Meet the Grahams

Last updated

"Meet the Grahams"
Kendrick Lamar - Meet the Grahams.jpg
Original cover from the YouTube video. The cover art on streaming services is a plain black square.
Single by Kendrick Lamar
ReleasedMay 3, 2024 (2024-05-03)
RecordedMay 2024
Genre
Length6:32
Label
Songwriter(s) Kendrick Duckworth
Producer(s) The Alchemist
Kendrick Lamar singles chronology
"6:16 in LA"
(2024)		"Meet the Grahams"
(2024)		"Not Like Us"
(2024)
Audio video
"Meet the Grahams" on YouTube

"Meet the Grahams" (stylized in lowercase) is a diss track by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on May 3, 2024, through Interscope Records, during his ongoing feud with Canadian rapper Drake. [1] It is Lamar's response to the release of Drake's "Family Matters," a diss track mainly aimed at Lamar. [2] "Meet the Grahams" premiered under an hour after the release of "Family Matters".

Contents

"Meet the Grahams" is written in the form of a letter, with each verse addressed to members of Drake's family, including his son Adonis, his parents Sandra and Dennis Graham, his alleged daughter, and Drake himself. In the song, Lamar accuses Drake of being an absent father, signing sex offenders to his OVO Sound record label, and being a sexual predator himself. He also alleges that Drake is running a sex trafficking ring out of his Toronto mansion, saying it will soon be raided by law enforcement. Lamar further accuses Drake of lying about his family, his OVO Sound labelmates, and Lamar himself.

Background

Drake, born Aubrey Drake Graham, has an immediate family including his parents, Sandra and Dennis Graham, and Adonis, Drake's son with Sophie Brussaux. Adonis was initially kept from the public eye but was confirmed by Drake after rapper Pusha T alleged his existence on the diss track "The Story of Adidon". [3] The feud between Drake and Lamar, although long ongoing since the 2010s, rose to new heights in March 2024, with Lamar attacking Drake's persona and skill with his verse on the song "Like That". Drake followed up to Lamar's verse and other diss tracks by other artists such as Rick Ross, Future, and The Weeknd with his own diss track, "Push Ups". In response, Lamar released "Euphoria", calling Drake's heritage as a mixed-black man into question. The same week, he released another diss track, "6:16 in LA", claiming to have moles in Drake's label OVO Sound. Drake responded the same day with the track "Family Matters" in which he accused Lamar of domestic violence against longtime partner Whitney Alford. [4] Less than an hour later, Lamar released "Meet the Grahams".

Composition

Produced by the Alchemist, "Meet the Grahams", unlike Lamar's previous responses, takes on an unsettling, haunting atmosphere, with an eerie piano-driven beat, sampled from Timothy Carpenter & Triunity's "I Want To Make It", accompanying critical lyrics accusing Drake of a number of wrongdoings including parental negligence, sexual exploitation, sexual grooming, sex trafficking, and another incident of child abandonment. [5] [6]

The track's lyrics take the form of a letter with multiple verses addressed at members of Drake's family. The first verse is addressed to Drake's son Adonis, the second is addressed to Dennis and Sandra "Sandi" Graham, both of Drake's parents, the third is addressed to Drake's alleged daughter, and the last verse is addressed to Drake himself. In the song, Lamar alleges that Drake has a secret child, a daughter, accuses Drake of fathering further children aside from his alleged daughter, states that Drake has sex offenders on his record label OVO Sound, and calls him a sexual predator. Lamar also mentions that Drake is allegedly running a sex trafficking ring out of his Toronto mansion and states that his mansion known as "The Embassy" will be raided by law enforcement because of this, directly alluding to colleague Sean "Diddy" Combs' estate being raided amid his sexual abuse allegations. [7] Lamar also compares Drake's actions to those of former film producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein. [4] Lamar, in the final section of the track addressing Drake, addresses the confusion that came out of the track releasing within an hour of Drake's "Family Matters" with the lines "Dear Aubrey / I know you're probably thinkin' I wanted to crash your party / But truthfully, I don't have a hatin' bone in my body / There's supposed to be a good exhibition within the game / But you fucked up the moment you called out my family's name". [8]

