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Meet Mr. Graham: A Quick Look into the Actions that Led to a Historical Feud [1]
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Date: 2025-02-11
It is hardly a matter of opinion that Kendrick Lamar has permanently tarnished the legacy of uber-successful musician Aubrey Graham, more commonly known as Drake. The rappers’ beef has been widely proclaimed as the largest of its kind since the infamous Tupac and Biggie controversies. While many readers may be familiar with the accusatory lines of Kendrick’s most recent trilogy of disses, they may not be familiar with the actions and behaviors that led to this blockbuster drama.
The first of Drake's questionable actions came in 2010 during a Colorado show; Drake—like many artists do—called a woman from the crowd up onto the stage. He proceeded to fondle her, kiss her on the neck, and dance with her. After approximately one minute of these activities, the girl asserted herself as 17; Video proof of this encounter can be found here: FAN INCIDENT. Though the incident was met with little more than light-hearted humor at the time, a closer examination reveals deeper issues that have persisted throughout Drake's career. Defenders of Drake often quote "Romeo and Juliet" laws as a defense for the artist’s behavior, an excuse that is both pathetically desperate and legally inadequate. For any readers unfamiliar with Romeo and Juliet laws, these laws prevent teens who have sexual relations from prosecution for statutory rape. For example, the state of Virginia permits teens aged 17 to have relationships with 16- and 15-year-olds(VA CODE). Unfortunately for Drake’s supporters, these laws apply only to teens under the age of 18—people over the age of 18 are never allowed to engage in sexual acts with a minor. South Carolina Code SECTION 16-15-305 describes the situation perfectly: “The average person, applying contemporary community standards relating to the depiction or description of sexual conduct, would find that the material taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest in sex.” The code goes on to clarify that one description of sexual conduct is: “An act or condition that depicts actual or simulated touching, caressing, or fondling of, or other similar physical contact with, the covered or exposed genitals, pubic or anal regions, or female breast nipple, whether alone or between humans… in an act of actual or apparent sexual stimulation or gratification…”(SC CODE) While Drake has never been formally charged or sued regarding this incident, it is unquestionable that his actions crossed the line both morally and legally. Furthermore, Drake's ignorance to the fans' age prior to his action is not a redeemable excuse, especially when it comes to matters of minors and sex crimes.
However, this would not be the last time Drake found himself at the center of such controversy. Fast forward to 2016, when his relationships were thrust back into the public spotlight, leading to more questions about his conduct. This situation is perhaps the most publicized of Drake's controversies, partly due to his prior friendship with Hailey's ex and future husband, Justin Bieber. Drake and Hailey Bieber (then Baldwin) publicly declared their relationship. At the ages of 19 and 29, their relationship was in no way illegal. That being said, it still reeked of unsavoriness. The couple had initially met when Hailey was just 14 years old—some five years prior—through mutual friends Kendall and Kylie Jenner. According to people close to the pair, they had been good friends throughout Hailey’s teen years. This begs the question: Was Drake grooming Hailey Bieber? Obviously, that is a sweeping accusation, and I won't make it without substantial evidence, but it’s reasonable to question the motives of a man who chooses to pursue a woman whom he watched grow up as soon as the opportunity is accessible to him. It seems plausible that Drake was preparing Hailey for when she was 18 and thus immediately attempted to woo her once she was no longer dating Justin.
Drake’s behavior with Hailey Bieber seems to set the tone for similar controversies that followed. Just two years later, another instance surfaced, this time involving Bella Harris, the daughter of renowned music producer Jimmy Jam - as she celebrated her 18th birthday. This birthday was commemorated by an intimate, one-on-one dinner at an empty, rented-out, high-class restaurant—RPM Italian—where their food was prepared by the restaurant's Michelin-star-caliber chefs. Once again, this event does not prove any crime or transgression; albeit, it still raised eyebrows. The two had,, once again, met when Bella was a young teen and seemed to delight in each other's friendship. While both have denied the relationship allegations, Instagram photos—seen below—from the two hint at the contrary. Two grown and consenting adults are free to do whatever they please, even if, for Drake, that means pursuing individuals he watched grow up.
