Sophia Michaels
Canadian-born rapper Drake has been a controversial figure since the beginning of his career. After getting his start in the entertainment industry as an actor, Drake turned his attention to music and hasn’t looked back since. His relationships with famous women, his playboy persona, and his habit of befriending stars much younger than himself have caused him to receive some criticism over the decade, but he still seems to be living his best life. Still, there is one rather serious accusation that critics have leveled at him, and one that he recently opened up to address.
How did Drake become famous?
Drake (born Aubrey Graham) was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1986. As a child, he had a close relationship with his mother as his father was largely absent for much of his young life. As a teenager, Drake found himself drawn to acting and decided to pursue it as a career. When he was fifteen, he auditioned for a talent agent and won a leading role in the Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation. Drake’s character, a basketball star who is shot and becomes physically disabled, became one of the most popular characters on the show. He would continue to act on the show until 2007.
Even as he made a name for himself as a young actor, Drake wanted to get started in the music business. He released a debut mixtape in 2006, and over the next several years, he continued to work by consistently recording and releasing new music. By 2010, Drake was best known as a musical artist and had left his career as an actor behind him. These days, Drake is one of the world’s best-selling artists, with multiple hit songs to his name. Still, there are some reasons why a significant number of people don’t really like him all that much.
Many critics don’t like Drake for multiple reasons
Although Drake has a large, dedicated base of fans all over the world, there are many people who can’t stand the popular rapper. While some of the reasons are more abstract (there are those who say that he “tries too hard to be liked) there are distinct reasons why Drake is considered problematic.
For one thing, Drake has reportedly pursued friendships with girls who are significantly younger than he is. Many critics point to his friendship with Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown. Brown is a teenager and a known fan of Drake. The two started hanging out in 2017, and while neither Brown nor Drake has ever posted anything questionable on social media, many people think that the nature of their relationship is inappropriate.
What’s the main reason people don’t like Drake?
Possibly the biggest criticism leveled against Drake’s music is that he’s a “culture vulture” – that is, he is guilty of cultural appropriation. There’s no doubt that Drake has sampled a lot of regional and world music for various songs of his. He has experimented with Caribbean and Jamaican sounds in many of his records and has even assumed a Jamaican accent from time to time. He’s also borrowed influences from Europop and pop rock in his project So Far Gone.
Drake actually addressed the criticism that he has culturally appropriated different sounds and influences in a recent interview. He claimed that “definition of appropriating a culture is not supporting that culture” and that he always makes sure to “give opportunity” to those artists and people that he is featuring in his music. It seems that he is intent on letting any criticism slide off his back and keep his thoughts focused on the positive for the new year.
Written by: CheatSheet
