Drake has responded to Pusha-T‘s unrelenting diss track The Story Of Adidon – at least, he has addressed its confronting cover image.
The song, which alleges Drake is hiding a son from the public eye, accuses him of being a deadbeat father, and mocks his collaborator Noah ’40’ Shebib‘s multiple sclerosis, was accompanied by an image of the Canadian donning blackface.
When the track began making waves, Pusha insisted it was an authentic photo of Drake shot by Toronto-based photographer David Leyes.
“This is a REAL picture…these are his truths, see for yourself,” Pusha wrote on Twitter.
Drake has now copped to the image, but maintains it was shot as part of a larger project addressing the struggles of black actors entering the business.
The rapper, who began his ascent in the entertainment industry with a main role on Degrassi: The Next Generation, posted a note on his Instagram story saying the 2007 photos “represented how African Americans were once wrongfully portrayed in entertainment,” and were commissioned to “bring awareness to the issues we dealt with all the time as black actors at auditions.”
Drake is yet to respond to the other claims laid out in The Story Of Adidon, and has not yet produced a return volley in what is shaping up to be the most ruthless rap beef in recent memory.
You can read Drake’s full statement below:
