Pops Culture

By: Papa Minnow

Drake’s reign cannot simply be ended. The self-proclaimed “6 god” has built an empire transcending internet generations and at this point, the only person who can stop Drake is Drake. That’s not to say he hasn’t taken some L’s along the way, the head of OVO has attested to that, but the height of his artistry is beyond the reach of petty squabbles.

So when XXXTentacion first took issue with Drake over the use of his flow from Look At Me!, it appeared to be a stab in the dark. Despite the song taking off, here was this relatively unknown SoundCloud rapper accusing the biggest artist in hip-hop of stealing his exact flow and using it for his song KMT (Feat. Giggs).

As the story broke, X’s claim appeared to be an astronomical reach. But upon further review, there is some credence behind the accusation that is hard to ignore. On the other hand, in this day and age of hip-hop it’s almost impossible to credit a single person with a single flow because the culture has become a jumbo melting pot.

With X’s internet influence and the ghost of Drake’s writing past, the accusation took form and gained credibility amongst hip-hop fans. The majority simply didn’t care, but some took to their socials and continued to press Drake which gave X the green light to seek retribution.

On a later episode of OvO Sound radio, Drake denied copying X’s hit song, but X took things further, later calling Drake a “bitch” in an interview with Miami’s 103 The Beat.

As the saying goes, “when you come at the king, you better not miss,” and X’s next moves had every intention of not missing, opting to cross the point of no return in an attempt to bring down the “6 god”:

X not only makes a pass at the woman whom Drake holds dearest, but he does so publicly. To further the issue, he does so not just once, but proceeds to make several more vulgar statements towards Sandi Graham.

Generally, in the world of hip-hop there are not many rules when it comes to diss tracks directed towards other rappers. However, that understanding is only granted towards an opponent when placed in a song.

The SoundCloud rapper broke all the rules by going public with his disrespect and made things very personal by not only tweeting, but video taping his remarks for 17,000 viewers to see.

At this point in X’s career it could be said that these remarks were a publicity stunt, as Look At Me! was charting on Billboard and the young rapper had plans of putting out a mixtape which he released in May of 2017.

A year goes by and there is not a single response from Drake in retaliation to X’s disrespectful antics. However, in February of 2018 the internet receives a cryptic message from X, claiming Drake has intentions of premeditated murder.

X later clarified the post, stating he was in fact hacked, but this was the first spark in a wild conspiracy theory that ties Drake to the death of X.

With their tumultuous relationship, the seeds had already been planted in the minds of several internet fans. It wasn’t until May 26, 2018, that those seeds began to take root covertly with the release of Drake’s third studio single I’m Upset.

On June 20th, 2018, the day X was gunned down in his car; the seeds of the idea had blossomed into a full blown theory: Drake killed X.

Of course, the theory is just that; a theory. There is no proof or evidence linking X’s death to the multi-million dollar rapper. But according to the internet, Drake’s choice in lyrics are very questionable.

On I’m Upset, Drake pens this verse which led X fans to the rapper’s conclusion:

Upon first glance it appears the Toronto native is simply discussing some nude photos from a woman. According to theory however, this is a cryptic code for X’s murder.

When X’s body was found and identified it was confirmed that the rapper was shot in the torso while in his vehicle. It’s also notable that Drake ad-libs “skrr”, the sound for a car taking off, which the gunman in X’s death had done in order to flee the scene.

One user on YouTube by the name of LIL GOOEY, amongst several others, posits that SMS stands for “Send My Shooters”. This has led many to believe that Drake hired the shooters to take out X on his behalf due to his fame, power, and status. And that doing so covertly would not be beyond his means.

I’m Upset wasn’t the only “clue” off  Drake’s latest studio album, Scorpion, that backs this theory.  On Mob Ties, the 33-year-old rapper dedicates the song to how he’s got ties with criminal members:

Looking through, Drake claims it’s too late for amendment as the point of no return was crossed. He also makes note of paying off shooters with Louis Vuitton bags which was what witnesses claimed the shooter at X’s scene of the crime had taken.

Lastly, remember that Drake had no response for an entire year after X publicly made several passes at his mother. These last bars in which Drake mentions his patience are chilling if you believe in this theory.

Tied in with this verse, one can understand how some fans have come to think of Drake as the mind behind his murder as a way to cope with the passing of their favourite artist. But it’s way too far-fetched to implicate Drake in this scheme, especially with no proof. The theory holds no weight and is simply speculation.

Featured Image via Forbes.com CHRIS PIZZELLO/INVISION/AP