As many of Drake rivals would even confirm, the Canadian native is easily one of Hip-Hop’s most successful talents.
Naturally, such status brings with it ample praise and critique in equal measure. The latter, especially, has been levelled against the MC in recent years due to his supposed “emotional” nature. A start contrast to the hyper-masculinity that stills dominates the Rap arena.
Keen to address the matter, the ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’ rapper readily offered his response to the internet jibes thrown his way in the latest issue of VIBE magazine, which he also covers.
The 27-year-old also waxed honest on his friendly rivalry with Kanye West, his goals, desire to be a dad and more.
Peep excerpts from VIBE interview with the articulate star after the jump…
Via VIBE:
Do the jokes and Internet memes ever get to you?
It’s flattery. I’m just being human, it’s not like I’m on records crying and making videos in the rain and shit. I always get to this point where it’s like, “Man, how come this guy is allowed to do this? How come this guy is allowed to talk about the streets? All he did was be around it, just like me. He didn’t live it, but he’s allowed to talk about it. How come this guy is allowed to make girl records—love records—but they’re not girl records or love records when he does it?” I just have to step back and be like, because it doesn’t matter what those guys do. Whoever that is, it just doesn’t matter. They’re not important enough to be scrutinized like that. So it’s that feeling of accepting that I’m at the top and I don’t give them enough to talk about, so they have to make shit. No one ever loves that guy that’s on top.
In an interview with Los Angeles’ Power 106, Kanye West told Big Boy that he wishes he’d recorded “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” [10] How does it feel to hear someone who’s inspired you— someone who’s greatly steered hip-hop culture in the past decade—say that about your song?
[Pauses] As of late, me and ’Ye have opened up the doors to having communication and a relationship that was closed for a bit—and it needed to be. To push him more. We’re just checkin’ on each other once in a while. I’m sure it’s always gonna be competitive. [OVO co-founder] Oliver El-Khatib and I were talking the other night, like, “How crazy it is to hear ’Ye say shit about us?” We’re some kids from Toronto. It’s crazy. I couldn’t have predicted it. I’m still very much honored when I hear something like that because that’s still my guy. He’s why people accept me. He really was the first one to break down that door that I was allowed to walk through. It was crazy to hear him say anything about my music, let alone, that. And there’s a lot of good songs out right now for him to say that. It’s dope.
You brought him out as a surprise guest at OVO Fest in Toronto in August. He said you’re the reason that he and Jay Z made Watch the Throne, because you were bringing the pressure. Have you had a conversation with him since?
We talk a lot. We talk about potential things, working on stuff together. It’s just so interesting to go from OVO Fest to now, being the two tours that are on the road in America. We’re kinda back on the same—What’s he gonna do? ’Cause I know what I’m gonna do. It’s like that Bird and Magic documentary of them reflecting on everything years later. Me and him might be able to do one of those one day, a crazy sit-down together in suits and just be old, like, “This how I really felt.” He’s, like, the best. What an era to be a part of. I wouldn’t want my competition to be anybody else. My competition is nobody else, by the way. It’s just me and ‘Ye. I still have work to do but that’s what it is right now.
What else is on your list of goals?
That line pertains to where I’m at right now. I’ve achieved so much. I have new goals every day. I went to go see a house the other day I fell in love with. I can’t afford it. [Laughs] That shit’s expensive, on some [Mike] Tyson shit. The ultimate goal, that one never really changes. I wanna raise a family, be a good father.
Big family or small family?
I don’t know, man. I’m not ready for all that. I just wanna be a good father. I don’t wanna not have time to do it. That’s far off. It’s time to go in now. I just want people to look back one day, like, “That guy dictated so much in my life. He was the soundtrack.” I listen to my father and uncles talk about old soul that way. I just wanna be remembered as being honest. And I wanna be celebrated in my city. It’s showtime. The lights are on. Chubbs—that’s my guy—he says, “The lights on you, what you gonna do?” That’s my life motto. “The lights are on me, so what am I gonna do?”