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Rapper T.I. Announces Retirement from Music

Author O'Brien Notes
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 27: T.I. speaks onstage during the 2024 Black Effect Podcast Festival at Pullman Yards on April 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network )

SAY IT ISN’T SO! Veteran rapper T.I (born Clifford J. Harris Jr.) recently announced on a radio station, 96.1 The Beat, in his hometown of Atlanta, GA that he is retiring from the stage. On the “Rari At 2” radio show, he confirmed that his final performance will be December 19, at the State Farm Arena.

T.I. Officially Retiring From Music

The news is bittersweet for a whole generation that grew up in his catalog. The self-proclaimed “King Of The South” is credited for the sound of “Trap Music”. A career that has expanded over two decades with the release of 11 hit albums, earning three Grammy Awards, over a dozen feature film roles, and a hit reality show that aired for nearly 10 seasons. His meteoric rise to fame turned into a phenomenal career of accolades most only dream of. He is a father of six and is married to R&B singer/songwriter Tiny Harris, of 90’s girl group Xscape.

Many people are speculating if the news of his retirement has anything to do with the winning of the lawsuit he and his wife filed against MGA Entertainment. The lawsuit claimed that the entertainment company violated the intellectual property rights of the music group OMG Girlz. The OMG Girlz was created by him and his wife Tiny and one of the members of the group is their daughter. The Harris’ and the OMG Girlz were awarded $71 million in the case. That’s one BIG reason to retire. 

T.I. said while on the radio show “I appreciate y’all for offering me my last working gig because I do not need the money anymore and I will not be performing, I don’t want to do it anymore… I don’t want people to pay me to hop around and sweat for their entertainment anymore.”

T.I.’s final performance will be in his hometown of Atlanta for the radio station 96.1 The Beat’s annual Jingle Ball. 

7 Rappers Who Have Taken Shots At Drake

Hip-hop beefs are nothing new; you can look back at some of the greats Jay-Z vs. Nas, Biggie vs. Tupac, 50 Cent and Ja Rule, and the list goes on and on. Drake has been at the top of his game for over a decade and has since gotten into a couple of rap beefs with his peers.

Rappers Who Have Taken Shots At Drake In 2024

Drake has rap beefs that have been brewing from the beginning of his career, starting with one of his largest with Meek Mill in 2015. In between then and now, several rappers have taken shots at Drake but this year seems a little more personal. Many of his frequent collaborators have ganged up on him on Metro Boomin and Future’s We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You. Kendrick had a guest appearance on from We Don’t Trust You that set the internet on fire.

“Yeah, get up with me, f— sneak dissing/’First Person Shooter,’ I hope they came with three switches,” Kendrick raps.

He adds, leaving no room for confusion: “Think I won’t drop the location? I still got PTSD/Motherf— the Big 3, n—-, it’s just big me.”

“N—-a, bum, what? I’m really like that/And your best work is a light pack/N—-, Prince outlived Mike Jack’/N—-, bum, ‘fore all your dogs gettin’ buried/That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Sematary n—-, bum,” he raps.

It began with J. Cole’s verse on “First Person Shooter” which referred to Drake, Cole, and Kendrick as hip-hop’s “big three.”

“Love when they argue the hardest MC/Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?/We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali,” Cole raps.

However, on that song, Drake dismissed Kendrick as a part of the “big three.”

“Who the GOAT? Who you bitches really rooting for?/Like a kid that act bad from January to November, n—-, it’s just you and Cole,” Drake rapped. At the end of his verse he references Michael Jackson rapping, “What the f—, bro? I’m one away from Michael/N—-, beat it, n—-, beat it, what?”

Cole responded to Kendrick on “7 Minute Drill” which has been removed from streaming services after the North Carolina native gave Kendrick an apology. Drake attacked Kendrick on his diss track “Push Ups (Give Me 50)”– along with several other rappers — but fans are still awaiting a legit response from the Compton rapper. Regardless if Kendrick responds or not, hip-hop is very much alive.

