Common and Drake’s beef was fairly short-lived, beginning in late 2011 and ending in February 2012, though it still sits as a noteworthy moment in rap. In a new interview with REAL 92.3's Big Boy's Neighborhood, Common addressed the feud after being asked how his relationship is with Drake now.
“When we had that beef, that beef was for real for me. It was real for him,” Common said at the 20:05 mark in the video up top. “We saw each other at the Grammys and it was like a little tension, and then it was just like a real honest talk that we had about like his respect for me. I was letting him know I thought he was a really dope and talented artist and we just squashed it then.”
He continued, “It was like, what are we even beefing over at this point. This ain't where we want our lives to go, so let me just chill out on that. So I gotta give like him a lot of respect ‘cause he handled that like a grown man should. He looked me in my eye and told me, ‘Look, I really respect your music.’ I felt bad when he was dissing me.”
In late 2011, Common dropped the track “Sweet,” which many believed included shots at Drake. Common later appeared on Sway in the Morning and divulged that the song was indeed directed at Drake. Drizzy then unleashed his “Stay Schemin’” verse, and Common came back, rapping over the same beat.
The two eventually met face-to-face at the 2012 All Star Game in Orlando, where things seemed friendly enough. The two were even caught on camera shaking hands and sharing a laugh. Common, however, credits the 2012 Grammys as the place where the beef was squashed, which took place on Feb. 12, before the All-Star Game on Feb. 26.
