JAY-Z and Lil Baby Find Themselves at the Center of Viral Memes After Featuring on Drake and Kanye West’s Latest Albums
Following the highly anticipated releases of Kanye West’s “Donda” and Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy,” which dropped this week after months of teasing, both albums boasted over 20 tracks featuring collaborations with some of rap’s most sought-after artists. Despite the emcees landing on different release dates, they both enlisted the talents of JAY-Z and Lil Baby, who have now become the focal point of memes highlighting the lucrative nature of their appearances on both projects.
One meme circulating the internet depicted JAY-Z, likening him to Kobe Bryant holding two trophies after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2009 NBA championship victory, with the caption reading, “JAY-Z after collecting the checks from his features on CLB and DONDA.”
Another meme utilized Lil Baby’s viral money-counting skills to humorously illustrate how the rapper may appear when he collects the checks from his appearances on “Donda,” “CLB,” and J. Cole’s “The Off-Season.” Additionally, a third post featured a photo of JAY-Z leisurely sipping wine on his couch with the caption, “JAY-Z when the check clears from his Kanye and Drake features.”
Tensions between Kanye West and Drake escalated after Drake referenced Kanye in Trippie Redd’s song “Betrayal.” Kanye responded by posting and later deleting Drake’s Toronto home address, and later strategically placed “Donda” billboards in areas where Drake’s “CLB” ads were displayed. In his own long-awaited album, Drake also included a few bars aimed at Kanye.
Despite the apparent rivalry between Kanye and Drake, one Twitter user made a noteworthy observation about JAY-Z’s decision to appear on both rappers’ albums: “The biggest lesson to be learned from JAY-Z, Drake, and Kanye is that we don’t need to be friends or even like each other to make money together.”
As memes continue to circulate, JAY-Z and Lil Baby find themselves at the center of social media discourse, serving as a reminder of the entertainment industry’s ability to generate humor and commentary even in the midst of intense competition.
