Power, Pride, and Pop Stardom: Inside Drake’s Decade-Long Feuds with The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar

Written by: Mack Welch

When Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, first emerged in Toronto’s underground music scene, he quickly became a mystery with mass appeal. His early tracks circulated without a face, and yet they generated intense industry buzz. Everyone wanted to know: Who was this elusive artist redefining R&B?

Among the many ears paying attention was Drake, Toronto’s biggest musical export at the time. Drake had a reputation for nurturing young talent, then prominently featuring their creative work. Critics often considered his approach exploitative. Industry insiders nicknamed his label “the OVO Sweatshop,” suggesting that artists under Drake’s wing often became anonymous contributors to his success rather than stars in their own right.

From the outset, Drake made overtures to sign The Weeknd. He played his music on radio shows, praised him publicly, and arranged meetings. But The Weeknd, then still a “broke boy” trying to protect his vision, declined. He didn’t want to sign under another artist. He wanted creative independence and knew that being on an artist-owned label often meant remaining in their shadow.

Instead, The Weeknd agreed to collaborate. He performed on Drake’s stage, offered songs, and shared studio time. What began as goodwill evolved into something more transactional. Drake incorporated The Weeknd’s contributions into his now-iconic Take Care album. Tracks like “Crew Love” and others bore the unmistakable fingerprints of The Weeknd’s style. In a later interview, The Weeknd would claim he gave away half his album to Drake during that period.

Despite this, The Weeknd eventually signed with Republic Records, opting for a traditional label deal. Drake, reportedly upset, tweeted that The Weeknd “owed him a favor.” That was a comment The Weeknd took personally.

That was only the beginning.

Drake’s issues with The Weeknd would resurface over the years, particularly as Tesfaye’s star began to outshine even his mentor’s. The Weeknd’s breakout album Starboy propelled him into global superstardom and cemented his place in the upper echelon of pop music. This level of success, combined with earlier tensions and creative disputes, reignited their friction.

It wasn’t just about music. Personal entanglements added fuel to the fire. When Drake was seen leaving a club with Bella Hadid, The Weeknd’s former girlfriend, the headlines wrote themselves. Drake allegedly threw her a birthday party afterward, further stoking speculation that his actions were calculated. The Weeknd, later reunited with Hadid, responded with musical jabs and subliminal lyrics. It became a pattern: public reconciliation followed by subtle shots and new waves of animosity.

Their story mirrors another of Drake’s long-standing rivalries, his on-again, off-again tension with Kendrick Lamar. Drake gave Kendrick an early platform by inviting him on tour. But as Kendrick’s lyricism and acclaim soared, Drake reportedly felt entitled to the credit. Kendrick, much like The Weeknd, refused to stay in anyone’s shadow.

Both The Weeknd and Kendrick share something Drake cannot control. They have uncompromising creative independence and massive fanbases. They didn’t just collaborate with Drake. They competed. That competition bruised Drake’s ego in ways that bled into his music, interviews, and public behavior.

Most recently, as the rap world watched diss tracks fly between Drake, Kendrick, and others, The Weeknd entered the fray. He appeared to side against Drake. It was a quiet but powerful move that reminded audiences that some beefs are more than music. They are about respect, identity, and legacy.

In the end, Drake’s relationships with both The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar have become cautionary tales of blurred boundaries between mentorship, collaboration, and rivalry. Despite public reconciliations and brief alliances, their history is filled with creative power struggles, personal slights, and competing visions of greatness.