The ongoing feud between Drake and Joe Budden has seen the Canadian-born rapper frequently mock the rapper-turned-podcast-host on several occasions. Following a post on February 11, Budden was also referenced in a derogatory manner on his new track, “Gimme a Hug”, as part of the collaborative effort “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” with PARTYNEXTDOOR, which was released on Valentine’s Day, February 14.

The song’s lyrics expressed admiration for Melyssa Ford, a prominent figure in Hip Hop music videos, before directing a critical comment towards her co-host on the “Joe Budden Podcast”. Budden appeared to dismiss the issue, shifting the focus to two possible targets, while also highlighting his praise for Ford.

This “Art of War” strategy seems to involve dividing people in order to gain control. Drake’s strategy involves using a female opponent as a pawn in his ongoing feud with male rappers. During his dispute with Pusha T, Kendrick Lamar, ASAP Rocky, and the artist previously known as Kanye West, he employed the same route he had previously taken.

Based on his past performance, he has struggled against his rivals. Drake’s personal relationship insecurities are now manifesting in his songwriting. On his song “Gimme A Hug”, he expressed, “The only reason I don’t have a girlfriend and I’m not getting married is because I’m really here, filling up the itinerary until I’m six feet under in a cemetery.” This was seemingly a reaction to the public criticism that Drake disrespects relationships due to his lack of a romantic partnership.

The discussion of Drake’s family connections, specifically those with his own mother and his child’s mother, has been extensively addressed by Pusha T and Lamar on tracks such as “6:16 in LA,” “Meet The Grahams,” and “The Story of Adidon.” He and Ford have a past relationship, and he is also dealing with backlash from his other ex-girlfriend, Serena Williams, who recently appeared on Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX performance, when his song “Not Like Us” was being played.

View the performance that follows.