Drake Is Under Fire for Appropriating Dancehall… Again
Drake has issued a Patois-heavy clapback to dancehall icon, Mavado, who accused Drizzy of appropriating dancehall on his latest track, “Enemy Line.” This is the latest instance of Drake being called out for exploiting dancehall culture.
During Popcaan’s Instagram livestream yesterday, Aubrey fired back at Mavado’s recent diss, writing, “Some bwoy love chat about yaad man and some next fuckery and all now dem can’t catch up to the 876 Gad go hold a one seat and a box juice and hush ya mout OVO UNRULY.”
Drake’s response might have only confirmed what Mavado accused him in the first place, which is ripping of Jamaican culture.
It all began when the Canadian singer seemingly took shots at Mavado on his “Only You Freestyle” with Headie One. He referenced Mavado’s nemesis Popcaan and his home town Cassava Piece in this line: “With Pop Skull in Gaza, but not that Gaza, but still it’s a mazza/N***as want peace like Cassava.”
In response, Mavado issued a scathing single going after Champagne Papi’s “tough guy attitude” and claimed that he wishes he was Jamaican. “You will neva be a yard man,” he sings.
For anyone doubting his shots were aimed at the Canadian rapper, Mavado shared a post to Instagram with the caption: “Remember this. Dancehall a mi play ground,” he wrote. “You are not from Dancehall. You have no Power in Dancehall n everybody know who introduce you to Dancehall so don’t feel like you can come disrespect Gully take that out you brain n don’t dweet again.”
Drake’s dancehall obsession and use of Patois in songs has always toed the line between homage and exploitation. Mavado is not the first person to call out Drake’s culture vulture antics.
Sean Paul previously criticized the likes of Drake for appropriating the culture and getting more chart success that true dancehall artists. “It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it.”
Take a listen to some real dancehall and stream Mavado’s “Enemy Line” below.
