On Friday night, Drake rang in the 4th of July by dropping new music and visuals. The Toronto-based rapper had plenty to say in his newest release, “What Did I Miss?” that dropped during his “Iceman: Episode 1” live stream.
In the song, Drake addressed the fallout from his highly publicized 2024 beef with Kendrick Lamar, calling out people in his circle he believes switched sides on him. One line in particular from that track has plenty of basketball fans talking.
Shots Fired? Fans Debate Who Drake Could Be Talking About in Newest Track
A lot was going on during Drake’s livestream. He briefly teased a new music video in which he was surrounded by an arsenal of guns and, at one point, was driving around his native Toronto in an “Iceman”-branded truck bumping more unreleased music.
But it’s the main track that raised a lot of eyebrows, which showed Drake performing in a warehouse-type setting:
DRAKE
“WHAT DID I MISS?”pic.twitter.com/MCSd6NxucZ— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) July 5, 2025
Among other bars aimed at friends he perceived as being disloyal to him, Drake rapped, “I saw bro in the Pop Out with them but been d***riding gang since ‘Headlines.'”
The line clearly references not only Drake’s multi-platinum 2011 hit “Headlines,” but also Lamar’s surprise June 2024 concert, “The Pop Out: Ken and Friends.”
Held just a month after the pair’s beef reached its climax, the concert was attended by numerous West Coast figures, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan.
LeBron, DeMar, Westbrook, Harden, Coby White, and more are in attendance of Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out and Show” concert in LA pic.twitter.com/N4PKpOxaME
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 20, 2024
James and Drake’s relationship goes back over a decade to when the rapper first hit the scene in 2009. They’ve publicly supported each other in the years since, with Drake even getting a LeBron portrait inked on his arm.
However, things between the two have been icy ever since The Pop Out, with many speculating that Drake already took shots at the Lakers star on his track “Fighting Irish Freestyle” from earlier this year.
DeRozan also has plenty of history with Drake. He spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Toronto Raptors from 2009-18, for whom Drake serves as a global ambassador, and the two developed a very close bond.
Yet on top of showing up and dancing on stage at “The Pop Out,” the Compton, California, native also appeared in the video for Lamar’s incredibly popular Drake diss “Not Like Us.” Drake has thrown his fair share of shade his way ever since.
Naturally, there’s been a healthy amount of discussion about who Drake is actually talking about and whether James and DeRozan are deserving of the jabs:
Drake dissed Lebron. My goats can’t be beefing. Lebron was moving foul though pic.twitter.com/mr1EAGFZfq
— Doug (@OutsideKingg) July 5, 2025
“Drake dissed Lebron. My goats can’t be beefing. Lebron was moving foul though,” one fan posted.
I feel like Drake and LeBron been knowing each other way before Headlines I think that was DeMar DeRozan https://t.co/2pU0GVkdiT
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) July 5, 2025
“I feel like Drake and LeBron been knowing each other way before Headlines I think that was DeMar DeRozan,” another user said.
That new Drake song is basically him crooning about LeBron and/or DeMar DeRozan “switching up” on him and while I understand it, I don’t feel sympathetic because he made No Friends in the Industry so he shouldn’t be this hurt by it
— KJ (@KdotJohnson_) July 5, 2025
“That new Drake song is basically him crooning about LeBron and/or DeMar DeRozan ‘switching up’ on him, and while I understand it, I don’t feel sympathetic because he made No Friends in the Industry, so he shouldn’t be this hurt by it,” another fan added.
Drake has a right to be mad at Lebron and Demar pic.twitter.com/QDrJ1wEcdM
— 🎩 (@HR_6IX) July 5, 2025
“Drake has a right to be mad at Lebron and Demar,” one user pointed out.
“Headlines bar is likely about Demar and not LeBron, considering the time they actually probably became cool,” another added.
Headlines bar is likely about Demar and not LeBron considering the time they actually probably became cool
— 500 🏎 (@Kameron_Hay) July 5, 2025
Either way, Drake clearly has a lot on his mind. With many speculating he could be gearing up for an album release very soon, this newest drop has everyone talking.
This is not an uncommon occurrence in Drake’s music. An avid fan of sports and the culture surrounding it, he has also referenced other athletes in his music, especially NBA stars.
However, it remains to be seen if even more problems will be aired out in the near future.