Take a look below at rappers who have taken shots at Drake:

  • Kendrick Lamar

    Kendrick Lamar took shots at J. Cole and Drake on his guest verse on “Like That.” Cole referred to himself, Kendrick, and Drake as the “big three” on his song with Drizzy, “First Person Shooter.” Lamar wanted to disassociate himself from the idea of a “big three” and prop himself at the top position, rapping, “F— the big three, n—- its just big me.” Cole came for Kendrick in response on “7 Minute Drill,” but two days later, at his Dreamville Festival, Cole took the stage to close out the show and apologized. However, Drake was not giving any apologies to Kendrick and came for him on “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me 50).”

    “How the f— you big steppin with a size 7 mens on?” Drake raps referring to Kendrick’s  5’7” height and his 2022 LP Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. “Your last one bricked, you really not on s— / They make excuses for you ’cause they hate to see me lit / Pull your contract ’cause we gotta see the split / Ain’t no way you doin’ splits bitch your pants might rip.”

    Drake then came for Kendrick’s guest verses on pop songs and how he had to keep making the verses to please his former label Top Dawg Entertainment.

    “Maroon 5 need a verse, you better make it witty / Then we need a verse for the Swifties / Top say drop, you better drop and give him 50 / Pipsqueak, pipe down / You ain’t in no big three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down / Like your label boy, you Interscope right now,” he raps.

    Feud Status: Ongoing

  • Future

    On the title track of We Don’t Like You, Future and Metro Boomin’s joint album, the Pluto hitmaker take several shots at Drake.

    “Fake written all over you/Hate written all over you,” Future raps in the intro to the title track.

    “You a n—- number one fan, dog/Sneak dissin’, I don’t understand, dog/Pillow talkin’, actin’ like a fed, dog/I don’t need another fake friend, dog/Can’t be ’bout a h-, ’cause we sharin’, dog/In you feelings, n—-, why you playin’, dog?” Future raps in the second verse.

    Future also had some sneak disses in We Still Don’t Trust You, which arrived on April 12. On “This Sunday,” Future interlopes Drake’s “Feel No Ways” as the Pluto rapper croons, “Feel a way, feel a way/Know a n—— feel a way, feel a way.”

    On Drake’s version, he sings, “And now you’re tryna make me feel a way, on purpose/Now you’re throwing it back in my face, on purpose/Now you’re talking down on my name, on purpose, yeah/And you don’t feel no way, you think I deserve it.”

    This subtle diss is, in part, telling Drake to feel however he wants to feel about their situation — fans have suspected that Drake and Future have had a disagreement over a woman. Future actually collaborated with Drake on “Feel No Ways” and is credited as a writer on the 2016 record.

    Future’s diss is not coming out of thin air, as Drake mentioned an issue with Future involving a woman on For All The Dogs.

    “What would Pluto do?/He’d f— a h-/So did it (Yeah, yeah),” Drake rapped on “What Would Pluto Do.”

    Drake responded to Future on “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me 50).”

    “Look, I could never be nobody number one fan / Your first number one, I had to put it in your hand,” Drake raps referring to “Way2Sexy” which was Future’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    Feud Status: Ongoing

  • A$AP Rocky

    A$AP Rocky and Drake have historic beef since they both have love for the same woman: Rihanna. Drake and Rihanna dated on and off from 2009-2016. A$AP Rocky and Rihanna have been friends for years before their relationship turned romantic in 2019. They welcomed their first child together in 2022 and their second in 2023. Drake has referred to Rihanna many times in his music even as most recently in For All The Dogs where he took jabs at both she and A$AP Rocky.

    “Gyal can’t run me/Better him than me/Better it’s not me/I’m anti, I’m anti,” Drake begins on “Fear Of Heights.” He seemingly references Rihanna’s 2016 studio album Anti. The use of “Gyal” also calls out Rihanna’s Barbados accent as well as her Instagram handle @badgalriri.

