To attend the Grammys or to not attend the Grammys? Looks like that wasn’t even a question for Drake, because the rapper chose to once again, not attend the Grammys. Find out why below!
Drake, who is a 5-time Grammy award singer, was not at the 2025 Grammys, and he was also not nominated for any categories this year. Drake, who has had 55 nominations, has been boycotting the award show for several years now. In 2019, while accepting his Grammy for Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan,” he shared during his acceptance speech that: “[Artists] play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport.” He added: “The point is, you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown. Look, if there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and snow, spending money to buy tickets to your shows, you don’t need this right here. You already won,” according to the Grammys’ official website.
2019 was the last time that Drake went to the Awards ceremony. In 2022, despite his nominations, he asked the recording academy to remove him. In 2023, he was once again nominated four 4 Grammys, however he didn’t attend the show. In 2024, Drake was nominated for 4 Grammys, but once again didn’t go to the Grammys, per TODAY.
NEVER FORGET 💯 Drake disowned the Grammys way back when he realized it was a sham and it was about politics & shady business and not true artistry. pic.twitter.com/eXRNV2KXGe
— JAY🦉 (@YouOnlyLive2x) February 2, 2025
Kendrick Lamar was nominated in 7 categories, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. He won in 5 categories, which were all specifically for his song “Not Like Us,” which is his diss track about Drake. While wearing a Canadian tuxedo, which some are speculating may be another jab at Drake, he accepted the awards onstage.
KENDRICK LAMAR NOT LIKE US RECORD OF THE YEAR #GRAMMYS SPEECH 🚨
“Dedicate this to my city!” pic.twitter.com/idQpLeaLfE
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) February 3, 2025
Drake and Kendrick weren’t always beefing. In fact, they have collaborated together, and Drake even invited the rapper as an opener on tour with him, but somehow over the years, everything switched. In 2013, Kendrick began dissing Drake on Big Sean‘s song “Control” and then the same year, he also dissed him again during his performance on the BET Hip Hop Awards cypher. It didn’t end there, in fact it continued 10 years later, when Kendrick dissed Drake a third time on J.Cole‘s song “First Person Shooter,” and then he outed the rapper a fourth time on his feature on Metro Boomin’s “Like That” hit.
After staying quiet for years, Drake finally hit back with a diss tracks called “Push Ups,” and “Taylor Made Freestyle.” Kendrick in response dropped “Euphoria,” and “6:16 in LA.” Drake then put out “Family Matters,” and Kendrick came back with “Meet the Grahams,” and “Not Like Us,” as reported by Page Six. Drake then dropped “The Heart Pt.6.” The cat and mouse game took place over an intense few weeks and it hasn’t stopped. Fans are speculating that Kendrick will continue performing his main diss song “Not Like Us,” at the upcoming Super Bowl game, which will once again, add more fuel to the fire.
