The on and off again relationship between Kanye West and Drake is perhaps the most important relationship in modern hip hop. It is certainly at least one of the most essential relationships in hip hop history. Beyond just supplying the world to a cavalcade of memorable songs between the two, their relationship has catered to a number of groundbreaking and unforgettable moments in music history. Both men are integral to each other's careers to the point that it is hard to imagine one without the other, or rather how one would be as successful without the other's existence.
The two have been professional partners and confiding friends for as long as they have been enemies. Their link to each other has given birth to a competitive rivalry of sorts that, more often than not, got a little personal and went too far. Here are some ups, downs, highs, and lows from their relationship as documented in photos.
15 High: First Meeting
Before his own debut studio album released, Drake met his long time idol Kanye West on one fateful evening in Hawaii in 2009, so the rapper told MTV News. Drake often admits to being influenced by West and his music, so this was a dream come true. Although they met briefly, they pontificated their desires to make music together, so they produced "Digital Girl" and "Forever" together later that year.
14 High: When Ye Directed Drake's Music Video
Their series of collaborations did not begin or end with stepping in the booth together. Their first true blue collab did not even have Kanye on the vocals. Instead, Kanye directed a music video for "Best I Ever Had," a smash hit from Drake's mixtape, So Far Gone, which helped put him on the map.
13 High: Ye Producing Drake's First Mega Hit
Kanye West's efforts to make Drake a new star continued - albeit unintentionally - as West wrote and produced Drake's biggest hit song to date at the time: "Find Your Love." West originally made the beat for Rihanna, but Drake used his connections with his mentor, No I.D., to convince West to give him the song instead. It worked out.
12 Low: Kanye Cuts Drake From His Own Song
For everything Kanye did for Drake behind the scenes, it's almost surprising to think their next collab - "All of the Lights," which also featured Kid Cudi and Rihanna - did not quite work out. After the track leaked prior to its November 2010 release, West re-released the song with Drake's verse removed from the official version. We don't think Drake ever got over it.
11 Low: Drake Shades Kanye And Jay-Z
Months before Kanye West and Jay-Z released their much anticipated collab album, Watch the Throne, Drake threw some shade in an interview with Tim Westwood where he said, “I heard two other guys are coming out with an album, too…I don’t know where they got that idea from.” He continued to throw shade on the song "I'm On One," where he alluded to "taking" a throne.
10 High: They Squash Beef At OVO Fest ... For Now
The Tim Westwood interview alluded to beef between Kanye West and Drake and as it turns out, there was, albeit minor beef. Drake later admitted in an interview with Billboard in 2013 that him and Ye hadn't spoken in close to two years, but were able to repair their relationship with Drake let Ye be a surprise performer at OVO Fest 2013.
9 Low: Beef Picks Up When Drake Drops "Summer Sixteen"
Though the beef itself simmered, there was still a petty competitive rivalry. In 2016, Drake dropped "Summer Sixteen," where he bragged about having a bigger pool than Kanye. "And look, man, Ye's pool is nice, mine is just bigger is what I'm saying," he elaborated. To which Ye himself retorted "I have two pools" in an interview with Big Boy's Neighborhood radio show.
8 High: Drake Writes Songs For Kanye's Life Of Pablo
Seems this rivalry didn't escalate any further than petty jabs and thankfully, no feelings were hurt enough to sever their professional relationship. Hence why Drake managed to chip in behind the scenes for Kanye (the tables turning from years prior) to write three songs on Ye's Life of Pablo album.
7 Low: Kanye Disses Drake Onstage
In one of the most bizarre moments from Kanye West's career, he stopped his November 19th, 2016 Sacramento show mid-concert to rant about DJ Khaled and Drake orchestrating to get their "For Free" record played over and over on the radio. He also begged Jay-Z and Mark Zuckerberg to call him in the same vain.
6 High: They Drop "Glow," First Duo Song
While the Sacramento incident may have put a strain in the Drake/Kanye relationship, it was not a permanent one as a year later, they released "Glow" for Drake's More Life album. This marked the first and - so far at least - the only time that Drake and Kanye performed as a duo together on a song with no one else on the record.