    “Yeah, and the sex was average with you/Yeah, I’m anti ’cause I had it with you/Okay, I’m auntie like your daddy’s sister/Auntie like a family picture/And I had way badder bitches than you, TBH/Yeah, that man, he still with you, he can’t leave you/Y’all go on vacation, I bet it’s Antigua,” he ends the first verse. The “sex was average with you” line could also be a reference to RiRi’s song “Sex With Me” where she sings “sex with me so amazing.”

    A$AP responded to Drake on Kid Cudi’s 2023 Insano.

    “These n—– can’t stomach me, gotta go get a mandrake,” A$AP raps on “Wow.”

    A$AP wasn’t done, though, and came for Drake again on “Show Of Hands.”

    “N—– swear they bitch the baddest, I just bagged the worst one/ N—– in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or somethin’?/ I smashed before you birthed son, Flacko hit it first, son,” A$AP spits.

    He also referenced Drake’s For All The Dogs: “Still don’ trust you, it’s always us, never them/ Heard you dropped your latest s—/Funny how it just came and went (Ha ha ha)”

    Feud Status: On Going

  • Pusha T

    Pusha T and Drake’s beef was one for the books and it started on “Infrared”, where the Virginia native questions Drizzy’s lyricism. However, the biggest track in their feud is on “The Story of Adidon” where he exposes the Toronto rapper for having a son that he never mentioned.

    On record, Pusha spits “Since you name-dropped my fiancée/Let ’em know who you chose as your Beyoncé/Sophie knows better as your baby mother/Cleaned her up for IG, but the stench is on her/A baby’s involved, it’s deeper than rap/We talkin’ character, let me keep with the facts/You are hiding a child, let that boy come home/Deadbeat mothaf—- playin’ border patrol, ooh/Adonis is your son/And he deserves more than an Adidas press run; that’s real/Love that baby, respect that girl/Forget she’s a pornstar, let her be your world, yuugh!” Pusha raps telling the world about Drake’s son Adonis with French model and former adult film actress Sophie.

    Pusha’s “The Story of Adidon,” which uses the instrumental from Jay-Z’s “The Story of O.J,” was a response to Drake’s “Duppy Freestyle” where he took shots at both Kanye and Pusha.

    “Y’all are the spittin’ image of whatever jealousy breeds/Don’t push me when I’m in album mode/You’re not even top 5 as far as your label talent goes,” Drake raps about how Pusha is not a priority on West’s G.O.O.D. Music label.

    Drake also alludes to him and his brother No Malice being dishonest about their drug dealing past. Pusha and No Malice used to perform together in a duo called Clipse before Pusha went solo.

    “Your brother said it was your cousin, then him, then you/So, you don’t rap what you did, you just rap what you knew/Don’t be ashamed, it’s plenty n—– that do what you do/There’s no malice in your heart, you’re an approachable dude,” Drake raps on the track coming for both Pusha and his brother No Malice who used to perform together in a duo called Clipse. Drizzy is skeptical of their drug-dealing pass which he mentions in his bar.

    Feud Status: Ongoing

  • Kanye

    Kanye and Drake’s feud started in 2018 when Drizzy wanted the “Lift Yourself” beat but Ye kept it for himself. Then on “Sicko Mode” where Drake appears as a guest on the Travis Scott-led track, Ye claims Drizzy dissed him even leading Kim Kardashian to come for the defense of her family. Ye and Kim Kardashian share four children together and in 2022 their divorce was finalized after eight years of marriage.

    Their feud simmered down for a few years until Drizzy brought Ye back up on his guest feature on Trippie Redd’s “Betrayal” in 2021.

    “Forty-five, forty-four (Burned out), let it go/Ye ain’t changin’ s— for me, it’s set in stone,” Drake raps, referring to both Ye and Pusha T who were both 44 at the time at the track was released. He also calls out the rumor that Ye was going to release Donda near the same time as Certified Lover Boy but was not worried that it would affect his album sales. Ye responded to this jab on a since-deleted Instagram post that showed a group text with Pusha and seven other people with one of them possibly being Drake.

