Rappers have been stepping up in 2020.
Everyone from Nas to Lil Baby to Wale has been using their music as a platform to speak on the pandemic, protests and politics of this long, hot summer. It’s a reminder Hip Hop is the music of the people. Rappers stand with their listeners, relating to their experiences with their own struggles.
And then there’s Drake.
While he’s been commendably outspoken about the police killing of George Floyd, his latest cut marks him decidedly tone deaf to the realities of a life-altering, global pandemic.
DJ Khaled and Drake dropped “Popstar” and “Greece” on Friday (July 17). These joints are nothing new from Drake, who has been coasting on his crowd-pleasing crooning ability and crossover appeal for years now. They’re a pair of smooth, “cute” songs that will be streamed endlessly by college kids and Drizzy stans. Stripped of context, these are inoffensive tracks that paradoxically prove Drake’s staying power while also underscoring how nonchalantly contrived his music has become.
However, considering the context of a pandemic the The New York Times says has claimed over 139,000 lives in the U.S. alone, “Greece” once again reveals the rapper-singer to be self-indulgent and obtuse without a trace of irony.
The premise of the song is simple: Drake invites a nameless lady friend to swim off the shores of Santorini with him, all the while surely impressing her with his bags of cash, speedboats and Jeep. (That’s right, his Jeep.)
While some might argue Drake is indulging us lucky listeners in a fantasy to wash away our fears about a dangerous virus that’s sweeping the globe, the reality is this song is more out of place right now than Kenny Chesney at a DaBaby show.
Drake Is Officially In 2020 Album Mode
“Come with me, leave all of your things, yeah/We can stop at Gucci, stop at Louis V, yeah/Come with me, fly you out to Greece/Full speed, survoler Paris, yeah,” Drake sings on the hook.
Let’s forget about the fact Drake is shamelessly pandering to the lowest common denominator of the music listener, as evident in his exhausted references to Gucci and Louis Vuitton. I won’t even delve into how Drake is name-checking a brand that caught heat for releasing a sweater that mimicked blackface. Instead, let’s focus on how his supposedly female-friendly lyrics are just a thin veil for his self-congratulating mindset and blatant narcissism.
How else do you explain dropping a song like this right now? Maybe Drake hasn’t checked the news lately but flying over Paris? Not possible (with few exceptions) for those living in America right now.
Hell, even interstate travel is limited and discouraged. What a time to be alive.
But hey, he’s Drake. He’s the one who plays border patrol, remember? He’ll go where ever he damn well pleases, whether it’s to Europe or just for a run around his lavish Hidden Hills neighborhood.
“Joggin’ past your wife and she gets chills (Oui, oui)/All because of how I kept it real,” Drake brags, apparently oblivious to the strong possibility her chills are not because of his supposed authenticity but rather a symptom of a deadly, highly contagious virus that has caused over than 596,000 deaths around the world to date.
Apparently, a luxurious trip to Greece wasn’t enough. On the outro, Drake boasts about letting a woman stay in his room at a hotel in the Turks and Caicos Islands — so much for social distancing.
As is usually the case in a Drake song, an unnecessary problem arises. He laments being a nice guy who tried to “play it right” all because she got “attached.” (Hey, as he says a few bars earlier, it’s not his fault he’s rich.)
“I could tell you’re sick inside/’Cause she just wanna love me,” Drake concludes.
The problem has been identified. She must be sick because she loves Drake so much. Who wouldn’t? That’s obviously the cause. Not a disease that has infected people across the globe. No, not that.
I suppose Turks and Caicos is as good a place as any to self-quarantine. None of this is pointed out to make fun of the pandemic but rather to shine a light on the head-shaking jackassery Drake can’t help but indulge in.
Drake's Celebrity Shrine Back Tattoo Fully Visible In Barbados
If anyone sees this as an overreaction and thinks “it’s just a song, man” or wants to have a lengthy discussion about the separation of art and reality, there’s the matter Drake was alleged to have been posing with fans — disregarding social distancing and with no mask on — in Barbados just days ago.
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy used to have a standard for his artists. According to The Telegraph, when his artists pitched songs to him, he’d ask them, “If you had a dollar, would you buy this record or buy a sandwich?”
Maybe Drake needs to take that recording approach and modify it. After recording a song, he could ask himself: is this track going to make me sound out-of-touch and entitled in these turbulent times?
If the answer is “yes,” he should delete the cut and start over.
As for the rest of us, well, ignorance is contagious. Keep it six feet away at all times.
People are sheeple
Kratos
Wtf this articles writer sounds like a disgruntled fan lol. It’s a song title idiot not a way of life
Song is weak too :-/
This articulate fucking sucks. Go yell at Eminem for rapping about shooting schools up. These songs could be a year old.
WTF is an “articulate”? WTF you bringing up Eminem for grandpa? ??
I don’t wear Gucci or much of any designer clothes, but calling people who like those references — (I personally don’t care for them either — “the lowest common denominator of music listeners” kind of exposes the author’s own arrogance. Newsflash: even with the pandemic and protests, my black ass neighborhood — (I’m also black) — still loves its ghetto ass, hood glorifying, Gucci-loving ass rap. That being said, I don’t listen to much Drake. I like a few of his songs, but not many. And honestly, idgaf if he makes a song about Greece. Hhdx will praise Lil Baby’s wokeness on that one song that made their front page — (haven’t heard that one either, just like “Greece”) — but ignore all his other tracks glorifying this, that, and most things decadent. Basically, what I’m saying is, I disagree with this editorial on several levels. And I’m somewhat of a backpacker myself. Now watch them delete my shit.
