Drake Spits His Best Verse Of The Year While Lil Wayne Blasts Birdman (Audio)

Earlier this week, Lil Wayne released his Dedication 6 mixtape with DJ Drama. Unlike most of the mixtapes of today, which feature original productions and are basically free albums, Wayne’s project was a return to the days when MCs jacked other rappers for their beats and made them their own. Wayne tackled Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA,” Lil Uzi Vert’s “XO Tour Life,” JAY-Z’s “The Story Of OJ,” and more.

Now, in a move reminiscent of the mid-2000s Wayne who was voracious for any beat on which he could get his hands, he double dips on Jay’s 4:44 album and lifts his intoxicating “Family Feud” record. He also fittingly recruits his Young Money brother, Drake, to help him address some family business.

As was the case early in his career, Drake brings out his best when in Wayne’s presence. He also rides as hard as ever for his big brother, as he raps “Ayy, tell me if TD bank is approving loans / I’m thinking about paying Wayne what Universal owes / My ni**a spent a lifetime going platinum and gold / He should own half of the label, sh*t outta control.

Drake isn’t just spreading love for Lil Wayne on the song. He also seems to call for a conditional truce with Meek Mill, with whom he’s been feuding since 2015, after Meek spread rumors that Drake used ghost writers for his material. After years of vitriolic back and forth, Drake has seemed to soften a bit recently, as he was seen in concert shouting “Free Meek Mill” in November, after Meek was sentenced to 2-4 years in prison for violating his parole, a term many see as unduly harsh.

On “Family Feud,” Drake raps “We gon’ have to break the billi’ curse / I need my paper long like ‘A Milli’ verse / Or, too long like a sentence from a Philly judge / F*ck is the point in all the beefing when we really blood / Nobody wins when the family feuds, ni**a / Everybody gotta eat, we can’t exclude ni**as / I make the crib, expanding pools, and expanding rooms / Adding her mom’s spas with tanning booths, ni**a / That’s truth, no boost, ni**a / But this isn’t all about calling truce / I’m still dishing out verbal abuse / That should get re-introduced if somebody got something they urging to prove, ni**a.

While Drake names Universal Music Group as the bad guy in his verse, Wayne is more specific when he gets on the mic. For the last few years, he has been embroiled in a bitter lawsuit with his record label Cash Money, with co-owner Birdman taking the brunt of the heat. Throughout the song, Wayne makes countless references to birds, absolutely unloading on his one-time mentor. Wayne starts with some darts that could be aimed at Toni Braxton, Birdman’s current love interest. “Your b*tch sweating my squad / Please get the sweat out her eye / I put the d*ck in her spine / I f*cked the b*tch in her prime,” Wayne raps. After a few jabs at Birdman’s recent reported financial woes, Wayne begins his full-on attack, rapping “I flipped the bird at the bird / Hey whats for dinner? Popeyes / These chickens got bird flu and they chirp, chirp too / Always sung, never flew / These boys hide girls too / If money grow on trees / I climb and rest in that b*tch / Build a treehouse and knocked the bird nest out that b*tch.” And, lest anyone mistake his wordplay, Wayne follows up with even more direct references, a few bars later.”Now back to whipping the Baby / On some step mama sh*t / I come direct with my sh*t / I come correct with my sh*t / A blank check on your face / Put some respect on my sh*t / Branches starting to shake / Here comes the leaves, get the rake / I want my piece of the cake.”

While JAY-Z’s version of “Family Feud” was actually about putting differences aside, and striving for Black Excellence, together, Wayne and Drake clearly seem to be taking the title more literally.

#bonusbeat: Here is Lil Wayne’s Dedication 6 mixtape.