Kanye West has reignited his turbulent relationship with Drake, a rapper he once cited as a major influence, by launching a fresh series of critiques. In a recent remix released on the podcast “The Download,” West disparaged Drake’s career, labeling it as “artificial” and suggesting that his success is more orchestrated than fans might believe.
During the interview, West expressed his dissatisfaction with “Push Ups,” a diss track by Drake which received general acclaim from fans and critics. West dismissed the track as ineffectual, stating, “Every bar that Drake said means nothing anymore,” and mockingly challenged, “Drop and give me 50, ain’t nobody gonna drop and do sht. Your raps don’t mean sht.” This isn’t the first time West has publicly criticized Drake’s popularity; he famously ranted about the extensive radio play given to the DJ Khaled and Drake single “For Free” during a 2016 concert.
Further elaborating on his views, West accused the music industry of artificially inflating Drake’s status. He compared the rapper’s career to a market manipulated by intermediaries: “It’s a bunch of middle men controlling the market… And everybody running around. Drake, all this sh*t is artificial.”
Despite their previous collaborations, including Drake’s contribution to the chorus of West’s 2018 track “Yikes” — for which he was controversially uncredited due to an oversight by West’s team — West now advocates for a complete professional disassociation from Drake. In a bold statement on “The Download,” he declared his intent to “pack that boy up,” collaborating with artists like Future and Metro Boomin on what he calls the “elimination” of Drake’s career.
As tensions escalate, the music industry and fans await to see if West’s confrontational approach will have the intended impact on Drake’s career.
