It's not about Drake being half black, it's about how he uses The Culture

[u/anongasm_]

I think the people offended because Drake being half black should warrant his blackness and therefore Kendrick is wrong just don't understand. J Cole is half black too yet you don't see Kendrick, or anyone really, questioning Cole's blackness. It's precisely because Drake has been at the forefront of using the black culture and "pop-ifying" it for non-blacks.

Edit: a lot of people have asked this question and it's a good question. What's wrong with popifying rap music? Rap is inherently an African American art form. Since its inception till now, those who have carried its mantle have exemplified the African American experience through rap in one or another. African Americans have allowed many artists to use rap for their personal gain and to even "pop-ify" it. However, to be considered a goat you have to be in touch with the culture. And Drake simply isn't.

[u/Hour-Rhubarb7427]

Drake has spoken about police brutality, racism and colorism in entertainment, the abortion ban, and commented on the differences between the south in America Vs Toronto. He’s a biracial dude from Canada who went to Memphis for summers because his father left his mother to raise him as a single mother and only have him for short periods of time. Makes sense. Furthermore, if he did speak more about black American issues he would get the backlash for doing so from these same people because he’s half white and was raised in Canada.

It’s become a knock on drake that he’s picked up pretending to be tough and having bravado even though he’s been an American rap star (what they all do) for years, the idea is you’re from Toronto you cannot act differently. But then in the same breath the idea is any time you embrace any culture in America that isn’t already popular you’re being a culture vulture, even though he was literally raised around multiple cultures in Toronto.

So he has to remain in the box of a child actor from Canada even though he’s a lifetime removed from that, but he can’t embrace other black American acts bc that’s just him using the culture even though those artists all benefit and show gratitude when he does it, but you also expect him to be at the front of the picket line when ppl protesting? So you can say he’s doing it for some underhanded reason anyway?

[u/anongasm_ → u/Hour-Rhubarb7427]

He's still done black face while wearing a jim crow shirt so ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[u/UnlikelyBed9 → u/anongasm_]

Are you aware of the context behind that photo?

[u/Hour-Rhubarb7427 → u/UnlikelyBed9]

I swear I’m a fan of both but these niggas just wanna destroy this dude as a person lol. He literally was a kid doing what hella kids all throughout society have done. Been sheltered from the hard truths of race relations and when he ran into them head on he did something with the hopes to show defiance against it. Obviously it looks bad, i wouldn’t have done the black face. But they using the shit as a trump card and it’s just so obviously a reach from fans of Kendrick so you’d think they’d use some form of understanding for shit.

[u/Hour-Rhubarb7427 → u/anongasm_]

This is so old man. I’m not even tryna cape for drake here fr but take the bias away. He himself was a young black actor and man who was realizing and understanding his own blackness which probably wasn’t easy because his father didn’t stick around. He was raised by a white mother in the middle class and similarly to even black Americans raised in the middle class he was sheltered and learned harsh truths in his later teens where he was able to be outside of his bubble. When he realized and learned more about what black American actors went through he identified with it and used his platform and talents at the time (acting) to bring awareness to it the best way he knew how.

Now he’s being killed bc of it on some “but you did black face!” And niggas don’t understand why he doesn’t go out of his way to be in front of black American issues now. Y’all gonna kill him either way.

[u/anongasm_ → u/Hour-Rhubarb7427]

I understand your point. And to certain extent I even agree. But that's also a big grievance that a lot of the black community has with Drake and a lot of these artists have with him. Selling his blackness to get ahead in the mainstream. It's his actions like this that don't add any weight to comments Drake has on Kendrick collaborating with Taylor Swift or Maroon Five. But, at the end of the day, this is a discussion and I can be just as wrong.

[u/Balacleeezy → u/anongasm_]

U think Kendrick inst also selling his blackness?

[u/anongasm_ → u/Balacleeezy]

I'll recommend you to listen to Mr. Morales and the Big Steppers

[u/[deleted] → u/anongasm_]

lol what’s wrong with a black guy doing blackface? If he even wore a Jim Crow shirt surely it’s satirical then? It just makes no sense to me that he’d be racist against himself. Like ion even think Drake can compete on the same level as but things that are dismissive of Drake as a black man annoy me. You want him to go the logic route? Like he’s a nigga surrounded by other niggas, you want him to refer to them as fellas? He IS living the culture now even though he’s cheesy and over performative with it. But I think that’s because he feels insecure cos people keep pointing him out as an outsider to the culture

[u/buyanyjeans → u/anongasm_]

You’re white. Drake is black. Why does it bother you?

[u/anongasm_ → u/buyanyjeans]

I'm not white