“Make Them Pay” finds Drake reflecting on fractured industry alliances on his album ICEMAN, with longtime collaborator DJ Khaled appearing to be the target of his frustration.
The record opens with a bar that frames Drake’s cultural dominance: “Dawg, I was Adin Ross with streams before Adin Ross had ever streamed.”
The comparison to streamer Adin Ross signals Drake’s claim that he shaped internet-era attention long before streaming culture defined it.
He then narrows in on Khaled directly: “And Khaled, you know what I mean.”
The delivery suggests familiarity, but also disappointment. Drake implies Khaled will understand the context without explanation. “The beef was fully live, you went halal, and got on your deen,” Drake continues.
Drake Brings Up DJ Khaled’s Palestine Silence While Dissing Him On ICEMAN’s “Make Them Pay”
The reference to “halal” and “deen” points to Islamic practice and faith. Given Khaled’s Palestinian heritage and Muslim background, the lyric is widely read as Drake criticizing Khaled for stepping away from public conflict and choosing restraint during industry tension involving figures like Rick Ross and Kendrick Lamar.
The final lines sharpen the political undertone: “And your people are still waitin’ for a Free Palestine / But apparently, everything isn’t black and white and red and green, man.”
Here, Drake references ongoing global calls for Palestinian liberation, while contrasting political clarity with personal loyalty disputes.
The lyrics also gain added context due to speculation that Khaled had to remove Drizzy features from his upcoming project Aalam of God.
Taken together, the record frames Drake’s message as broader than industry rivalry. It positions loyalty, silence, and public stance as intertwined pressures in both music and identity politics.
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