I'm (Also) Breaking Up with Drake
Rapper shows no growth on new album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U
Back in 2015, Pitchfork ran an op-ed titled "I’m Breaking Up With Drake." In it, Meaghan Garvey boldly declared, “If Drake is the voice of our generation, we are all fucking doomed.” Naturally, the backlash was swift and vicious—Drake’s fans came out in droves, spewing the kind of toxic misogyny Garvey herself had called out in the first place.
But here we are, ten years later, and her words? They couldn’t be truer.
This Valentine’s Day, Drake released his latest album—$ome $exy $ongs 4 U—in collaboration with PartyNextDoor.
And if this is the soundtrack for our generation, we are beyond fucking doomed.
Let’s dissect the oh-so-witty tracklist: “Gimme a Hug,” “OMW,” “Spider-Man Superman.” Oh, and we can’t forget the bar where he casually raps, “Fuck a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit.” Kendrick Lamar remains his Candyman— he still can’t say his name—and yet, here we are, grappling with an album that serves up the same tired ideas.
Case in point: “You said your mama kicked you out, so where the fuck you ‘bout to go?” This is not a line from a man who’s evolved. As Jezebel asks: Why is a nearly 40-year-old man dating a woman who still living at home? Somebody cue “A minorrrrr”.
There’s a pervasive term in rap that makes my skin crawl—"doing it for the ladies." A term often used to describe records that are melodic and less about bars, as if women are incapable of appreciating “real” lyricism.
After losing face with true hip-hop heads, Drake turns to the women for validation.
The issue here, though, is that women don’t want Drake.
We see through him. We see how he uses women as punchlines in his music. Look at his track record—Virginia, Whitney, Serena. It’s a laundry list of women who exist only to prop up his ego. And when he isn’t using them as fodder, he’s hiding behind them—he recently posted Serena Williams’ female agent and Lucian Grainge’s daughter-in-law from his fake Instagram account—because that’s what tough guys do, right?
The truth is, women were the ones who made Drake. Period. We supported him when the industry mocked him for being "soft," when his emo lyrics, off-key singing and DeGrassi IMDb credits were seen as weaknesses. We made him who he is, and men had no choice but to catch up.
But now, with $ome $exy $ongs 4 U? It’s men who are leading the conversation. Specifically, toxic men. Incels. Men who are perpetually offended and so deeply entrenched in their own victimhood that they’ve created their own reality—one where Drake is the hero. These are the voices that are now championing Drake’s “comeback”.
We live in an era where misogyny and victimhood are celebrated, and the toxic undercurrent that permeates Drake’s music seems to be what connects him to this crowd.
With social media breeding a platform where these losers thrive, it’s no wonder his fans have devolved into a loud, unapologetically problematic group. Believe me, I know first hand.
But let’s be clear: There is nothing exciting, inspiring, or sexy about it.