In case you missed it, this week has been pretty wild in the rap industry.
Rappers Drake and Pusha T have been going head-to-head in diss tracks, throwing savage punch after punch at each other. It all started when Pusha T released his new album, DAYTONA, which includes a song “Infrared,” that calls Drake out for using ghostwriters. In return, Drake released “Duppy Freestyle,” cracking down on Pusha T and his album’s producer, Kanye West.
Inevitably, Pusha came back with a diss track of his own, “The Story of Adidon,” which calls Drake out for being a deadbeat dad and getting a pornstar pregnant–and abandoning his son (much like his own dad had done to him). What really shocked fans was the album cover photo Pusha T decided to use–a photo of Drake in blackface.
Please stop referring to this picture as “artwork”…I’m not an internet baby, I don’t edit images…this is a REAL picture…these are his truths, see for yourself https://t.co/gd6vRS3HM8 pic.twitter.com/2el58HEZ8F
— King Push (@PUSHA_T) May 30, 2018
Many fans were outraged to see one of their favorite rappers in such a disrespectful attire.
Man drake wrong asf for the black face. Idc what y’all say
— 🌸 (@deliahbleux) May 31, 2018
I love Drake’s music, but that whole black face thing is rubbing me the wrong way…
— BΔK (@Keida_) May 30, 2018
drake is not wrong for keeping his child out of the limelight however this blackface pic will not get a pass
— JayBee 🐝✨ (@ecinahsenimsaj) May 30, 2018
Fuck da song.. Why Drake in Blackface wit dat shirt on?? Y'all wanna explain wats wrong wit ya boy??
— 🥷🏿THE NOBODY🥷🏿 (@iLays_Low) May 30, 2018
After people were curious why Drake–who happens to be biracial–was in blackface sporting a clothing line (Too Black Guys) created to mock black people, Drake himself issued a statement in terms of the photo. On Instagram, Drake explained that in 2007 when he was still an actor, he and his friend were working on a commentary project about how black actors were typecasted and struggling to get roles outside of their “stereotypes,” comparing it to a time of the Minstral show–showing not much had changed.
The co-founder of Too Black Guys–the shirt that Drake was wearing in the photo–also issued this statement saying:
The photo in question was not from a Too Black Guys photoshoot however it did feature clothing from Too Black Guys’ JIM CROW COUTURE/HOUSE OF CROW collection which was released in 2008.
The collection featured several graphics that highlighted the painful and dangerous period of the Jim Crow Era. Too Black Guys has a history of representing the black experience in an unapologetic way. Although this was not an image from any of our photoshoots, we feel that Drake, who is a long- time friend of the brand, was brilliantly illustrating the hypocrisy of the Jim Crow Era. The subtleties of Drake, a young black man, mimicking how white men used to mimic and dehumanize black people may be lost in a rap battle but we should not be distracted from the issues that are still affecting our communities.
Some people weren’t buying it though.
https://twitter.com/demariojackson_/status/1002027092739899392
I think I know what Drake was going for in the blackface photo. He THOUGHT he was making a profound statement on the way a black entertainer is looked at by society, trying to say "this is how they look at me" but it was a complete MISFIRE/FAIL and now the photo exists forever
— R.A. the Rugged Man (@RAtheRuggedMan) May 30, 2018
In regards to the context of what he explained about it I understand…but the fact that drake don’t advocate for African American political issues any other time makes his point null and void …also if he understood the history of blackface I don’t think he’d have done that
— Apollo Fortune (@Apollo_Fortune) May 31, 2018
Not buying what Drake said about the black face. He a goofy. And that’s really it..
— marz micahvelli🌻✨ (@naturallynami) May 31, 2018
Drake has been silent on so many political issues, so his point that the image was for political reasons is not believable.
Plus I can't see how blackface could be used for the effect he described 😐
— socrates (@reinakayla_) May 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/oddest_/status/1002191174059413504
What are your thoughts?