Cover art

The cover art used in the original YouTube release shows an uncropped version of the photo that accompanied Lamar's previous song, "6:16 in LA". In addition to the glove, it shows a shirt, jewelry receipts, a visit card and three prescription medicines with the name "Aubrey Graham" (Drake's real name) on them, later revealed to be one for Ozempic, one for Adderall, and one for Zolpidem. [9] According to DJ Akademiks, these items were stolen from a suitcase belonging to Drake's father, Dennis Graham. [10] A week later, an unknown X (formerly Twitter) user posted a video playing the song on a Panasonic Toughbook and showing the original photo items hanging at a balcony, requiring Drake and Akademiks to retract their theft accusation. [9]

The song was released to streaming platforms the next day with the artwork being replaced with a black square, possibly due to Apple Music and Spotify guidelines prohibiting the sharing of personal information with the inclusion of the pill bottles. [11]

Credits and personnel

Charts

See also

Related Research Articles

A diss track, diss record or diss song is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the two people; for example, the artists involved may be former members of a group, or artists on rival labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake (musician)</span> Canadian rapper (born 1986)

Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. An influential figure in popular music, he has been credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip-hop artists. Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008), Drake began his recording career in 2006 with the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement (2006). He followed up with the mixtapes Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009) before signing with Young Money Entertainment.

"Control" is a song by American rapper Big Sean, featuring American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. It entered US mainstream urban radio on August 14, 2013, via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single originally meant for Big Sean's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013), but was ultimately cut from that album due to sample clearance issues.

"The Language" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his third studio album Nothing Was the Same (2013). "The Language" was produced by frequent collaborator Boi-1da, along with additional production by Allen Ritter and Vinylz. It also features an outro from Cash Money Records founder Birdman. The song was serviced to mainstream urban radio on October 29, 2013, as the fourth single from the album in the US and has peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back to Back (Drake song)</span> 2015 single by Drake

"Back to Back" is a diss track by Canadian rapper Drake directed at American rapper Meek Mill during their 2015 feud. Released on July 29, 2015, it was the second diss track released by Drake in the feud, following "Charged Up". The song was described as a "bouncier freestyle" than the latter track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Heart Part 4</span> 2017 promotional single by Kendrick Lamar

"The Heart Part 4" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 23, 2017, by Top Dawg Entertainment. The track features uncredited vocals from American singer Khalid. The song contains samples from "Don't Tell a Lie about Me and I Won't Tell the Truth on You" by James Brown and "I Love You" by Faith Evans. The song did not make the final cut on his fourth album DAMN. (2017).

"Element" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The fourth track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, Sounwave, James Blake, and Ricci Riera and produced by Sounwave, Blake, and Riera, with additional production by Tae Beast and Bēkon. The song charted in multiple countries in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Story of Adidon</span> 2018 diss track by Pusha T

"The Story of Adidon" is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Pusha T. It was released on May 29, 2018 on SoundCloud, amidst his feud with Canadian rapper Drake. The track is a response to Drake's "Duppy Freestyle".

"First Person Shooter" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake featuring American rapper J. Cole. It was released through OVO Sound and Republic Records on Drake's eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. Drake and Cole wrote the song with producers Boi-1da, Vinylz, Tay Keith, FnZ, Oz, and Coleman, alongside Snorre Tidemand. It is notable for reigniting Drake's decade-long feud with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Like That (Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar song)</span> 2024 single by Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar

"Like That" is a song by the American rapper Future and record producer Metro Boomin with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was sent to US rhythmic radio through Freebandz, Boominati Worldwide, Epic Records, and Republic as the third and final single from Future and Metro's collaborative studio album, We Don't Trust You, on March 26, 2024.

"7 Minute Drill" was a diss track written and recorded by the American rapper J. Cole for his fourth mixtape, Might Delete Later (2024). It was his response to fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar's diss verse on his single "Like That". Produced by T-Minus, Conductor Williams, Al Hug and Elyas, the track was titled after and taken from one of Cole's seven-minute songwriting drills with the former producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Push Ups (song)</span> 2024 song by Drake

"Push Ups" is a diss track written and recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on April 19, 2024, through OVO Sound and Republic Records. The track serves as a response to several songs from Metro Boomin and Future's collaborative albums We Don't Trust You and We Still Don't Trust You. "Push Ups" targets Metro Boomin, Future, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, the Weeknd, and Ja Morant.

