Drake Refuses to Perform “Work” Amidst Ongoing Strain in Relationship with Rihanna

The already strained relationship between Drake and Rihanna appears to be worsening, as the Canadian rap star has announced he will no longer perform their hit song “Work.”

During the opening night of the “It’s All a Blur: Big As the What?” Tour with J. Cole in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend, Drake informed the crowd that he would no longer sing the song, urging them to take on the task.

“I don’t sing this song anymore,” he declared while performing in a flying cage as “Work” began to play. “You can sing it for me.”

“Work” was released in January 2016 and featured on Rihanna’s eighth album, Anti. Produced by Boi-1da, the dancehall-infused track secured the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

This recent development follows Drake’s apparent references to Rihanna on his October album For All the Dogs. In the song “Fear of Heights,” he rapped about moving on from the past relationship, expressing sentiments like, “I’m anti, I’m anti/ Yeah, and the sex was average with you/ Yeah, I’m anti ’cause I had it with you.”

Continuing on “Another Late Night,” Drake called out Rihanna’s current partner, A$AP Rocky, with lyrics like, “I ain’t Pretty Flacko, bitch, this shit get really Rocky/ Damn, what? Dirty how I did him in the Wraith.”

A$AP Rocky seemingly responded to Drake on his Kid Cudi collaboration “WOW,” rapping, “These n-ggas can’t stomach me, gotta go get a mandrake.”

In February 2022, Drake unfollowed both Rihanna and A$AP Rocky on Instagram when the couple announced they were expecting their first child, adding another layer of tension to the ongoing saga.