DJ Khaled has spent years describing Drake as one of the greatest rappers alive, collaborating with him on some of the biggest records of his career and publicly celebrating nearly everything the Toronto superstar touched.

This time, Drake’s name was nowhere to be found.

While out in Paris, Khaled was approached and asked who he considered the best rapper alive. His answer came quickly: Jay-Z.

Khaled then expanded on the subject, mentioning several other MCs he loves before eventually giving a top-five list that included Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Nas and Rick Ross.

Drake was noticeably absent.

The omission immediately attracted attention because this wasn’t simply one famous artist leaving another famous artist off a subjective rap ranking. Drake and Khaled have one of the most commercially successful collaborative relationships in modern hip-hop, and the moment comes after their once-publicly close relationship appeared to deteriorate.

It also follows Drake directly calling Khaled out on music earlier this year.

That context turned an otherwise ordinary top-five conversation into another indication that something between the longtime collaborators has changed.

Jay-Z Is Khaled’s No. 1

When Khaled was initially asked about the best rapper alive, he selected Jay-Z.

“But I got a few of them that I love,” Khaled continued, before mentioning artists including Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nas and Scarface.

He made clear, however, that Hov remained his personal favorite.

Khaled later rattled off what he described as his top five, naming Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, Tupac, Nas and Ross, according to a transcript review of the original social-media video.

Some published reports, including Complex, transcribed Khaled as also saying Kendrick Lamar. A separate review of the original clip and its captions disputes that transcription and says Kendrick’s name isn’t audible in Khaled’s final top five. Because of that discrepancy, Kendrick’s inclusion should be treated cautiously unless clearer original footage establishes otherwise.

There is considerably less ambiguity about the name Khaled didn’t say.

Drake wasn’t included.

Drake and Khaled Used to Be Nearly Inseparable Musically

That absence stands out because Khaled and Drake spent well over a decade producing hits together.

Their collaborative history stretches back to 2009’s “Fed Up,” which also featured Usher, Young Jeezy and Rick Ross.

Then came “I’m On One.”

Released in 2011 with Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, the record became one of Khaled’s defining early crossover hits and helped establish the formula he would repeatedly use throughout the following decade: Khaled assembling some of rap’s biggest stars while functioning as producer, curator and larger-than-life personality.

Drake remained central to that formula.

They reunited for “No New Friends” in 2013 alongside Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, then scored another major record with “For Free” in 2016.

In 2017, Khaled released “To the Max” with Drake.

Three years later came “POPSTAR” and “GREECE,” two Drake collaborations released simultaneously in 2020.

“POPSTAR” became particularly memorable when Justin Bieber starred in its music video while Drake appeared primarily through the song itself.

Then, in 2022, Drake joined Khaled and Lil Baby on “STAYING ALIVE.”

For years, a new Khaled album practically invited speculation about whether Drake would appear.

That is what makes their current distance particularly striking.

Things Started Looking Different Before Drake’s Public Callout

Signs of trouble became visible before Drake explicitly addressed Khaled on record.

In early 2025, Khaled promoted his then-upcoming album Aalam of God with a cinematic trailer and suggested the project would include two Drake songs.

Drake then appeared to dispute that claim publicly.

“Must be @drakebell,” Drake commented, seemingly joking that Khaled was referring to actor and musician Drake Bell rather than him.

Khaled subsequently removed the original promotional material, intensifying speculation that something had changed between the two longtime collaborators.

At the time, neither man gave a comprehensive public explanation of what had happened.

But the situation became much more direct in 2026.

Drake Called Khaled Out on “Make Them Pay”

Earlier this year, Drake released “Make Them Pay,” and Khaled was among the people he addressed.

Drake criticized Khaled, who is of Palestinian heritage, over what Drake portrayed as Khaled’s silence regarding Palestinians during the Gaza war.

The lyric was notable because Drake wasn’t taking a shot at a distant rival.

