Rapper Drake released For All the Dogs on Friday, his eighth studio album. For All the Dogs features appearances from SZA, Bad Bunny, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Lil Yachty, Sexxy Red and even Drake’s son Adonis. Hype surrounding the 36-year-old rapper’s eighth album began circulating in January, though the album was just released after months of delay.
For All the Dogs received mixed reactions from critics and fans, most notably for Drake’s use of misogynistic lyrics. The album has been described as the rapper’s most immature release yet, some critics say.
Some fans are speculating that track four, titled “Fear of Heights,” takes shots at musician Rihanna, along with her partner A$AP Rocky. In the intro of “Fear of Heights,” Drake repeatedly says the word “anti,” the title of Rihanna’s No. 1 2016 album. After reflecting on how fans “make it sound like [he’s] still hung up on” his ex, the rapper goes on to seemingly diss Rocky with “that man, he still with you, he can’t leave you,”
Listeners are alleging Drake of petty misogyny, wishing that he would just move on and make music about something other than failed relationships. Music journalist Will Hodgkinson noted how Drake, “a seriously good rapper,” just can’t “stop himself from complaining all the time.”
For some fans, rappers taking digs at other artists has become common and expected. But for some people, like junior Janelle Nwakuche, Drake taking stabs at people is becoming an annoying occurrence.
Janelle Nwakuche: “I feel like Drake is always doing things like this. He’s kind of really annoying. I mean, it’s like I this is stupid. Like, it doesn’t really make any sense. There’s not really even, like, nobody’s really checking for you. I haven’t really heard anything about Rihanna saying anything to him. So I think it was just, like, really annoying.”
Some rappers, says senior Christine Fisseha, like creating drama around their new releases by taking jabs at other people.
Christine Fisseha: “I think it’s not okay how he like how artists do that sometimes, like just take stabs at each other. But I will say, like, maybe it was just for like to create drama and like for the flow and stuff, but I don’t know too much about the relationship. I just wouldn’t think that it’s the best thing to say or hear if it it was directed to her.”
Looking at Drake’s past relationship with Rihanna, many have seen how it’s become a constant meme, at least according to senior Jordan Jones.
Jordan Jones: “I know like anytime Rihanna gets in a relationship or has a baby, I know like, there’s always like, oh, Drake’s punching the air right now or something like that. Um, I didn’t listen to those lyrics or like those lyrics specifically, but I could see how he would take digs.”
Drake has announced he will be taking a break from music to focus on his health. Some fans hope this pause will bring back the “Old Drake.”
For Annenberg Media, this is Kaitlin Becenti.