Glasses Malone says he and Drake do not have personal beef, despite years of public criticism that led fans to believe the two rappers had an ongoing feud. During a recent appearance on The Baller Alert Show, host Ferrari Simmons asked Malone directly whether there was tension between him and the Toronto superstar.
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“He know me. I’ve been the same person,” Malone explained, dismissing the idea that his opinions about Drake came from a personal disagreement.Instead, Malone pointed to Drake’s highly publicized 2024 rap battle with Kendrick Lamar, someone he has supported for years.
“It was a debate…my young homie, you know what I mean, won the battle,” he said.
The Drake beef speculation has followed Malone throughout the Kendrick controversy, but their relationship actually goes back much further than the diss records.
Both artists were associated with Cash Money Records during the earlier stages of their careers. In a 2011 interview with MTV, Malone praised Drake’s musical abilities and acknowledged that he admired his singing. At the time, he even discussed the possibility of collaborating with him.
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However, Malone’s public criticism of Drake eventually became a recurring topic in hip-hop conversations.
In November 2023, before Kendrick and Drake’s battle exploded, Malone appeared on the “Holdin’ Court” podcast and questioned whether Drake represented hip-hop culture. He compared Drake’s approach to Madonna’s, arguing that the rapper incorporated different regional sounds without sharing the same upbringing as the communities that created them.
Malone’s argument focused on his belief that hip-hop is rooted in street experiences rather than simply making rap music.
The criticism intensified in May 2024 when Drake complained on social media about news helicopters flying over his Toronto mansion. Malone responded by questioning how someone could be bothered by helicopters when residents of heavily policed neighborhoods had lived with them for years.
He later clarified that while the exchange included jokes, his position on Drake’s relationship to hip-hop was serious.
By January 2025, Glasses Malone was once again defending his perspective during discussions involving Akademiks. Although he continued to question Drake’s cultural authenticity, he also acknowledged Drake’s enormous talent and influence as a recording artist.
The tension appeared to deepen when Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
Malone publicly criticized the lawsuit and, in August 2025, released the music video for “Wanted,” featuring a Drake lookalike in a courtroom parody. A federal judge dismissed Drake’s lawsuit in October 2025. Drake appealed, with arguments scheduled for December 2026.
Then came another controversial chapter in August 2026.
Malone alleged that Drake was connected to efforts to push allegations against YG in the investigation surrounding rapper Drakeo the Ruler’s 2021 killing. He also suggested Drake could be financially supporting related legal efforts.
Those accusations were never substantiated by publicly available evidence. Drakeo’s brother, Ralfy The Plug, disputed claims about Drake financially supporting the family. YG had been detained during a police search connected to the investigation but was not charged with Drakeo’s murder.
Despite these public disagreements, Malone’s latest comments suggest he does not view the situation as a personal rivalry.
“But as I said, I’ve always been proud of his accomplishments. He’s always gonna be fine. He’s one of the greatest record makers of our time,” Malone told Ferrari Simmons.
He also suggested that fans have sometimes turned the public debate into something bigger than his actual relationship with Drake.
“Obviously fans kind of feel like, you know, this gives them a space…I really don’t think it’s about him at all.”
