Sophia Michaels
Is Drake really ready to hang up his rap jersey for good? The music icon addressed that question during an Oct. 6 interview on “Table For One” to promote his new album “For All the Dogs.” While he’s not ready to throw in the towel on his music career entirely, he is looking forward to taking a much-deserved break.
“I probably won’t make music for a little bit. I’m going to be real with you. I need to focus on my health, first and foremost,” he shared (via TMZ), clarifying that his health issues are “nothing crazy.” He continued, “I want people to be healthy in life, and I’ve been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach . . . So I need to focus on my health and I need to get right.” In the end, Drake doesn’t anticipate his break will be too long. “Maybe a year or something, maybe a little longer,” he said about his timeline.
This is a slight change of tune for the “Slime You Out” singer. Back in February, Lil Yachty shared a clip of him interviewing Drake for his sunglasses brand, Futuremood, on Instagram, during which Drake teased that he’s seriously contemplating retirement.
“I’m at the point now where I just want to like, and I feel like maybe we talked about this the other day, but I feel like I’m kind of introducing the concept in my mind of a graceful exit,” Drake admitted during the rappers’ “moody conversation.”
It seems Drake has been subtly alluding to his exit from the rap game for a while. In January, he performed a two-night immersive greatest hits show at the esteemed Apollo Theater in Harlem, in which he transparently told the audience of his performance, “I wanted to make this about gratitude,” per Vibe, before treating them to songs from albums like “Take Care,” “Nothing Was the Same,” “Views,” and more.
The rap superstar also took stock of his life and years-long career during his shows — which included revisiting his “Degrassi” days by sporting an old Jimmy Brooks jersey. However, he made a statement that appeared to affirm his dedication to music, at least for the time being, as Okayplayer reported that he also said, “I’ve thought about a bunch of things in life, but at this moment in time, none of those things are stopping making music for you. So I’ll be here for you for a little bit at least.”
Even if Drake ever did seriously retire from music, it may not be a permanent move for the 36-year-old dad of one, as he wouldn’t be the first to make a quick comeback. JAY-Z famously announced his retirement from hip-hop after the release of 2003’s “The Black Album,” which was expected to be his last. Though we know that was short-lived because he returned to drop six solo albums afterward — “Kingdom Come,” “American Gangster,” “The Blueprint 3,” “Watch the Throne,” “Magna Carta… Holy Grail,” and “4:44.”
Seeing as though Drake has been a leader in music and pop culture for the last 10-plus years, we find it hard to believe he’ll disappear from the spotlight completely. But perhaps he’ll take a step back to nurture the next generation of rap artists.
