Drake releases his ninth studio album, “Iceman,” marking his first project since a highly public feud with Kendrick Lamar. The dispute escalates in spring 2024 as both artists trade diss tracks. Lamar’s “Not Like Us” becomes a major flashpoint and is described in coverage as a direct attack on Drake, intensifying attention around the rivalry. The feud also intersects with legal action: Drake files a defamation lawsuit connected to their shared label, which is reported as having been dismissed. Drake’s appeal of that dismissal remains pending. Across the articles, the central theme is Drake’s return and how it could be received in the wake of Lamar’s impact during the feud. While outlets differ in length and emphasis, they converge on the timeline—feud in spring 2024, “Not Like Us” as a turning point, the dismissed lawsuit with an appeal still ongoing, and the album’s arrival on Friday, May 15—framing the release as a high-stakes moment for Drake’s next era.