Rap beef is unavoidable, and Drake is no stranger to conflict, given his well-documented tales of strife with rappers like Meek Mill, Pusha T and Kanye West.
His latest opponents? Poets Hanif Abdurraqib and Aris Kian, who delivered scathing reviews of his new poetry book in interviews with Complex on Wednesday.
"Some of these are so absurd that they're actually funny," said Abdurraqib, who was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 2021. "It's hard to tell if he also understands that they're bending into absurdist humour, and understands that there will be people who find it profound? Or if he's convinced himself of the profundity."
Kian, who's the current Houston Poet Laureate, had similar thoughts on the book. "Where he could push himself to indulge in the silliness and sentimentality that even the purest of poets would forgive, he disintegrates into petty abstractions," she said.
Needless to say, Drake heard the smoke and responded, taking to Instagram late last night to post a picture on his story of our dearly departed queen Sue Johanson shrugging (presumably, shrugging away the hate) alongside a message expressing how unbothered he is.
Whether or not Abdurraqib and Kian can rap remains to be seen, but a Verzuz-style battle of MCs between Drake and the award-winning poets would be one battle for the ages.
His latest opponents? Poets Hanif Abdurraqib and Aris Kian, who delivered scathing reviews of his new poetry book in interviews with Complex on Wednesday.
"Some of these are so absurd that they're actually funny," said Abdurraqib, who was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 2021. "It's hard to tell if he also understands that they're bending into absurdist humour, and understands that there will be people who find it profound? Or if he's convinced himself of the profundity."
Kian, who's the current Houston Poet Laureate, had similar thoughts on the book. "Where he could push himself to indulge in the silliness and sentimentality that even the purest of poets would forgive, he disintegrates into petty abstractions," she said.
Needless to say, Drake heard the smoke and responded, taking to Instagram late last night to post a picture on his story of our dearly departed queen Sue Johanson shrugging (presumably, shrugging away the hate) alongside a message expressing how unbothered he is.
Whether or not Abdurraqib and Kian can rap remains to be seen, but a Verzuz-style battle of MCs between Drake and the award-winning poets would be one battle for the ages.
