It looks like Drake is causing a stir again. Despite Kendrick Lamar calling him out before, Drake’s now suggesting that Black Americans are upset because a Jewish Canadian like him is succeeding in rap. This claim has rubbed many the wrong way. Critics say his real issue isn’t about his race or background but about how he’s seen as exploiting Black culture for profit while showing little respect for it.
So what’s really behind Drake’s tension with Black America? Is he really embracing a “colonizer” label? For some context, Drake talks about his Jewish heritage and upbringing, including celebrating Jewish holidays and living in a mostly Jewish neighborhood.
Drake’s influence in Black American hip-hop has always been a topic of debate, but his ongoing clash with Kendrick Lamar has raised the stakes. Kendrick has made some bold claims in his diss tracks, suggesting that Drake shouldn’t be using the n-word and even calling him a colonizer. This has stirred up a lot of conversation among fans, with many feeling that Kendrick’s critique is valid because it underscores a pattern where Drake seems to use elements of Black culture mainly to boost his own image or career.
It’s worth noting that Kendrick isn’t the only one to take issue with Drake’s approach. For years, there have been whispers and accusations that Drake borrows from Black rap artists—adopting their sound, style, and even accents for his own benefit before moving on. Big names like Earl Sweatshirt, Rick Ross, and Pusha T have all weighed in, accusing Drake of being a culture vulture for a long time. To top it off, Drake has been accused of stealing flows from other artists, most notably from the late XXXTentacion, which led to a very public feud and even some wild rumors about Drake’s alleged involvement in X’s murder.
In early 2017, X accused Drake of copying his flow from “Look At Me” on the track “KMT” from Drake’s More Life mixtape. X shared his frustration with XXL magazine, saying he would have appreciated a shout-out or some acknowledgment from Drake. At the time, X was facing six felony charges and felt that even a small gesture from Drake could have made a huge difference. “He could have reached out to me directly, which would have been a lot more respectful,” X said. “But instead, he dropped a preview that sounded just like ‘Look At Me,’ and it could have really helped me while I was facing life in prison.”
After getting out of jail, X didn’t hold back in calling out Drake and his OVO crew. He explained, “I made ‘For So You’ while I was in jail. Drake was supposed to contact my manager, but instead, he released a video preview in Amsterdam featuring some explicit content from the UK. I was talking to my friend Chris, who told me to listen to it, and I knew right away what was happening. The fans were the ones who first pointed out that Drake was copying my style.”
X added, “They even made a mash-up showing how similar Drake’s verse was to my song. So now, where do we stand? I still think Drake’s being fake. I don’t start these things; I just respond. In this situation, I didn’t initiate anything. He took my style, and everyone saw it. I’m only 19, and he’s much older. He’s had surgeries and everything. I’m not just going to let him take my style and stay quiet about it.”
Drake initially stayed quiet about the feud, which made many people think he was taking the high road. But now, some fans believe he might have threatened XXXTentacion behind the scenes. In February 2018, just four months before XXXTentacion was killed, he posted on Instagram Stories, “If anyone tries to kill me, it was Drake. I’m snitching right now.” Although XXXTentacion’s attorney later claimed the account was hacked, one of the defense lawyers in XXXTentacion’s trial brought up the Instagram post. The lawyer argued that authorities should have looked into Drake’s possible connection to the case before XXXTentacion’s death, saying, “If anybody, it’s Drake.”
The defense lawyer questioned whether, right after the Instagram post, police had even spoken to Drake. He said, “Do you think in that time span they went and addressed him? No. Do you think, sitting here today, any detective has ever asked Drake or anyone like that? No. They never did that.”
Fans of XXXTentacion also think Drake might have dropped hints about his involvement in his music. For instance, on “I’m Upset,” which came out just a month before XXXTentacion’s death, Drake raps, “X, SMS, triple X. That’s the only time I blow the net.” After XXXTentacion’s death, Drake released “Mob Ties,” where he raps, “Louis bags in exchange for body bags,” which many took as a reference to what happened to XXXTentacion, especially since the killer took an LV bag filled with cash. Drake didn’t stop there. On his 2023 album with 21 Savage, Her Loss, he seems to reference the feud again in the track “On BS.” Drake raps, “Maybe I should break that 20, do a 10. If he held his tongue on that live, he’d be alive again.” The numbers 20 and 10 could be seen as a nod to XXXTentacion, with 10 being X in Roman numerals, and the line suggesting that someone who dissed him on Instagram Live is now dead.
