Rappers Drake and 21 Savage dropped their highly anticipated joint album, “Her Loss” on all music streaming platforms last Friday, Nov. 4. Shortly after its release, reviews shifted from praise to distaste.
In the song “Circo Loco,” which takes place more than halfway through the album, Drake rapped “The b*tch lie ‘bout getting shots, but she still a stallion,” a bar that critics believe is a double entendre that alludes to rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s alleged 2020 shooting involving rapper and R&B singer Tory Lanez, while also referencing women in the public eye being deceitful about body enhancements. Some argue that the bar wasn’t a jab at Megan Thee Stallion, but just wordplay using modern slang.
Naysayers still believe that whatever it is, it shouldn’t have been said. Author, activist, and television personality Marc Lamont Hill tweeted, “If Drake released a song with ‘clever’ wordplay that mocked the shooting of a male rapper, or any man for that matter, the same people defending him would be outraged. But of course, he would never do that…”
In August 2020, Megan Thee Stallion alleged in an Instagram live that Lanez shot her in the foot following an argument. Lanez has denied shooting Megan Thee Stallion, claiming that her team tried to frame and pay him. Despite the allegations, Lanez has seemingly still maintained professional relationships and recently performed at Toronto’s Rolling Loud festival. The situation has sparked ongoing discourse amongst the Black community, with Black women arguing that the trauma of Black women is not taken seriously.
Now, just weeks before their trial begins on Nov. 28, Drake has joined the conversation, seemingly showing favor towards the fellow Toronto native. Drake’s influence reaches billions of people, so his opinion on the matter impacts his fanbase as well as the discourse surrounding the alleged shooting.
“I definitely didn’t like the lyrics in multiple songs because his fan base is heavily women,” said Jeanissa Glover, a junior at Howard University. “I think violence against women is something that is not only prevalent in the Black community, but also in rap music… when women speak out about the violence against them they aren’t taken seriously.”
However, now in a time where #protectblackwomen trends regularly on social media, fans seemingly expect more from their idols.
“I’m disappointed but not surprised in the Black community,” Glover continued. “When Black women speak out about issues like this, it often isn’t received well or received at all. And this is sadly the case with Megan.”
Copy edited by Alana Matthew
