Drake vs Pusha T (2017-2018, Story of Adidon era)

Summary

The Drake vs Pusha T feud of May 2018 is one of the most consequential rap beefs of the streaming era and a defining case study in how a single track can end an exchange. Tensions between Drake and Pusha T (and his former group Clipse) had been building since 2011-2012 via subliminals; Drake and Lil Wayne's 'I'm On One' and Pusha's 'Don't Fuck With Me' had traded shots that never escalated to a full feud. The modern phase escalated when Pusha T released 'Infrared' on Daytona (May 25, 2018, executive produced by Kanye West), calling out Drake's ghostwriting accusations from the Meek Mill era. Drake responded with 'Duppy Freestyle' the same week, targeting both Pusha T and Kanye West. Pusha T replied four days later with 'The Story of Adidon,' released on SoundCloud on May 29, 2018. The track used a 2007 photograph of Drake in blackface as its cover art — pulled from a photography project documenting stereotypes — and revealed in its lyrics the existence of Drake's son Adonis Graham, born February 2017. Per New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Complex coverage, the personal disclosure ended the exchange in Pusha T's favor. Drake declined to release a follow-up that was reportedly written and leaked to mentors including J. Prince, who advised against escalation. He confirmed Adonis in lyrics on Scorpion (June 29, 2018) one month later. The beef has not had a formal public reconciliation, but no further diss tracks followed in 2018-2024. In Kendrick Lamar's diss exchange with Drake in May 2024, both artists referenced 'The Story of Adidon' as a precedent for what counts as fair game in a rap feud — with Drake repeatedly citing it as evidence that family-related attacks had become normalized.