Drake is finally addressing one of the most persistent criticisms of his career — being called a “culture vulture.”
In his new sit-down with Bobbi Althoff, the rapper pushed back on the narrative that his genre-hopping and collaborations are exploitative. For years, The Boy has blended sounds from dancehall, UK rap, Afrobeat, pop, and R&B, often drawing heat for using different accents and cadences.
“I experience a lot of guilt tripping in my life where people are like, ‘No, this is your fault,’ essentially… My intentions are pure. It’s the same way even in music. People will be like, ‘You’re a culture vulture.’”
Drake explained that he sees his collaborations as support, not theft:
“People will describe the collaborative efforts that I have put forth and the artists that I’ve picked up or shined a light on as me taking. They’ll put a negative spin on it and try and tell me it’s a self-serving thing, and I think I get real sensitive about that.”
Drake speaks on being labeled a "culture vulture":
"They'll put a negative spin on it and try to tell me that it's a self-serving thing."pic.twitter.com/y0ArCh9zxn
This isn’t the first time he’s pushed back on the label. In 2019, he clapped back at grime rapper Wiley, saying critics were twisting his appreciation for global sounds into negativity.
The new conversation with Althoff is part of her freshly launched podcast, Not This Again, marking their reunion after their first viral (and since-deleted) 2023 interview. This time, the episode was filmed overseas in Manchester, Belgium, and Switzerland — with both parties making it clear the footage is here to stay.
The Boy may be sensitive about the “culture vulture” tag, but he insists his mission has always been to shine light on others — not take away from them.
