Drake Signs Letter Asking For Israel-Palestine Ceasefire

Author Autumn Hawkins

October 30th, 2023 11:38 AM

Drake is breaking his silence on the current Israel and Palestine conflict that began earlier this month. The conflict, which has entered its fourth week, has divided social media. Fans have called on artists to lend their voices to the conflict. Many artists in hip-hop, including Drake who is Jewish, have been mum during the ordeal. Now, the rapper has finally “spoken” out by signing an open letter to the US government who is an ally to Israel to cease fire.

“We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay,” the letter that Drake signed reads. “An end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two-thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.”

It continues: “We believe that the United States can play a vital diplomatic role in ending the suffering and we are adding our voices to those from the US Congress, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, The International Committee of The Red Cross, and so many others. Saving lives is a moral imperative. To echo UNICEF, “Compassion — and international law — must prevail.”

The letter was created by Artists4Ceasefire where many artists have signed including Kehlani, Noah “40” Shebib, Quinta Brunson, and more.

Drake Gets Criticized Online For Not Speaking Out Over Israel-Palestine Conflict

Prior to his signage, DJ Vlad called the rapper out on not speaking out. He also took shots at DJ Khlaed who is Palestinian.

“Has anyone noticed that the most famous Jewish person on Earth, Drake, and the most famous Palestinian person on Earth, DJ Khaled, haven’t said a single thing about the Gaza-Israel conflict?” Vlad wrote on social media. “It’s not like Drake is too busy. He’s been writing paragraphs about Joe Budden hurting his feelings about his new album. DJ Khaled has been working overtime promoting his new Jordan sneakers. But both of them have been silent on this topic. Why is that?”

Drake’s father, Dennis Graham, stood up for his son amongst the criticism. In a conversation with TMZ, Graham said that celebrities get a lot of backlash when they speak on political topics and that his son is no different.

As of this writing, the most recent update on the Israel-Palestine conflict death toll is that 8,005 people in Gaza have been killed. Also, more than 20,240 have been wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry per The Washington Post. The Israeli death toll reported by Israeli authorities has not increased since at least Oct. 16, hovering around 1,400 people killed, with more than 5,400 injured, the publication reports.

Drake: All Of His No. 1 Hits, Ranked

• 14. "Toosie Slide" - Drake (2020)

  “Toosie Slide” was Drake’s attempt at creating a viral dance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The song has easy dance movements that he raps throughout the song: “Right foot up, left foot slide/Left foot up, right foot slide.” “Tootsie Slide” was a chart-topper for one week.

• 13. "What's Next" by Drake (2021)

  Drake gave us Scary Hours 2 to hold us over before he decided to release Certified Lover Boy in 2021. On “What’s Next” the rapper is propelling forward on and anticipating what’s next. “What’s Next” stayed at No. 1 for one week.

• 12. "Slime You Out" Drake feat. SZA (2023)

  We finally got a collab between Drake and SZA after all this time. The song is the lead single to Drake’s For All The Dogs which is his eighth studio album. In the song, Drake speaks on the childish ways of a woman he’s seeing after she tries to replace him with someone new. “Slime You Out” was No. 1 for one week.

• 11. "Way 2 Sexy" by Drake feat. Future & Young Thug (2021)

  Drake called trap kings Future and Young Thug for “Way 2 Sexy.” The song is on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy , which dropped in 2021. “Way 2 Sexy” samples Right Said Fred’s 1992 hit “I’m Too Sexy.” The rappers boast about their good looks in the song and the music video shows off the rapper’s comical side. Future scored his first No. 1 with the record, and it was Young Thug’s third leader. “Way 2 Sexy” was a chart leader for one week.

• 10. "First Person Shooter" by Drake feat. J. Cole (2023)

  “They act like two legends cannot coexist,” Cole raps on “Middle Child.” Here, they prove they can coexist on “First Person Shooter.” The North Carolina rapper takes over a majority of the rapping on the track, but Drake matches Coles’ energy from the jump. The pair make a great duo and this marks their third collaboration. “First Person Shooter” was the 13th– accounted for — No. 1 hit of the Toronto rapper which matched Michael Jackson. This was also Cole’s first career chart leader. The record stayed atop the chart for one week.