Wtf did I just waste my time reading? This author is literally retarded.
Greek is a video word for anal sex. You heard it here first. Could the sing be a code.
Bro this cry baby ass article. You sound worse than CNN and that is saying something. This is not newsworthy. Hiphopdx is becoming the CNN of hip hop sites. Like literally your opinion on drake ballin out of his mind and living the good life matters very little. It’s music. Meant to make you feel a certain type of way. Quit you hating and go back to your basement.
My Mom allowed me to scream and yell in Walmart’s growing up. We lived off the government my whole life. Now I have a real job hating on hip hop artists. Yoy belong in Chaz with all the other cry babies.
dude how bad did Drake hurt you LMAO
The 2 Drake put up ,were not as good as the 3 Joey Bada$$ dropped in my opinion.
Wow. This article is a prime example of why this site has become utter shit. By your analysis people are lining up by the thousands to travel to Greece based off of this song. This site is so ass. Whoever wrote this is definitely the same guy who typed out “Lauren” Hill three different times in the same article the other day.
Y’all constantly delete my comments because I tell the truth. This article is insane. Y’all act like half a million people are going to go to Greece based off this song. That’s just stupid. Almost as stupid as falling Lauryn Hill “LAUREN” three different times in an editorial last week. Instead of deleting my comments, how about taking the constructive criticism and write something that doesn’t wars the reader’s time.
Maybe spellcheck your comment so someone can understand it?
Lmao I misspelled calling as falling. That’s my big spell check error? Lmao. Loser
Don’t blame him folks, he didn’t write the track. He is doing what the execs tell him to do, like a good little boy. I guess he hasn’t realized that Young Money fel the fuck off. Shout out to Niki Minaj, who needed to do a track with everyone’s favorite pedophile to have a hit again.
LOL @ all the DRake fanboys in the comment section off of a sudden when all they do is complain anytime an Drake article is posted. I’ve been coming here for years…. I KNOW LOL!!!!
This is easily the dumbest article I’ve ever read. If you’re gonna give Drake hell for making a non black lives matter or coronavirus song then please keep that same energy for every other artist. Lupe just dropped a song with Virgil. Who’s got money to spend on shoes at a time like this? Travis and Cudi dropped a song saying that the scotts are outside. Should anyone be outside right now? See how ridiculous that sounds? Delete this whole thing and pick up a new hobby bc editorials aren’t your thing Aaron. I’m not even a Drake fan but this is such a reach I’m surprised you haven’t dislocated your shoulder.
Lol I didn’t even read the article I just came here to read comments by all the drake stans..Drake doesn’t have a hive yet? Cause sheeeeeesh you guys are riding more than shorties
You’re all the way in your feelings, tell us how Drake hurt you.
Trash ass article. Drake spoke out about George floyd. Is he supposed to change his entire life because of it? Drake is doing what drake does. If drake got real political we’d all be like, “uhhhh drake, shut the fuck up bro!” Now, if dead prez came out with a song about going to Greece right now that’s a bit different.
When you think about it this comes full circle. Drake’s blackface photo and his latest interviews. He says that he should be respected more in the black community because he raps over African like beats and because he actually lives the rich lifestyle, but never mentions about rapping about other topics besides his riches sex and haters.
If drake did a song about BLM, he’d be riding the “political wave” and that would be the complaint. He can’t win. Heavy he who wears the crown
More like the feminine night gown (ouch)
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Hey i need to see some dick pics send em my way n we can exchange u wanna see some big tits n ass chrissy is my name (412)908-0049
Wow… Drake isn’t all political in his songs… Who could have seen this coming?
imagine still thinking its a real pandemic.
When you think about it, this is coming full circle. In his latest interviews, Drake was talking about how he should be respected in the black community more because he raps over African beats and how he actually lives the rich lifestyle. Never talked about rapping about more than his riches, drugs, and/or sex.
This is some bitch ass shit right here. Either the writer is trying to get in with the “woke” population, or he is actually retarded (I decided to use this word because it doesnt matter what word is use, people will take offense anyway) and believes this nonsense. Fuck Drake for being so average yet so popular, but fuck this guy even more. Even though I dont like Drake, if you write this article about this song you should have been writing this same article for the past 4 months about 99% of the music released. What a clown. And the idiot in the comment below which doesnt believe this is a real pandemic can suck it. It may only kill like 5% of people but it has lasting effects to those who beat it, whether you can physically feel them at the moment or not.
Awesome post! It had me laughing (bc of the truthfulness).
Whoever wrote this bullshit is a hating ass bitch a real life dumb bitch Drake is the dam goat I mean dam y hate on the man and everybody out isn’t making pandemic songs bitch
LMAO at all the people in the comments calling people “Drake stans” for speaking their minds. Not one person has said Drake is king or the best, all they’ve done is accurately point out how 99% of the music dropped during COVID is content wise just like this Drake song. Y’all really gotta stop riding dicks and getting mad when someone has an articulate opinion. This article is trash, just like the other music that’s been coming out akin to this song ?
Drake is sooooooo sexy!! I wanna have his babies!!!!!
Is the music supposed to be that serious?
Not everyone needs to support the times we are living, he’s an entertainer, and the best one there is in the music industry.
You’re just a shitty spam website, lol.
Who tha fuck wrote this article? This is the stupidest shit I’ve read since online learning began.
Not a Drake fan, don’t mind the odd tune…
Why does Drake have to be ‘conscious’ of current world dynamics in his music? That’s ridiculous…..
BTW: the track Greece is fcuking trash!
Give us a break Aaron McKrell