Hot rappers Drake and Future are facing off in a $1.5 million feud after Drake demanded supporting act Future be kicked off his tour in a beef over a Billboard article, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
Drake was booked to tour with Future and R&B singer Miguel on a 39-city schedule kicking off Friday in Pittsburgh.
Future went to Billboard magazine’s office on Oct. 4 to give editors a listen to his latest album, “Honest.” Associate editor Erika Ramirez published a story with quotes from Future, which she also posted on her Twitter feed.
“Not only is future’s #honest album interesting, so are his thoughts on Drake’s #NWTS album,” Ramirez wrote. She then went on to quote Future: “ ‘Drake made an album that is full of hits but it doesn’t grab you. They’re not possessive; they don’t make you feel the way I do’ — Future.”
After reading the story, Future’s horrified managers argued with the mag that his quotes were off the record and taken out of context. We’re told the online story was edited, but Ramirez didn’t delete her tweets.
Drake was so angry, he immediately demanded Future be booted from the tour. “He told his agent either Future gets fired, or he’ll fire him,” a source told us.
Future was fired, but then negotiations started to bring him back late last week. But over the weekend, Future pulled out for good after Drake’s camp demanded he make financial concessions.
Future, who was set to earn about $40,000 per gig, is set to file a lawsuit this week against Drake for lost wages, or about $1.5 million.
The rappers’ beef is the latest drama in Drake’s tour. Last month, about a dozen dates were pushed back and rescheduled.
Reps for both Drake and Future had no comment. A rep for Billboard told us: “We regret that miscommunication surrounding Future’s recent visit, one that seemed clear to us was on the record, may have caused any trouble for the artist.”