Did Pharrell Williams Really Record A Drake Diss Track On Despicable Me 4?
2024 may forever be known for having one of the most epic pop culture beefs of all time. Early in the year, Kendrick Lamar and Drake released a slew of diss tracks directed toward one another. Ask anyone who followed the drama, and they'll probably tell you Lamar came out on top, absolutely annihilating Drake with accusations of him having inappropriate relationships with minors. But it seems rappers aren't done firing metaphorical shots in the feud, as Pharrell Williams has seemingly gotten in on the action with his new track, "Double Life," which is amazingly part of the "Despicable Me 4" soundtrack.
"Despicable Me 4's" opening weekend blew away box office expectations, with Looper's review praising the sequel's gags and action sequences. Now, "Double Life" is making headlines, as many fans believe this verse is directed at Drake: "Hey, what are you hiding? Nothing wrong being private ... Make sure it ain't wrong." It's not quite as explicit as some of Lamar's lyrics; "Tryna strike a chord, and it's probably A MINOOOOOR" will forever remain an all-time lyrical death blow. However, many hip-hop fans suggest Williams' "Double Life" lyrics take shots at Drake for hiding something and, maybe, for doing something that isn't totally on the up-and-up.
Of course, the song is ultimately about the lead of "Despicable Me 4," Gru (Steve Carell), having his own double life and going between a family man and a super villain. But one could argue there's enough subtext there to make "Double Life" applicable to Drake, in what could be yet another thing in "Despicable Me 4" that adults, but not kids, might notice.
Pharrell Williams might be firmly Team Kendrick in this beef
Pharrell Williams collaborated on the "Despicable Me" franchise once before with his hit song "Happy" for "Despicable Me 2." The partnership is still going strong, with Williams putting out another banger with "Double Life" that somehow ties together those yellow Minions with Kendrick Lamar and Drake feuding, even if it's unintentional. And to be fair, Drake technically brought Williams into this beef.
Drake has a guest spot on Travis Scott's "Meltdown," where he takes aim at Pusha T and brings Williams into the mix, rapping, "I melt down the chains that I bought from yo' boss." In this instance, Williams is Pusha T's boss, and Drake is claiming he melted chains from Williams' auction house. However, said chains later make an appearance in Drake's video for "Family Matters," where he once again brings up Williams, stating, "Ya wanna take up for Pharrell, then come get his legacy out of my house." "Legacy" could refer to the literal chains, but it could also be seen as a diss of Drake claiming he took away Williams' legacy of being influential in the worlds of both hip-hop and pop.
Again, there's no direct confirmation Williams explicitly wrote "Double Life" about Drake. It's a catchy song that's perfectly suitable for a kids' flick, but people will read into whatever they want. As one final point, it's worth noting that Kendrick Lamar will voice himself in Pharrell Williams' upcoming LEGO biopic, "Piece by Piece," while Drake is conspicuously absent from the cast. One can only hope that Williams and Lamar team up for one more Drake diss track on the movie's album; it's what the world needs right now, to be honest.