So…when I was getting ready for work this past Wednesday (June 13, 2018), I noticed that Drake released the official video for his “I’m Upset” single. I checked it out, considering that this is the most we’ve heard from Drizzy since Pusha T basically decimated him in “The Story of Adidon” freestyle (sorry y’all, I have to call a spade a spade). The song itself isn’t bad—it’s growin’ on me—but it isn’t as great as the “Duppy Freestyle,” either.
The video was cute—I liked how Drake had most of his co-stars from Degrassi – The Next Generation featured on it. I barely watched the show back in the day, so I wasn’t filled with nostalgia and getting all psyched when I saw the cast together again (that’ll happen if there’s ever a video featuring the original Beverly Hills, 90210 and/or Dawson’s Creek cast. I know, I’m showing my age again), but I loved that Drake showed his old castmates love (I did geek out with the Jay and Silent Bob appearance, though). Even though it was nice to hear from Drake again, I wasn’t all that happy. If anything, I was upset. I was upset that Drake hasn’t responded to Pusha T, and may not ever do so.
When Drake released the “Duppy Freestyle,” I loved the song, even though I knew next to nothing about Drake and Pusha T’s beef. Once I learned the history behind it, the freestyle held even more significance and I loved it even more. By the way, I still can’t believe this beef has been ongoing for damn near 10 years behind some damn BAPE. Click here to learn the history behind the Drake and Pusha T’s feud, for those of y’all that are curious about what it stemmed from.
Then, Pusha released his “The Story of Adidon” freestyle and completely murdered Drake (once again, I’m sorry, Drake fans!) like he was channeling his inner Tupac. Not only that, he even went so far as to dig up dirt on Drake, mentioning his “secret” baby mama (Lovelyti actually spilled that tea last year; the only thing that surprised me is that it appears the baby may actually be Drake’s after all), mentioning how Drake’s dad was a deadbeat—and how Drake himself my be perpetuating the cycle—and of course, the blackface photo.
By the way, I believe Drake’s story about how this photoshoot was created not to make fun of black people, but as an artistic statement to show how black actors are expected to behave in Hollywood (as you can clearly see above, he shot a photo with the standard minstrel smile, and another with a melancholic look), but man…it looks damn bad. Not only that, but ever since I watched the film Bamboozled back in the day, blackface creeps me out on top of offending me. Yikes.
After Drake was decimated, I was so psyched—not that Drake was losing the battle, but that there was such a fierce battle going on in the first place. I haven’t seen a Hip Hop battle this exciting since Jay-Z and Nas went head to head back in the early 2000’s. Everyone was talking about this feud, and we all waited on pins and needles for Drake’s response.
But we never got one.
What really irks me about this situation is that apparently, Drake recorded a diss track to answer Pusha T, but his mentor J. Prince wouldn’t let him release it, stating the disses Drake had for Pusha and Kanye were “beyond music.” *Sigh* J. Prince, this is doggone Hip Hop. Plus, Drake isn’t a rah-rah type dude, so I doubt this beef would’ve reached actual Tupac and Biggie proportions. You should’ve let him release the doggone song. Instead, we got the video to “I’m Upset.” And for those of y’all that believe that “I’m Upset” is actually a response to Pusha, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s not. He actually recorded this song before the whole beef was even reignited. It’s simply ironic that the title happens to refer to a man that’s frustrated about his baby mama. Once again, the song was cool, and it was nice to see Drake with the majority of his former castmates (some of them got left out), but I would’ve rather heard another reply to this epic battle.
On a good note, Drake was lookin’ good in that suit in the “I’m Upset” video. Damn good.
—Written by Nadiya
So what do y’all think? Did you want Drake to have an equally fire comeback for Pusha T, or are you glad he didn’t have a counter to Pusha’s “The Story of Adidnon”? What did you think about the “I’m Upset” song and video? Did you like it? Would you have rather heard the diss track instead? Were you a fan of Degrassi: The Next Generation? Were you happy to see Drake and the other actors from the show? Also, what do you think about Drake’s alleged baby mama drama and his pic in blackface? Let me know in the comments section!
Insights from a Southern Girl 