12 Ways Drake Tried To Regain Public Favor After His Devastating Loss To Kendrick Lamar

Drake’s climb back into the limelight has not been easy, especially after Kendrick Lamar’s nearly career-ending “Not Like Us.” The diss track made history as the first — and so far, only — one to win five Grammys and top the Billboard Hot 100 three separate times. But beyond the numbers, the “certified pedophile” accusations left a serious mark on Hip Hop’s once golden child, so much so that he later filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group.

With all that being said, 2024 did not see Drake at complete rock bottom. Outside of diss tracks like “Push Ups” and “Family Matters,” fans got quite a bit of new music, like the beloved “SOD” and “It’s Up,” one of his and 21 Savage’s better collaborations post-Her Loss. He also went on quite the feature run, flipping Metro Boomin’s “BBL Drizzy” on Sexyy Red’s sophomore project, In Sexyy We Trust, and wrapping up the "It's All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?"

Without further ado, here are 12 ways Drake tried to get back in the public’s good graces after his feud with Lamar. Take a look below.

1. Embracing The "69 God" Moniker

“Freaky-a** n**ga, he a 69 God / Hey, hey, hey, hey, run for your life,” Lamar rapped on the Mustard-produced “Not Like Us.” The line caught on so much that even Drake decided to lean into it — for a moment, at least. During a bowling night with a few of his OVO affiliates, the Canadian rapper set his player name to the infamous moniker. Side note: Drake, who landed a spare in the brief clip shared online, is surprisingly pretty good at bowling.

2. Sidestepping Into House Music

Drake has dabbled in house music plenty of times, most notably with Honestly, Nevermind. However, he circled back to the genre on Gordo's DIAMANTE. “Sideways” had him crooning about how it was just his turn, while “Healing” had him reflecting on things he “should’ve said more.” The July 2024 project was not the worst release but considering he had just taken a big L from Lamar, fans were hoping for something different. Fortunately, Drake answered the call a little over a week later.

3. Dropping 100 GIGS

During the beef, Drake had turned more than a few old collaborators into new rivals. Rick Ross, Metro Boomin and The Weeknd all caught strays on “Push Ups,” but in the process, he also lost a good chunk of their shared fanbases. So, his next move was to drop 100 GIGS, a collection of old footage, studio sessions — including from Take Care, Scorpion and Certified Lover Boy — and some brand-new tracks.

For better or worse, none of the new songs kept the back-and-forth with Lamar going. The first round of releases included “It’s Up” with 21 Savage and Young Thug, “Blue Green Red” and “Housekeeping Knows” featuring Latto. Then, a few weeks later, he added three more: “Circadian Rhythm,” “No Face” featuring Playboi Carti and “SOD.”

4. His Surprise Appearance At Latto's "Sugar Honey Iced Tea" Toronto Stop

On “Not Like Us,” Lamar rapped, “You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars / No, you not a colleague, you a f**kin’ colonizer.” Lil Baby, Future, 2 Chainz, 21 Savage and Quavo were all mentioned in the scathing verse aimed at Drake. Latto, who hadn’t collaborated with OVO label head at the time, was understandably not a part of the verse.

That made it all the more interesting when Drake popped up for a surprise performance during her “Sugar Honey Iced Tea Tour” stop at Toronto’s HISTORY — yes, the same venue that shut out Top Dawg Entertainment artists like ScHoolboy Q and SiR. Women have always been at the core of Drake’s fanbase, so making an appearance at Latto’s show seemed like an attempt to remind the world where his real support lies.

5. Cutting His Braids

“What is it? The braids?!” In November 2024, Drake said goodbye to his braids in favor of the fade that fans might remember from his earlier eras. Maybe he was just ready for a change, or maybe it was part of a bigger reinvention. Either way, the move definitely got people talking.

6. Appearing On xQc’s Stream

Drake knows his way around streaming, having partnered with Kick a few times, but linking up with xQc definitely felt like a calculated way to win some people back. During the livestream, the “God’s Plan” artist threw shots at his critics, called Steve Lacy his “fragile opp,” and naturally, the two gambled some money away. “I’m here, as you can see, fully intact. Mind, body and soul. In case you are wondering, right?” Drake said. “You need facts to take me out. Fairytales won’t do it.” Again, considering how much of a grip streaming culture has on the game right now, leveraging that space was a fitting way to keep himself visible, even if it was a little awkward at times.

7. Giving $10,000 To Fan In Look-alike Contest

Celebrity look-alike contests have been having a moment since 2024, and oddly enough, we have Timothée Chalamet to thank for that. Toronto’s Casuals Cakery decided to get in on the trend by inviting fans who resemble Drake — or at least think they do — to battle it out for the ultimate Drizzy doppelgänger title. To sweeten the deal, the 6 God was kind enough to throw in $10,000 as the "main prize.”

8. His Drizzmas Giveaway

To wrap up the holiday season, Drake and Adin Ross came through with their Drizzmas Giveaway, and just like the name suggests, they spread plenty of post-Christmas cheer. The prizes were not small, either. Two people got a year’s worth of rent covered, one couple scored a “greezy” dream vacation, and three families had the chance to win either a Lamborghini or a Mercedes G-Class SUV. Drake also used the moment to have a little fun at his rivals’ expense, including a reference to Lamar’s “euphoria” and clowning Rick Ross in the process.

9. Wearing A Bullet-Riddled Hoodie During Australian Tour

They tried to take him out, but he is still standing — just in the most extraordinarily Drake-like way possible. On the opening night of "The Anita Max Win Tour," the five-time Grammy Award winner made his entrance in a bullet-riddled hoodie with smoke pouring from the back. For a city he had not performed in for over eight years, “Over My Dead Body” could not have been a better opener.

10. Giving Fans Money During "The Anita Max Win Tour"

Giving away money mid-show is nothing new for Drake, especially after his joint trek with 21 Savage, but he seems to be making a statement of it on “The Anita Max Win Tour.” During his second night at Perth’s RAC Arena, the Views creator dropped $20,000 on two lucky couples in the crowd. A few days later, at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, he gave $25,000 to a fan holding an “Adonis for President” sign. Another attendee walked away with $20,000 and an all-expense-paid birthday dinner. Turns out, holding up a sign at a Drake concert might be more lucrative than playing the lottery.

11. Naming A Song After Young Thug’s Attorney, Brian Steel

Leading up to $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, his collaboration with PARTYNEXTDOOR, Drake unveiled the tracklist, and one title immediately caught fans' attention: "BRIAN STEEL." Named after the attorney who helped secure Young Thug’s freedom in Georgia’s longest-running RICO trial, the two-minute cut immediately sparked curiosity about the Barter 6 artist making a guest appearance. “He is so kind, considerate, generous, inspirational, intelligent — a true leader and great model for our community,” the attorney reacted shortly after noting that he and Drake have crossed paths before.

12. Dropping ‘$ome $exy $ongs 4 U’ With PARTYNEXTDOOR

$ome $exy $ongs 4 U marked Drake’s first project of 2025, and to be completely honest, it is arguably some of his best music in a while. With most of the jabs and subliminal messages taking a backseat, the 21-track project lets him and PARTYNEXTDOOR do what they do best: delivering late-night confessions that remind fans why they loved the duo in the first place. If winning back the public was the goal, Drake may have accomplished the mission with this joint album.