Getty
As the evidence continues to grow, the artist's feud seems more and more fathomable.
We are yet six years in the past as we scrutinize Drake’s 2019 "friendship" with Millie Bobby Brown. Brown, aged 15, and Drake, aged 33, drew questioning glances from its genesis. While they both deny any type of inappropriate conduct, MBB is quoted saying:
"We just texted each other the other day, and he was like, 'I miss you so much,' and I was like, 'I miss you more.'"
As a man myself, I feel this is the perfect opportunity to make clear that a 33-year-old grown man should—unless they are family—on no occasion be in communication with a 15-year-old girl. Regardless of Drake's stardom and influence, telling a child that you miss them is egregiously inappropriate and inexcusable; a complete look at her statement can be found here: Statement. If this were insufficient, Millie was also quoted saying the two discuss Millie’s “boy problems.” When pressed about the details of those conversations, she replied,
"Oh, you know, that stays in the messages."
Drake and MBB relationship was one of the specific pieces of evidence that Kendrick utilized as ammunition during their feud.
As a musician, Drake is enfranchised with certain artistic liberties when it comes to lyrical choices in his songs. However, that shield can only withstand so much. In his song Nice For What, Drake says:
"You got a baby Benz, you got some bad friends. High school pics, you were even bad then."(Nice For What )
I feel that I need not explain the issue here and insult any reader's intelligence. Similarly, on The Heart Part 6, Drake repudiates the allegations, stating:
"Just for clarity, I feel disgusted, I'm too respected. If I was fucking young girls, I promise I'd have been arrested. I'm way too famous for this shit you just suggested." (The Heart Part 6)
This feeble attempt at denial opens more doors than it closes for the controversial artist. What does Drake's fame have to do with his resistance to statutory rape, and why is it relevant? Drake has also made his fair share of unappetizing friends - as pointed out in Kendrick's 5 time Grammy winning song " Not Like Us" -and concerning social media comments. In a tweet attributed to none other than himself, Drake writes:
"If you were amazing as a young bitch, I'd be going to jail... 'cause I'm fucking amazing" - Me.
While this is most likely just an abysmal choice of words, it adds to the growing mound of evidence against Drake. Regarding Drake's aforementioned friends—Drake's personal bodyguard, Baka Not Nice, has been convicted of forcing a twenty two year old woman into prostitution along with multiple related gun charges. Drake would later post the news of his release as "the best news." His motivation behind this statement is unclear, but his support for his convicted friend is undeniable. While supporting friends is admirable in most cases, why Drake would choose to voice his support for a convicted sex offender ,while having his own issues in the field, is disconcerting. Kendrick attacked Drake’s support in “Not like Us” with the line,
“Baka Got a weird case why is he around, certified lover boy-certified pedophile”
Drake's connection to Karl Malone has also raised eyebrows after a picture on Drake's Instagram displayed the two together - if you are unfamiliar with Karl Malone, he is infamous for impregnating a 13-year-old girl while he himself was nearly twenty one. While indubitably Drake had nothing to do with the 61 year old disgraced basketball player’s deed, his timely deletion of the photos during the early days of the feud did nothing if not add fuel to the fire. Like much of the evidence previously covered, these connections alone do not prove anything egregious. However, put together, a trend begins to emerge from Drake's behavior.
There are numerous other accusations against Drake and countless rabbit holes to go down; however, in an attempt to avoid exaggeration, no more shall be explored in this article. If you are interested in learning more about the topic, I implore you to do some digging into Drake and his other heinous allegations. This coagulation of evidence—circumstantial or not—should be considered sufficient to prove Drake's misconduct.
It is undeniable that Drake has questionable moral character. It is also undeniable that Drake has displayed a predatory pattern of both grooming and inappropriate conduct, specifically toward women. While Kendrick’s disses have humiliated the Canadian-born rapper, Drake has still been a leader amongst the streaming charts. Given the gravity of these allegations, it’s clear that supporting Drake sends the wrong message. It is quintessential to stand against such behavior and demand accountability from those who influence millions. To quote Kendrick, “you can't fake influence” it's up to us to take that influence out of people like Drake's hands and reposition into the control of people who represent the best of the industry.
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