‘Broke’ artists live here? Rapper Drake takes a dig at Singapore in his new song
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The lyrics in Canadian rapper Drake's new song Drew A Picasso seem to imply that Singapore-based artists do not get paid enough, and are poor.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – Canadian rapper Drake has included several slights and mentioned many places in his discography through the years.
Singapore has now been added to that list, appearing in his new song Drew A Picasso from his eighth studio album For All The Dogs, which was released on Friday.
In the song, which lasts four minutes and 22 seconds, the 36-year-old raps: “Artists hittin’ on you, broke as f***, I swear them n***** probably live in Singapore.”
The lyrics seem to imply that Singapore-based artists do not get paid enough, and are poor.
It is not clear if Drake is referring to artists such as painters, or artistes like professional entertainers.
The lyrics have garnered mixed reactions from Singaporeans on Reddit.
A user said: “I am broke and currently live in SG so, yeah, this checks out.”
Another user came to the five-time Grammy Award winner’s defence and said: “Interesting. I think it’s a wordplay on being broke and living in Singa‘poor’.
“What if he’s trying to say that those claiming to be broke artistes and asking for donations are scamming because they are actually rich and probably live in Singapore, a very expensive city?”
There were also some who shrugged it off by simply commenting “Majulah”.
Local singer Tabitha Nauser posted on Instagram Stories a screenshot of the lyrics with laughing emojis and said: “Choking. Crying.”
Drake’s latest 23-track album came hours before his announcement on taking a break from music
Meanwhile, the rapper’s generous gesture at his concert in Toronto, Canada, last Friday has won him more fans.
During the show, he noticed a fan’s sign that said she was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disabling disease affecting the brain and spinal cord, and offered to pay her medical bills.
The interlude was captured on video and shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This one’s important to me,” Drake told the crowd. “Her sign says: ‘I just found out I have MS, will you help make my night?’”
He then shared how his close collaborator, Noah “40” Shebib, was diagnosed with MS in 2005 and has been living with the degenerative neurological condition for 18 years.
Drake said: “40 is one of the strongest people on earth, and he fights through a lot of things. So what I’m going to do is, I’m going to connect you with 40, and maybe you can have a conversation.”
He then added: “And second of all, I’m going to pay whatever it takes to get you the best help in the world, I promise you that. You got my word.”
