Drake Appears To Take Aim At LeBron James & DeMar DeRozan On "Fighting Irish" Freestyle

BYZachary Horvath2.6K Views
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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: (Editorial Use Only) Drake performs surprise set on Day 1 of Wireless Festival 2021 at Crystal Palace on September 10, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up prior to the start of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on December 25, 2024 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 30: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings looks on against the Dallas Mavericks in the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on December 30, 2024 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Drake is calling out any and every one he's got some sort of issue with.

When Drake drops, everyone listens. That's been the case once again today as a song titled "Fighting Irish" is currently going viral on social media. It finds him rapping over a dreamy and low-key Conductor Williams beat, reuniting them after collaborating on some cuts from For All The Dogs. However, it's not simply the fact that Drake is already back in action three days into 2025. It also has to do with some of the bars peppered throughout it. For years, The Boy has portrayed himself as a lone wolf of sorts. "No Friends In The Industry" and "Fair Trade" immediately come to mind.

On "Fighting Irish" he's doing that and in his usual subliminal matter. He appears to be taking aim at people who once thought were friends of his, but due to the Kendrick Lamar beef he's seen many switching sides. Two that are possible targets are NBA superstars LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan. Drake has been close with both for different reasons. For James, they just have created a bond over the years with the Canadian rapper going to so many of his games.

Drake Is Once Again Rapping About His Lone Wolf Status In Hip-Hop

As for DeRozan, he was viewed as a brother to Drake. Especially during the shooting guard/small forward's lengthy stay with the Toronto Raptors. However, at various moments during him and Lamar's feud, reports were constantly coming out that Drake begun to view the two athletes in a different light. Specifically, The Pop Out concert and the "Not Like Us" music video seemed to be final straws for Drizzy.

Drake's "Fighting Irish" Freestyle Is Blowing Up

LeBron and DeMar both attended the show and were clearly enjoying themselves with the latter even going onstage. Moreover, the now Sacramento King made a cameo in the viral visual for the West Coast anthem. Drake voiced his strong disgust for DeMar publicly as well during the broadcast of the Kings versus Raptors game, saying that he would pull down the player's retired jersey from the rafters if the organization decided to hang it up. It's why bars like, "The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets, seemed like they loved every minute," for example are being viewed as disses.

About The Author
Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.
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