WARNING: This story contains explicit language that may offend some readers. Discretion is advised.
After releasing and re-releasing the music video for War due to the “Chair Girl” controversy, Drake sat down for a two-hour interview with Rap Radar to discuss his feuds and his past with Rihanna.
During the candid interview, Drake was asked about his recent collaboration with Chris Brown for No Guidance.
There was been tension between the pair due to the fact they both have history with Rihanna. She infamously dated Brown in 2008 and they broke up in 2009, after he was arrested for physically assaulting her.
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‘Chair Girl’ gone in re-released version of Drake’s music video for ‘War’
Rumours of Drake and Rihanna dating were first sparked in 2009 and the rapper also announced that Rihanna is “someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old” in 2018 at the MTV VMAs when he presented her with the MTV Video Vanguard Award.
Speaking to Rap Radar, Drake said his beef with Brown was “silly because it’s over girl stuff.”
“You know, really at the end of the day, when you kind of step away from it and break it down, you start to feel silly because it’s over girl stuff,” Drake said.
“But obviously that could snowball into real s–t and that’s what happened in this situation.”
Drake went on to say that “the person” who was “in the middle of us” is not currently part of either of their lives, without mentioning Rihanna’s name.
He said that he had a moment of “hesitation” before collaborating with Brown on No Guidance.
“I think of her as family more than anything and I felt… I actually had kind of a moment of hesitation before because I didn’t want her to ever feel disrespected by me linking up with him, but I also know how many nights she knows that me and him have both been consumed by this issue,” he said.
“I think she is a good person with a good heart who would rather see us put the issue to bed than continue like childish s–t that could end up in a serious situation,” he added.
During his interview, Drake also opened up about his feud with Kanye West and Pusha T.
The beef between Drake and Pusha T runs a long timeline, but in 2018 Pusha T reignited the feud with his track Infrared. In May 2018, Pusha T released his new album Daytona, which was produced entirely by West.
On Infrared, Pusha T questioned Drake’s lyrical abilities, saying, “It was written like Nas but it came from Quentin.”
The lyric refers to Quentin Miller, a rapper who Pusha T believes has been ghostwriting for Drake.
Drake responded to Infrared with his Duppy Freestyle, in which he dissed West, rapping: “What do you really think of the n—a that’s making your beats? / I’ve done things for him I thought he never would need / Father had to stretch his hands out and get it from me / I pop style for 30 hours, then let him repeat.”
Following a back-and-forth exchange on social media, Pusha T declared that Drake had been hiding a child on his Drake exposé, The Story of Adidon. The cover art is an old photo of Drake in blackface by photographer David Leyes.
The Toronto rapper later confirmed he had a son on his album Scorpion in June 2018 and speculation began that West was the one who told Pusha T about Drake’s son.
Drake was asked if he could ever squash everything between himself and Pusha T.
The Money in the Grave rapper said he’s in a “great healing place” but he has “no desire to ever mend anything with that person. That situation just went where it went and there is no turning back.”
“I sleep well at night knowing I didn’t get out-barred… It was just, you know, he told the world that the biggest artist at the time has a kid that he hasn’t told you about. I knew kind of, for me, it was over at that point. It wasn’t even about battle rap.”
Drake was asked if he thought Pusha T went “too far” by “revealing the child.”
He said he tips his hat “to the chess move,” calling it a “genius play” in the game of chess.
Drake said that he believes Pusha T “made an entire career off” their year-long feud.
“I personally don’t [like his music] ’cause I don’t believe any of it. And I like to listen to guys I believe,” he said. “You just get to peek behind the curtain too. When I was whatever, 16, thinking that he was the biggest dope dealer in the world serving bricks to all, every corner of America, yeah sure… I was… a fan obviously more so just a fan of Pharrell and the Neptunes.
“I always wanted to be signed to Star Trak and stuff like that, that was the wave. Now that I’m grown up, and I know him and the truth, it’s just not as appealing.”
When asked about his feud with West, Drake said he could never “turn my back on things I’ve said about him in a positive light.”
“There’s something there that bothers [West] deeply and I can’t fix it for him. I could never, ever, ever ever turn my back on the things that I’ve said about him in a positive light, and I still feel all those same things… Obviously with the exception of Lil Wayne — and if I look at Hov as the guy who truly shaped the majority of my thinking, skill set, all those things — Kanye West would be my favorite artist all around.”.
“And that’s just facts. I have no problem saying that,” Drake admitted. “Things have changed. I’m not just some kid that’s a fan anymore. Now we have personal situations, and like I said, a lot of his issues with me, I can’t fix them for him.”
When asked if he would be open to communicate with West, Drake said: “No, not really, because it’s not on my end, I have no problem with any of these guys, I don’t even know these guys like that.”
Watch the interview in the video above.
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