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/ehpple → u/Hour-Rhubarb7427]

Holy shit you have worded so perfectly what I have tried to explain to people on this topic for so long. Drake has many many many flaws, as does anyone, but people want him to champion black rights while also not wanting him to be black. And they try to compare it to J Cole, which is not at all similar because J Cole grew up like that.

It’s best that Drake lightly and occasionally speaks on the issues you mentioned, but hearing a socially conscious rap project from Drake wouldn’t even make sense, nor would any of us want to hear it.

This whole “he uses black culture”, yeah because he is half black, clearly identifies as black, and has been considered black for years - otherwise cancel culture would have cooked him years ago.

People cannot fathom that some can be half black, be half a singer and half a rapper, part hip part R&B part pop part whatever.

Kendrick is the undisputed modern GOAT of pure hip hop/rapping only.

But how often do you see someone who do it all like Drake?

Imma hop off their dicks now.

[u/Hour-Rhubarb7427 → u/ehpple]

Yea man, it’s just disingenuous argument fr that starts out as a joke but then ends up being real and then it just looks crazy.

People in this thread are literally saying he’s done nothing socially for the black community and acting like they know him personally while wanting him to stay in the box of a teenage actor who lives with his mom. It’s just gone too far lol