Drake sounds fully committed to revenge mode on “1 AM in Albany.”

Drake clearly has plenty left to say heading into ICEMAN. A new leak from the album, “1 AM in Albany,” features bars that appear aimed directly at both J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, proving Drake is still fully locked into the aftermath of 2024’s rap war.

The J. Cole line instantly caught attention:

“I could’ve fell back like the married rapper, but we engaged, I told y’all I’m settled in my evil ways.”

Most fans are interpreting that as a clear reference to Cole stepping away from the 2024 beef after briefly entering it. Considering people were still debating whether Drake and Cole were cool behind the scenes, hearing a possible jab aimed his way definitely raises eyebrows.

As for Kendrick, Drake unloaded several pointed bars throughout the track, including lines about “uppercase caps,” “finally getting a hit that let you run a base,” and accusations that Kendrick relied on controversy and narratives to gain momentum during their battle.

One of the more interesting aspects of the leak is Drake’s tone. Instead of sounding defeated or reflective, he sounds completely dug in, almost like ICEMAN is less an album and more a long-form response to everyone who crossed him over the last year.

At this point, none of the Kendrick shots are surprising. However, hearing Drake potentially turn his attention toward J. Cole adds a completely new wrinkle to the situation. Personally, I think Drake would benefit from focusing less on sneak disses moving forward, but judging from this leak, that clearly is not the direction he plans to take. Yikes.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.