"Taylor Made Freestyle" is a diss track by the Canadian rapper Drake in response to Kendrick Lamar, released on April 19, 2024. It follows "Push Ups", another diss directed towards Lamar. The song features AI-generated vocals of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg; the use of Shakur's likeness in the song prompted a response from his estate that urged Drake to take down the song over personality rights reasons. Following the response from Shakur's estate, Drake took down the song from all platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud</span> Ongoing hip-hop feud

The Canadian rapper Drake and the American rapper Kendrick Lamar have been involved in a rap feud since at least 2024—after the release of "Like That" by Future, Metro Boomin, and Lamar on March 22, 2024—and potentially since the early 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euphoria (Kendrick Lamar song)</span> 2024 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Euphoria" is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, in response to Canadian rapper Drake's single "Push Ups" and his independently released song "Taylor Made Freestyle". It was unexpectedly released on April 30, 2024, through Interscope Records, initially as a YouTube exclusive before being released to streaming platforms hours later. "Euphoria" takes its name from the American teen drama series of the same name, of which Drake serves as an executive producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6:16 in LA</span> 2024 song by Kendrick Lamar

"6:16 in LA" is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. As part of the Kendrick-Drake feud, it is the second response track to Canadian rapper Drake's single "Push Ups" and his independently released song "Taylor Made Freestyle". Like "Taylor Made Freestyle", the song was made exclusively available on Instagram, on May 3, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Matters (song)</span> 2024 diss track by Drake

"Family Matters" is a diss track written and recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on May 3, 2024 through OVO Sound and Republic Records, amid his feud with Kendrick Lamar alongside an accompanying music video. It is Drake's third installment in his series of diss tracks directed at Lamar. The track is a response to several songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Like Us</span> 2024 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Not Like Us" is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on May 4, 2024, through Interscope Records, amidst his feud with Canadian rapper Drake. It is Lamar's fifth installment in his series of diss tracks directed at Drake; it premiered less than 20 hours after his previous single, "Meet the Grahams".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Rosary</span> 2024 single by ASAP Rocky featuring J. Cole

"Ruby Rosary" is a song by American rapper ASAP Rocky featuring American rapper J. Cole. Produced by The Alchemist, it was released on September 6, 2024 as the third single from the former's upcoming fourth studio album Don't Be Dumb.

"Heart Pt. 6" is a song recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was surprise-released under PGLang and Interscope Records as the tenth track from his sixth studio album, GNX, on November 22, 2024. It serves as the sixth installment in "The Heart" song series, and the first to not be a promotional single released prior to a project. The song was produced by Lojo and Jack Antonoff, with additional production by M-Tech and Juju. The song features uncredited vocals from R&B trio SWV, sampled from their track "Use Your Heart", written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, as the Neptunes. The track also features additional background vocals from American singer Sam Dew.

References

  1. ↑ Horowitz, Steven J. (May 4, 2024). "Drake and Kendrick Lamar Get Personal on Simultaneously Released Diss Tracks 'Family Matters' and 'Meet the Grahams'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  2. ↑ Savage, Mark (May 4, 2024). "Drake and Kendrick Lamar get personal on simultaneously released diss tracks". BBC News . Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  3. ↑ Baxter-Wright, Dusty (June 29, 2018). "Drake confirms he has a son on new album, Scorpion". Cosmopolitan .
  4. 1 2 "Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: the juiciest moments in their beef". CBC Music . May 4, 2024. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  5. ↑ Cline, Georgette (May 4, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Annihilates Drake With 'Meet the Grahams' Diss Letter to Adonis, Drake's Mom, Dad and Alleged Secret Daughter". XXL Mag. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  6. ↑ Saponara, Michael (May 4, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Quickly Replies to Drake With Blistering 'Meet the Grahams' Diss Track: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  7. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (May 4, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar and Drake Trade Diss Tracks as Rap War Rages On". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ Lyrics for "Meet the Grahams" via Genius
  9. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Trent (May 11, 2024). "Mysterious Video of Kendrick Lamar's 'Meet the Grahams' Cover Art Surfaces, Perplexes Fans". XXL Mag. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  10. ↑ Rose, Jordan. "Breaking Down Everything Kendrick Said About Drake on "Meet the Grahams"". Complex. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ Blake, Cole (May 6, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Changes "Meet The Grahams" Cover Art For Streaming Release, Fans Debate Why". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Meet the Grahams". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  13. ↑ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  17. ↑ "2024 19-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  18. ↑ "The Official Mena Chart - This Week's Official MENA Chart Top 20 from 03/05/2024 to 09/05/2024". theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Meet the Grahams". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Meet the Grahams". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (South Africa Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Meet the Grahams". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – Meet the Grahams". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2024". Billboard . Retrieved December 15, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.