Drake Denies Being A Culture Vulture Over Dancehall Infused Beats

Is Drake a culture vulture? It’s a question that’s been tossed around for the last three years since the Grammy award winning artist started infusing his music with Dancehall. In fact using cleverly created beats, “One Dance” became the second dancehall song of 2016 to top the Billboard Hot 100 after Rihanna’s “Work” which also featured Drake.

It’s not just Dancehall he’s been accused of appropriating but the ever popular Afro beats as well.

Drake addressed this question during a Christmas Day Rap Radar Podcast. He flatly denied the accusations and said that he couldn’t be the poacher he is described as because he always recognises the artistes he works with and also helps them to expand whatever genre he works with.

He said: “The definition of appropriating a culture is not supporting that culture, doing songs with people who are deeply rooted in that culture, giving opportunity to people who are in that culture,” That’s not appropriating. Appropriating is taking it for your own personal gain and denying that it was ever inspired from this. That’s the true disservice that somebody could do to the UK, to dancehall, to afrobeats. Me, I’ve always… I ensure that not only paying all due respects verbally but… I make it a point to give opportunity.”

He added that jealousy might be fueling the negativity towards him. He said that some artistes were angry that he signed Popcaan to OVO.

“They’re mad that I was building with Mavado back in the day, they’re mad that I link with this person and that person and not them. You can always tell it’s personal and it was fueled by personal gain,” he added.

He also said that the accusations stemmed from people who “weren’t on this boat to begin with”. Drake said no matter what he aims to give the people he works with the proper opportunities to excel.

In 2016 Mr. Vegas was one of the first to call out Drake on his Dancehall infused music. He said Drake was fake and questioned why he didn’t do a song with the dancehall artists that he said he admires like Mavado or Popcaan. Sean Paul also accused Drake of culture appropriation in 2017.

Another artist, Konshens, joined the chorus and said Drake was indeed a culture vulture during a VLAD TV interview in 2017 as well. Konshens though said even he can be an appropriator at times but said Drake should accept what he is because he is a big artiste and things will always seem more magnified when he does them.

Konshens said artistes of different genres should be happy for the recognition that they are getting and he said that Drake was reopening doors for Dancehall.
He said Drake could either cry about it or continue to make a lot of money.