    Ye ended up releasing Donda on August 29 and Drake released Certified Lover Boy on September 3. Both albums debuted on the top spot on the Billboard 200 with Drake’s CLB demoting Ye’s Donda to the No. 2 spot when it was released.

    Drake makes other references to Ye in songs such as in “7AM Bridle Path” but we don’t get a track from Kanye calling out Drizzy until “Life of the Party” featuring Andre 3000. What makes matters worse is that Drake is the one that leaked Kanye’s diss.

    “I put Virgil and Drake on the same text/And it wasn’t about the matching Arc’teryx or Kid Cudi dress/Just told these grown men stop it with the funny s—/I might hire the whole team from ACG,” Kanye raps referring to the group text that he posted on Instagram.

    “Thought we was the new Abu Dhabi/Told Drake don’t play with me on GD/And he sent that message to everybody/So if I hit you with a ‘WYD’/You better hit me with, Yes sir, I’m writing everything you need,” Kanye continues alleging that he and Drake were supposed to work together on a joint project.

    Andre cleared his name about the track and noted that when he recorded his verse there was not a diss towards drake on it.

    “The track I received and wrote to didn’t have the diss verse on it and we were hoping to make a more focused offering for the Donda album but I guess things happen like they are supposed to,” Andre told Billboard shortly after the leak. “It’s unfortunate that it was released in this way and two artists that I love are going back and forth.”

    Drake and Ye would eventually make up in 2022 for the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert, but it would be short-lived before Drizzy comes for Ye again on “Circo Loco.”

    “Linking with the opps, bitch, I did that s— for J Prince/ Bitch, I did it for the mob ties,” Drake raps.

    Feud Status: Ongoing

  • Rick Ross

    Rick Ross and Drake have collabed several times over the years but 2024 might be the ending to their friendship and musical relationship. Ross unfollowed Drake on Instagram after alleging the Toronto rapper sent a cease and desist to French Montana. Details surrounding the cease and desist have not been made public. Anyway, it rubbed Ross the wrong way and he responded with “Champagne Moments” coming at Drake. The Miami native insinuated that Drake had a nose job, that he had other rappers write for him, and that he stole his flow from Lil Wayne.

    “Always ran, another n—- had to write your grooves/Flow is copy-and-paste, Weezy gave you the juice,” Ross raps.

    Thoughout the song and in the deepfake cover art, Ross refers to Drake as a “white boy” for being biracial.

    Drake responded to Ross’ claims on “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me 50).”

    “I might take your latest girl and cuff her like I’m Ricky,” raps Drake, referencing Ross’ history as a correctional officer. “Can’t believe he jumpin’ in, this n—- turnin’ fifty / Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy / Spend that lil’ check you got and stay up out my business,” Drake raps.

    The two have also been going back and forth with one another online.

    Feud Status: Ongoing

  • Meek Mill

    Meek Mill and Drake’s feud began in the summer of 2015 when the Philly native accused Drizzy of using a ghostwriter. The Toronto rapper responded to his claims on “Back to Back” and “Charged Up.” Meek responded to the two diss tracks on “Wanna Know.”

    “Tell us who the f— was Quentin running through the six with?/Running through the six with my woes
    Counting money, you know how it goes/All the real live forever, baby/And the fake get exposed/
    N—– writing for you ’cause you know you never did shit/When I threw that hook out, I was tryin’ to catch a big fish,” Meek raps calling out Quentin Miller the alleged ghostwriter, using Drake’s “running through the six with my woes” line from his “Know Yourself” and standing on his claim that Drake doesn’t write his own lyrics.

    In 2018, Drake shared a post on Instagram of the two signaling a reconciliation. In 2023, Meek joined Drizzy on stage during his It’s All A Blur Tour Philly stop and gave him a shout-out.

    “It means the most to me that I could come back to this city and show the growth as two men that we can come here tonight and we can represent for motherf——- Philadelphia together,” Drake said in a fan clip.

    Feud Status: Over

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