Drake Drops 9th Album 'Iceman' as Kendrick Lamar Feud Tests His Comeback

7 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 15

Friday’s release of “Iceman” puts Drake’s ninth studio album at the center of a high-stakes bid to recover from his widely perceived 2024 defeat in a feud with Kendrick Lamar.
That loss still shadows him because Lamar’s “Not Like Us” became a cultural juggernaut—winning 2 top Grammys and reaching the Super Bowl halftime show—while Drake’s post-feud songs peaked at No. 2 without producing a lasting smash.
Drake remains commercially formidable: Spotify ranked him the platform’s No. 3 most-streamed artist ever, but critics say he has not delivered a multiweek No. 1 hit since 2018 and that his music has grown less innovative.
The “Iceman” rollout has been unusually elaborate, from Toronto ice installations to a CN Tower projection using 75 projectors, yet analysts say the album’s real test is whether it yields a song-of-the-summer hit and strong collaborator support.
Even a No. 1 debut may not settle the question, because Drake’s standing now hinges as much on hip-hop credibility and cultural impact as on streams or first-week sales.

Can a city-wide spectacle successfully rewrite an artist's narrative after a very public feud?

Does using disruptive stunts that alarm residents undermine an artist's 'hometown hero' image?