He was addressing someone with whom he had created hit records for more than a decade.

The criticism added an entirely different dimension to speculation about their relationship.

When Khaled was later approached by a streamer and asked to say “Free Palestine,” he responded with a peace sign and said, “Peace and love to everybody,” rather than repeating the requested phrase.

Khaled has not publicly delivered a comparable musical response attacking Drake.

But the days of publicly celebrating their friendship appear, at minimum, to have cooled considerably.

Fat Joe Says He Tried to Bring Them Back Together

There is additional evidence that the tension isn’t merely something fans invented from social-media posts.

Fat Joe — one of Khaled’s closest longtime friends — publicly acknowledged that there was something to repair.

During an August appearance on The Breakfast Club, Joe said he had attempted to help resolve whatever was happening between Drake and Khaled.

“I love Drake,” Joe said, before explaining that he had tried to “fix” the situation between Drake and Khaled.

Joe also made clear that his loyalty to Khaled remained firm, describing him as his brother.

That comment was significant because it moved the story beyond interpreting cryptic posts or album announcements.

Someone personally close to Khaled was openly talking about attempting to reconcile the two men.

Now Khaled has publicly discussed his favorite rappers without mentioning one of his most successful collaborators.

Drake’s Absence Is More Interesting Than the Ranking

Top-five rapper lists are inherently subjective.

Khaled isn’t obligated to rank Drake, and leaving him out doesn’t establish that Khaled intended the answer as a diss.

He also didn’t criticize Drake during the exchange.

That distinction matters.

There is no confirmation from Khaled that his list was designed as retaliation for “Make Them Pay,” and it would be speculation to state that as fact.

But the timing makes the omission notable.

Had Khaled given the same answer years ago, it might have generated little more than debate among rap fans.

In 2026, after Drake publicly questioned a Khaled album announcement, subsequently called him out on a song and Fat Joe acknowledged trying to repair their relationship, Drake disappearing from Khaled’s list carries considerably more context.

Rick Ross’ Inclusion Adds Another Layer

Rick Ross being included also attracted attention because Ross has had his own very public falling-out with Drake.

Ross and Drake were once frequent collaborators themselves, recording songs including “Aston Martin Music,” “Lord Knows,” “Stay Schemin’,” “Diced Pineapples,” “Money in the Grave” and others.

Their relationship deteriorated dramatically during the larger 2024 rap conflict surrounding Drake.

Ross eventually released “Champagne Moments,” a diss track directed at Drake, while the two exchanged insults publicly.

Khaled and Ross, meanwhile, have maintained a relationship stretching back many years.

That doesn’t establish that Khaled chose Ross specifically to antagonize Drake. Ross has been one of Khaled’s closest and most frequent collaborators since long before Drake’s feud with him.

But given the current relationships among the artists, fans were inevitably going to notice.

Khaled and Drake Built Too Much History for the Omission to Go Unnoticed

The larger story isn’t really whether Drake belongs in DJ Khaled’s personal top five.

It’s how dramatically the public image of their relationship has changed.

For years, Khaled enthusiastically promoted his Drake collaborations.

Drake wasn’t merely another artist who occasionally appeared on a Khaled album. Their records repeatedly became major moments in Khaled’s career, and Khaled frequently spoke about Drake with extraordinary admiration.

The pairing became so familiar that the possibility of multiple Drake features could be used to build anticipation around an upcoming Khaled project.

Now, after a period of public tension, Khaled can discuss his favorite rappers on camera without mentioning Drake at all.

Whether that was deliberate remains known only to Khaled.

But the broader deterioration of their relationship is no longer based entirely on fan theories. Drake has publicly addressed Khaled, and Fat Joe has publicly acknowledged attempting to repair the relationship.

The latest moment doesn’t prove the feud has escalated.

It does show how far the public dynamic has shifted.

The man who spent years shouting about Drake records is now naming his favorite rappers — and Drake isn’t one of the names coming out of his mouth.