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Dodgers World Series Reignites Hip-Hop’s Biggest Beef

Originally posted on LAFB Network | By Ryan Anderson | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 12:54 PM ET

The 2025 World Series has more than a championship on the line — it’s a collision of cities, culture, and sound. When the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays meet for the Fall Classic, beginning Friday in Toronto, the matchup won’t just revive the Blue Jays’ first World Series appearance since 1993. It will also reignite one of music’s most talked-about rivalries: Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar.

Toronto’s global ambassador, five-time Grammy winner Drake, has long been synonymous with his city’s sports pride — from the Raptors to the Blue Jays. On the other side, Pulitzer Prize recipient and 22-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar embodies Los Angeles’ sporting soul, often seen repping the Dodgers, Lakers, and Rams. Their cities now face off on the grandest stage in sports, blending baseball with hip-hop’s fiercest lyrical rivalry.

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From “First Person Shooter” to “Like That” — A Cultural Feud Tied To Dodgers – Blue Jays World Series

Dodgers World Series Reignites Hip-Hop’s Biggest Beef 2 Robert Hanashiro / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The tension between the two megastars began in 2024, when Lamar’s fiery verse on Future’s Like That dismissed Drake’s “Big Three” claim from First Person Shooter — a song where Drake positioned himself alongside Lamar and J. Cole as rap’s elite. Kendrick’s rebuttal was swift and decisive: there is no “Big Three,” just him. What followed was a volley of diss tracks and public jabs that defined an era in hip-hop.

Lamar took to sports’ biggest stage, the Super Bowl halftime show, to offer the feud’s biggest statement. He performed ‘Not Like Us’, including the lyric, ‘a minor’, to punctuate the rivalry.

Now, as the Dodgers chase back-to-back titles — something not seen since the Yankees’ late-‘90s run — and the Blue Jays seek to restore Canada’s baseball glory, the stage feels poetic. It’s Drake’s city of underdog pride versus Kendrick’s city of dominance and legacy.

When Sports and Sound Collide

Drake has already been spotted celebrating Toronto’s playoff triumphs, while Lamar’s silence has fans wondering if he’ll respond before the series begins. Beyond the lyrics, both artists have deep ties to their hometown teams. Drake has thrown first pitches and appeared in Blue Jays promos, while Lamar has long connected Dodgers baseball to LA’s creative scene

The 2025 World Series, then, is more than just a battle for the Commissioner’s Trophy — it’s a modern reflection of identity, art, and loyalty. As Drake’s Toronto meets Kendrick’s Los Angeles, baseball and hip-hop are once again sharing the same beat.

This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission.

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