Let’s revisit a time when Drake’s actions really drew criticism: his blackface photoshoot. These photos, taken in 2007 by photographer David Lez, showed a younger Drake before he became a rap superstar. When Pusha T used one of these photos for the cover of his diss track “The Story of Adidon,” it caused a huge stir online. Drake tried to explain that the photos were meant to highlight the mistreatment of Black actors. He said, “The photos were supposed to show how African-Americans were wrongly portrayed in entertainment and to point out the ongoing struggles for fair treatment in the industry.” But this explanation didn’t really calm the outrage.
To make matters worse, Drake continued to use slavery-related references in his music. On his 2023 track “Slime You Out” from For All the Dogs, he rapped, “Whipped and chained you like American slaves,” in the context of buying gifts for women. On another track, “Family Matters,” he used a similar line: “You always rapping like you about to get the slaves free.” This constant use of slavery as a punchline has been seen as not just tone-deaf but offensive. It’s strange and hurtful that Drake makes light of Black suffering while he wouldn’t dare to make similar jokes about the suffering of his own heritage. As one fan pointed out, “Drake’s jokes about slavery show he doesn’t really understand or respect Black pain. Imagine if Kendrick made a joke about Holocaust survivors—people wouldn’t stand for it. It’s clear that Drake doesn’t take Black pain seriously.”
Fans are talking about Drake’s recent associations with some pretty controversial figures. For instance, he’s been seen with country star Morgan Wallen, who faced backlash for using a racial slur. Then there’s the issue with the Hell’s Angels biker gang. Remember when Rick Ross got into a scuffle in Vancouver? During a music festival, he played Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” which didn’t sit well with some locals. There’s talk that Hell’s Angels members might have been involved in the altercation.
Drake has had a long-standing connection with the Hell’s Angels, often referencing them in his music and on social media. The gang has a history of racially motivated violence, including a brutal attack last September in San Diego, where they were reportedly involved in an attempted lynching of three young Black men.
Things took a turn when Drake liked a post about the incident involving Rick Ross and was later spotted in a Hell’s Angels shirt. Podcaster Don Brown criticized Drake, saying, “Rick Ross was attacked by a gang with ties to the Hell’s Angels, who also used racial slurs. Drake is known to support the Hell’s Angels and should publicly condemn white supremacy and the gang’s actions. There should be an investigation into his connections with Hell’s Angels leader Andrew Caru.”
If you haven’t heard of Andrew Caru, he’s this Canadian millionaire known for hosting these over-the-top, star-studded parties. But he’s got a pretty sketchy past with charges like possession and domestic violence, and there are rumors swirling that he’s involved in some seriously shady business—think Diddy-level shady. Internet sleuths say he’s got strong ties with the Hell’s Angels, and apparently, Drake has been hanging out with them to boost his street cred. In fact, Drake even included Caru in the music video for his diss track “Family Matters.”
But the drama doesn’t stop there. A video from a DJ in Dubai is making the rounds, where he goes off about Kendrick Lamar and criticizes Black American rappers and fans. He even claims that Drake is the real force uniting the West Coast, not Kendrick. The DJ’s comments are pretty controversial, especially since he seems to be hinting at using racially charged language, and his praise for Drake hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Drake was caught liking this video, and now fans are dragging him for it. They’re saying it’s more proof that Drake doesn’t respect the culture and the people who’ve supported him. Some fans see this as confirming Kendrick’s point that Drake is acting like a colonizer. One fan said, “There are plenty of biracial and non-Black artists who are supported by Black American fans. Drake just can’t admit Kendrick is the better rapper.” Another added, “Now he’s blaming the people who helped him get where he is. Classic colonizer move.”
So, what do you think about this whole colonizer debate and Drake’s claim that his mixed and Canadian background is why Black people don’t like him? Drop your thoughts below