Drake Covers Vibe, Claps Back at Critics & Talks Not Being Ready to Settle Down

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Drake had a big year considering his latest album “Nothing Was the Same” was a hit, so it makes sense that the rapper nabbed the cover of the Winter 2014/Race issue of Vibe Magazine to talk about the big year he’s had.

Check out the cover below:

Here are the highlights of the interview.

On all the memes that flood Instagram daily that make fun of him and even the criticism he gets often for singing quite a bit on his albums:

“It’s flattery. I’m just being human, it’s not like I’m on records crying and making videos in the rain and sh*t. 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 sh*t. No one ever loves that guy that’s on top.”

 

On Kendrick Lamar and whether that verse in “The Language” was his response to that “Control” verse:

“I don’t ever want to get into responses. It’s a commitment to go there. ‘The Language’ is just energy. What it was inspired by, I’m sure that, and other things. It’s just me talking my sh*t. I never once felt the need to respond to that record. The sentiment he was putting forth is what he should have. Of course you wanna be the best. Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing. What am I supposed to say? Nah, we’ll be buddy-buddy? Mind you, I never once said he’s a bad guy [or] I don’t like him. I think he’s a f*cking genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should. And with that came another step, which then I have to realize I’m being baited and I’m not gonna fall. Jordan doesn’t have to play pickup to prove that he could play ball, no offense. But I’m not gonna give you the chance to shake me necessarily, ’cause I feel great. There’s no real issue. It’s tough because the people wanna see us tear each other down; I don’t wanna give them that. There’s no point. I have no ill feelings toward that guy. It’s just like, it’s there for me if I wanna fall for it. I’m just too smart for that. Hopefully it’s the last time I gotta talk about this, ’cause every time I open my mouth up about it, they take this piece and take this piece. And he’s hungry, so he’s going to do what he has to do like the BET [cypher]. But again, it’s not enough for me to go. We haven’t seen each other [since the BET cypher] but I’m sure we’ll see each other and it’ll be cool. And if it’s not, then I guess that’s how our story unfolds.”

 
And on not being quite ready to settle down and have a 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?'”