Summer ’16 is starting to feel a bit distant, but as we all know, when it comes to rap beef and the Internet, all it takes is one new subliminal to send it all right back to where the ongoing tension between, say, Drake and Joe Budden, last left off.
While the bad blood between the two never was quite fully resolved, the Toronto MC still appears to have some words left for the Slaughterhouse veteran.
During his new song, “Diplomatic Immunity,” which was released on at midnight on Saturday (Jan. 20), Drake goes in, with several lines in particular garnering attention from fans, including those that take a subliminal jab at Budden.
“S—t is complex like short n—s ’round tall ladies / I gotta watch who I’m talkin’ to like it’s all-ages,” he spits. “I’ve seen buddin’ careers turn to sit around and talk about other careers, judgin’ their peers / Knowledge from n—s who did not contribute to none of this here.”
With the lyrics likely aiming at Complex’s show Everyday Struggle, of which Budden was formerly a host, Drizzy definitely gets creative here, all while firing shots at Budden’s career specifically. While Budden has said several times in recent memory that he has retired from rapping, fans are taking to social media to egg on a formal response to Drake’s latest.
Elsewhere throughout the song, Drake also references his rumored romance with Jennifer Lopez (“2017 I lost a J. Lo”) as well as makes a reference to how he is not often portrayed or celebrated as a “Black artist” in the same respect that artists such as JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and Kanye West are.
“Black excellence, but I guess when it comes to me it’s not the same though, all goodie,” is the line in question, with many interpreting it as Drake explaining how he feels left out from the conversation, perhaps due to his biracial heritage.
Budden, who is currently rumored to be in talks for a partnership with Sean “Diddy” Combs and REVOLT TV, has not officially addressed the song, save for vaguely tweeting, “I feel attacked.”
Check out Drake’s new track, “Diplomatic Immunity,” below.