama courtside, his mentor and longtime Young Money collaborator Lil Wayne was hosting his annual Lil Weezyana Fest in New Orleans. Atlanta’s own hip-hop mogul Jermaine Dupri couldn’t resist throwing shade, commenting on Drake’s absence from the New Orleans event. “Could not have been me,” Dupri reportedly said, alluding to the fact that he would have chosen to support a close friend’s concert over attending a basketball game.
This rekindling of the Drake-DeRozan feud highlights a dynamic that’s familiar in the world of celebrity: once-close relationships becoming strained under the weight of public scrutiny, affiliations, and subtle (or not-so-subtle) disses. As one of Toronto’s most visible public figures, Drake’s words carry significant weight, and his comment about DeRozan’s legacy was certainly no accident. In contrast, DeRozan seems content to let his on-court career do the talking.
The full impact of this latest exchange remains to be seen. With Drake showing no signs of backing down and DeRozan standing firm, it seems that their friendship might be permanently in the past. Whether this will affect DeRozan’s legacy with the Raptors or simply fuel more headlines, one thing is certain: fans will be watching to see if either man makes the next move.
DeMar DeRozan responds to Drake 👀
“He’s going to have a long way to climb… tell him goodluck” https://t.co/fGsGAkHCnW pic.twitter.com/IO5ofV551W
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) November 3, 2024
Shivam Kumar
Hi, I’m Shivam Kumar. I’m pursuing Journalism honors from the IP University. I love the skill of writing and looking forward to learn more of it. Also I love traveling and experiencing new things every day….