• 9. "Jimmy Cooks" by Drake feat. 21 Savage (2022)

  Most fans found Honestly, Nevermind as a letdown as they expected the surprise drop to be rap-heavy. The album was more experimental as the Toronto rapper sang and rapped on house music beats. “Jimmy Cooks” was the saving grace for many on the project as it brought back “Drake the rapper.” The record is also the only one on the album that has a feature which Drake graciously gave to 21 Savage. “Jimmy Cooks” stayed No. 1 for one week.

• 8. "SICKO MODE" Travis Scott ft. Drake** (2019)

  While “SICKO MODE” doesn’t count towards Drake’s career No. 1’s, it still is a phenomenal track. Billboard explained that SICKO MODE didn’t count because Drake was not “properly credited” on the song. The record is found on Scott’s 2021 album Astroworld. It was nominated for “Best Rap Song,” and “Best Rap Performance.” “SICKO MODE” was Scott’s first No. 1 song.

• 7. "In My Feelings" by Drake (2016)

  In 2016, Drake had everyone in their feelings. You could not go around without someone singing,”Kiki, do you love me?” over the infectious beat created by Cleveland producer TrapMoneyBenny, New Orleans producer BlaqNmilD, and Drizzy’s longtime producer 40. “In My Feelings” stayed at No. 1 on the chart for ten weeks.

• 6. "Nice for What" by Drake (2018)

  “Nice For What” is found on Drake’s Scorpion and was the album’s second promotional single. Unlike most of the songs on this list, “Nice For What” is sample heavy but still Drake makes it his own. The song samples Lauryn Hill’s song “Ex-Factor” (1998) which itself samples Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple” (1993), “Drag Rap” by the Showboys (1986), “Get Your Roll On” by Big Tymers (2000). You can also hear Big Freida on the track. “Nice For What” was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. It stayed for eight weeks at No. 1 on the chart.

• 5. "What's My Name?" by Rihanna feat. Drake (2011)

  While the duo didn’t work out romantically, Rihanna and Drake definitely know how to make a hit together. “What’s My Name?” is from Rihanna’s album Forever which was released in 2011. In the song, the two sing/rap about their love interests, and in the music video they are each other’s. The song was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. It stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week. “What’s My Name?” is also Drake’s first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

• 4. "Wait for U" by Future feat. Drake & Tems (2022)

  The song uses a sample of Tems’ “Higher” but Future gave the Nigerian songstress a feature credit to highlight her contribution to the song. The song won Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for Best Rap Song. “Wait For U” stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week.

• 3. "God's Plan" by Drake (2018)

  “God’s Plan” is about Drake giving back but also recognizing that not everyone has good intentions. The song plays into Drake’s doubts about people who try to get close to him in order to benefit off of his success. As for the charitable efforts he displays in the music video, the Toronto rapper also replicated the act in real life. According to Genius, the music video’s budget was $996,631.90, and they took that money and donated to schools and several charities. “God’s Plan” won Best Rap Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards and was nominated for Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year. The song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 11 weeks.

• 2. "Work" by Rihanna feat. Drake (2016)

  Drake and Rihanna owned 2016’s summer with “Work.” In the song, Rihanna sings about wanting a relationship and Drake is only interested in a “friends-with-benefits” package. The two also had a memorable steamy performance at the 2016 BRIT Awards. It was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record Of The Year. The song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks.

• 1. "One Dance" by Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla (2016)

  As we previously mentioned, 2016 was one of Drake’s most popular years. He was tapped into his afrobeats and dancehall vibe with “One Dance” where he grabbed Wizkid and Kyla for the assist. “One Dance” was Drake’s first No. 1 single on the Billboard charts. The song stayed atop the chart for 10 weeks.

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Author Autumn Hawkins

Category:

• Celebs
• Foxy99
• Music News

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Drake