A$AP Rocky has addressed his long-rumored tension with Drake, confirming that the two are no longer friends while downplaying the situation as lingering personal resentment rather than an active feud.
Appearing on Apple Music’s The Ebro Show on Wednesday, Rocky was asked whether the apparent back-and-forth between him and Drake was genuine or simply hip-hop theatrics meant to fuel online discourse and album promotion. While acknowledging that rap beefs are often performative, Rocky made it clear that the fallout between them is real.
“I think hip hop tactics and beefs is like WWF — it’s like wrestling all the way,” Rocky said. “But this thing between us, it’s not real smoke, but I just don’t f— with him. We was once friends. I feel like it’s over females.”
Rocky did not mention Drake by name in the interview, but the implication was clear. The Harlem rapper suggested jealousy played a role and criticized lingering bitterness over past relationships.
“I feel like he wasn’t happy and he expressed that,” Rocky continued. “And I think at some certain point when everybody getting older… for you to still be picking at a female and all that, that’s soft to me.”
The clip quickly went viral, within 24 hours and reigniting discussion around Rocky and Drake’s strained history — particularly as it coincides with the release of Rocky’s new album, Don’t Be Dumb, which arrived Jan. 16.
The album includes “Stole Ya Flow,” a track widely interpreted as Rocky’s most direct lyrical jab at Drake to date. On the song, Rocky raps, “First you stole my flow, so I stole yo’ bitch,” a line many fans believe references Rihanna. Rocky and Rihanna went public with their relationship in 2020 and share two children together, with ongoing speculation — unconfirmed — about a possible third.
Despite the pointed lyrics, Rocky insisted the situation is not serious and could never escalate.
“Is it real smoke? It could never be,” he said. “It’s enough money, it’s enough women, it’s enough fame… that ain’t smoke.”
Rocky and Drake were once close collaborators and peers in the early 2010s, touring together during Drake’s Club Paradise Tour and frequently praising each other publicly. Their relationship reportedly cooled over time, with Rihanna — who had an on-and-off relationship with Drake from 2010 to 2016 — often cited as the central factor.
Tensions remained mostly subliminal for years before becoming more visible in 2024, when Rocky appeared on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Show of Hands,” delivering bars many listeners interpreted as shots at Drake. Drake later responded with subtle jabs of his own across multiple releases.
Online reaction to Rocky’s latest comments has been mixed, with some fans framing the situation as classic hip-hop pettiness and others suggesting the timing aligns conveniently with album promotion. Drake has not publicly responded to Rocky’s interview or the lyrics on Don’t Be Dumb as of Jan. 22.
For now, Rocky appears content to leave the situation as it stands. “I’m talking to whoever feel like I’m talking to them,” he said, adding that the issue is ultimately “petty” and rooted in a friendship that has simply run its course.
