Drake Says Older Generation Is ‘Discouraging’ Youth From Rap

Drake is clapping back at the older generation of hip-hop fans after he was under some criticism earlier this week. On his Instagram Story Tuesday (Jan. 16), he wrote his message on top of a video where a coach is making an inspirational speech about a former player.

"Journalistic world cashing out on negativity and discouraging the youth from finding their way now more than ever," Drake wrote at the bottom of the video. "The noise is all calculated keep pushing forward."

Fans reacted to Drake's Instagram Story which was reposted by DJ Akademiks.

"Mos Def Must Of Hurt Drake Lil Feelings Huh," a fan commented referencing the rapper's recent remarks on Drizzy's music.

Many of the comments clapped back at Drake's age since the rapper is turning 38 this year. "Drake is right but he has to come to the realization that he is a OLD HEAD! He is not the voice of the Youth [laughing and crying emoji]. The message is right but Most Def calling him Pop ain't an old head hating on the Youth. N---- you almost Fawdy [laughing and crying emoji].

"Drake is definitely pressed about this. This is day two now," a fan declared.

Drake's comment is seemingly another response to Yasiin Bey's (formerly known as Mos Def) comments about the Toronto rapper's music.

"Drake is pop to me," he told host Recho Omondi the host of The Cutting Room Floor on an episode that was released on Wednesday (Jan. 10). "In the sense like, if I was in Target in Houston and I heard a Drake song, it feels like a lot of his music is compatible with shopping. Or shopping with an edge, in certain instances."

He did, however, not 100% bash Drake, saying that the Toronto rapper's music is "likable."

Drake responded to Bey's comments by referencing one of his songs.

"What umi say again? Lemme shine my light king don’t change up now," Drake wrote.

Drake wrote his clapback over a video of Method Man talking about hip-hop.

"Hip Hop is a culture. It’s a way of life, the way you dress, the way you talk, the way you walk. It’s the breakdancing, rhymes, stage show, DJ, mixing and scratching, the wordplay. That’s Hip Hop," the Wu-Tang rapper says in the video.

Drake has been cranking out hits for over a decade now, and just recently, the rap star has tied with Michael Jackson in No. 1 hits. Both artists have 13 No. 1 accounted-for hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now, both Drake and Jackson have the fourth most No. 1 songs on the chart by a male artist.

Billboard also notes that the scoring of songs and music has changed drastically because of streaming. "As streaming has become more prominent in recent years, certain acts have been able to achieve impressive Hot 100 feats after releasing high-profile albums. The model contrasts with prior decades, when acts generally promoted one single at a time in the physical-only marketplace and on radio. That shift in consumption helps explain why artists have been able to increase their total number of career entries and top 10s over short spans in recent years," the website reads.

While there are some logistics to note about how the scoring has changed, that didn't stop Drake from celebrating this monumental achievement. He posted a photoshopped photo of Michael Jackson wearing an OVO hoodie while taking a mirror selfie.

To add to his celebration, he wore a white crystal-studded glove that emulated MJ's famed glove that he wore during his 1984 Victory Tour and on stage a year prior at the Grammys when he performed "Billie Jean."

Drake's latest studio album, For All The Dogs, also was a top charter debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The project included guest appearances from SZA, Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Bad Bunny, PartyNextDoor, Chief Keef, Sexxy Red, Yeat, and Lil Yachty. The project was released on Oct. 6.

Note only 13 of his 14 No. 1 hits are counted towards his career score as the rapper was not properly credited for one of the songs. That song has been marked with an asterisk (*).

Take a look at Drake's No. 1 songs ranking:

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.