The “Big Three” has really imploded in 2024. Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J Cole declared war on each other, and chaos has ensued. Drake and Cole’s careers have suffered, and Lamar has become the new king of the genre. Kanye West, meanwhile, looms over the “Big Three.” He’s a major influence on all three artists, and has had complicated relationships with each of them over the years. He even got on a remix to “Like That” to throw shots at Drake and Cole. This combativeness was not always the case, though. A tweet from 2020 shows that Kanye West had other plans in mind for the talented trio.
West’s 2020 post about Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J Cole has gone semi viral in the wake of Drake’s legal drama. He praised all three artists, and claimed that he wanted to get them all in the same room in the interest of doing something great for the genre. “We need J Cole Drake Kendrick all in a room 2gthr,” Kanye West wrote. “It’s time to get free… we will not argue… while somebody we don’t know in Europe is getting paid.” It’s a fascinating idea, given how fractured the relationships between all four of these men have become in the last few years.
Kanye West Wanted To “Free” Drake, Kendrick And Cole
Kanye West’s tweet is also fascinating given its business implications. The rapper has been rallying against the traditional label system for a decade. He’s suffered financial losses as a result, but he has also claimed to be “free” as a result. Conversely, he called out Drake for being a product of the label machine, and someone who did the biding of those in power. Kanye West suggesting that the biggest rappers in the world team up is so powerful because he alludes to taking back power. He wants to see the men he influenced break “free” of the system.
It’s a sentiment that Kanye West expressed far more negatively during a 2024 appearance on The Download podcast. He claimed Drake had a “rich baby daddy” at UMG named Lucian Grainge. Drake’s decision to file a lawsuit against UMG and Spotify seemingly supports West’s comments. It’s interesting to think of an alternate timeline in which West, Drake, Kendrick and Cole did get a room together around 2020. It’s impossible to say whether or not the “Big Three” battle would have been avoided, but it’s fun to ponder regardless.
About The Author
Elias Andrews is a music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as the lead night shift contributor, which means he covers new music releases on a weekly basis.
In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest and most turbulent stories in the world of music. He covered the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and the release of the disses “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams,” in particular, in real time. He has also detailed the ongoing list of allegations and criminal charges made against Diddy.
Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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