Iceman broke records—and did little to quell ongoing criticisms of the artist. Where does that leave his fandom?
In our latest, Earl Hopkins goes deep on Drake's fandom and what his fans expect from him—whether it's addressing claims of cultural appropriation, or taking a stand on political issues:
He came closest during his battle with Kendrick, when he said Kendrick was “rapping like you bout to get the slaves freed” on the diss, “Family Matters”—yet this moment only amplified Kendrick’s claims that Drake only champions Black culture for profit, and it placed his fans in an uncomfortable spot. “I think more people would be shocked if Drake did speak about something unjust, which is unfortunate,” Gandy said. “It shows where we are today in music. Artists are more interested in what they can take from or gain from music, instead of what they can contribute to the artform.” Yet Desmarathes pointed out that putting pressure on Drake to speak out on social issues may be unfair. “I would love for him to stand for something, especially as a Black man,” he said. “But I do think when it comes to being an artist, there’s a fine line with that. And if we’re going to judge, then everybody needs to be held accountable as an artist.”
Read the whole piece or listen to an audio version read by Earl via the link above!
