The pair have dropped their feud since the release of Donda and Certified Lover Boy, but the upcoming show is still marked by controversy
Kanye West and Drake have been locked in a drawn-out feud for years, culminating in a series of diss tracks, leaks, and album delay controversies with the release of Donda and Certified Lover Boy earlier this year. Now, though, the pair are set to put their differences aside to perform at an upcoming benefit concert for convicted gang leader Larry Hoover.
Teasing the reunion, the two rappers shared a photo with Rap-A-Lot CEO J Prince on Wednesday this week (November 17). Captioning the post with a dove, they appeared to officially squash their long-running beef in preparation for the Los Angeles concert.
Earlier in the month, Ye and J Prince also publicly invited Drake to join the benefit concert in a video statement on J Prince’s Instagram. “It’s time to put it to rest,” Kanye said of the back and forth with Drake, “with the ultimate purpose being to free Larry Hoover.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Kanye’s campaigned for the release of the Gangster Disciples co-founder, who is serving six life sentences after being convicted of murder, conspiracy, and various other charges in 1997.
In 2018, Kanye appeared on SNL in a MAGA hat and “Free Hoover” shirt, and made an unsuccessful appeal for Hoover’s release in a meeting with then-President Donald Trump. More recently, he featured Hoover’s son, Larry Hoover Jr, on the Donda track “Jesus Lord”. The song features an audio recording of Hoover Jr thanking the rapper for his involvement in his father’s case.
Despite Kanye and Drake putting aside their drama for the benefit concert, both artists remain in the middle of their own controversies.
As well as surrounding himself with a host of ill-advised collaborators in recent months (see: his Sunday Service with Marilyn Manson), Kanye recently appeared on the podcast Drink Champs, where he criticised many of his musical peers and dismissed #MeToo as “Nineteen Eighty-Four mind control”.
Drake, meanwhile, is facing several lawsuits, alongside Travis Scott, Live Nation, and Apple, for his involvement in the fatal Astroworld crush that left 10 dead and hundreds more injured earlier this month (November 5). “I’ve spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy,” he wrote on Instagram November 9. “My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering.”
Some critics have suggested that the timing of the high-profile reunion at the “Free Larry Hoover” concert — which is set to feature Kanye West as a headliner and Drake as a special guest — serves as a distraction from the Astroworld fallout.
The benefit show will take place December 9 at the LA Coliseum in Los Angeles. Find the announcement, captioned “God’s Plan” by West, below.