Drake is back with yet another track littered with sneak disses towards Kendrick Lamar and an array of other stars, including DeMar DeRozan and LeBron James. The leaked track titled ‘Fighting Irish Freestyle’ quickly stirred up a firestorm on social media as fans dissected its lyrics to pick up on any subtle jabs.
Released briefly on YouTube by producer Conductor Williams before being taken down, the track finds Drake introspectively addressing betrayals and conflicts from a tumultuous 2024. Among the potential targets of his pointed bars are NBA stars LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan. Their actions supporting Lamar, may have strained their relationships with the Canadian rapper.
The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets, seemed like they loved every minute/ Just know the s**t is personal to us and wasn’t just business.
Drake rapped on the song
Drake’s lyrics point toward feelings of betrayal, with the mention of ‘brothers’ most likely referring to James and DeRozan. Both players famously attended Kendrick Lamar’s Pop Out concert in June 2024. The bond between LeBron James and Drake was strong enough for him to tattoo James’ jersey number on his arm. However, James’ presence with his recent affinity for Lamar’s music have soured their relations.
Similarly, DeMar DeRozan appeared in the chart topping music video for Lamar’s Drake diss track “Not Like Us.” Given Drake’s history with the former Toronto Raptors star, this alignment with Lamar was likely seen as a significant slight by the rapper, which he made evidently clear. As the song spread, fans couldn’t wait to dissect the song’s lyrics and disses.
Fans react to Drake’s possible jabs at LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan
LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan’s actions may seem innocuous at first glance, but they hit a nerve with Drake because of his personal investment in their friendships. Also notable is the Fighting Irish title, a nod to James’ high school mascot at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Ohio, suggesting Drake’s further attempts to direct the disses in the song towards the Lakers star. Fans quickly analyzed these themes.
“The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets” 1000% about Demar and LeBron
— 500 🏎 (@Kameron_Hay) January 3, 2025
That new Drake song is called Fighting Irish Freestyle….. so yeah them bars is about Bron pic.twitter.com/EqPTs5EfuG
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 3, 2025
“Cold shoulders I gave in the Hamptons, it come with the distance
Figured we was always gonna be close, like ovens and kitchens
I was sadly mistaken, the loyalty wasn’t a given”I was thinking Drake was talking about Jay-Z but I don’t think they’re close like that https://t.co/zZ5nhIZoNU
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 3, 2025
drake needs to stop throwing shots at guys who don’t rap
i liked the freestyle tho
he even called it fighting irish ?
dats crazy 🤣 pic.twitter.com/iLxuYm5bgM
— Coach Rome (@Rome_Beast) January 3, 2025
“Who’s got the most to lose, and who’s in that other position?”
“Signal conversations, boy I hope they got double encryption”
“I hate to see their empire crumble on judges’ convictions”
— Drake on his new Conductor Williams freestyle, ‘FIGHTING IRISH’ 👀 https://t.co/N4FaI0OXoD pic.twitter.com/ZZ2ONWiQ2w
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) January 3, 2025
I do not wanna hear Drake talking about Lebron or Demar Derozan. There was a another rapper putting belt to ass that needs to be addressed
— Anthony Moore (@AllThatandMoore) January 3, 2025
It would honestly be weirder for Drake to be cool with Bron and Derozan after they were dancing around to a song calling him a PDF.
— 🎹 (@DrSweets24) January 3, 2025
Fans online wasted no time analyzing the track, with many honing in on Drake’s wordplay to decipher the full scope of his targets. While the leaked freestyle reignited some of the tensions from the heavy-hitting feud with Kendrick Lamar, it also delved into Drake’s reflective side.
The Canadian rapper spoke about grappling with complex issues like addiction, parental issues and the complexities of loyalty and relationships in the public eye. The song’s grainy visuals, featuring Drake rapping through a small, outdated TV screen, mirror the raw, personal tone of the track. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, any of James, DeRozan or Lamar react to the song.
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