Drake Shares Personal Struggles in New Music
Drake has always been open about his life, but his latest music reveals a more personal side of the rapper. In his new song “Make Them Cry,” which is part of the Iceman album, he shares some deeply emotional moments, including news about his father’s health.
A Family Bombshell in Lyrics
The 39-year-old rapper dropped three albums on Thursday: Iceman, Maid Of Honour, and Habibti. The track “Make Them Cry” from the Iceman album features a heartfelt message about his father, Dennis Graham, who is battling cancer. Drake raps, “My dad got cancer right now, we battlin’ stages.” This line shows how much the rapper is going through personally, as he reflects on the challenges he faces alongside his family.
In another part of the song, he says, “Trust me when I say there’s plenty things I’d rather be facing (For real)/And this time, ask me to dig deeper, I’ll gladly explain it.” These lyrics highlight the emotional weight of his situation and his willingness to confront difficult truths.
Family References in Music
Drake also touches on other aspects of his life in the song. He mentions his parents, saying, “I know for sure that my parents, they look at me and see an overcomer/I’m looking back at them and these days, I see an older couple.” This line shows the deep bond between father and son, as well as the changes that come with age.
Battling Challenges
The rapper continues to talk about the struggles he faces in the music industry. He raps, “I’m ‘bout to turn forty, dog, I’m battlin’ aging. I’m battlin’ the fact that the album ain’t even drop and already they a**es complainin’.” These lines reveal the pressure he feels from fans and critics alike, as well as his determination to keep pushing forward.
He adds, “F it, I’ll battle the label/F it, I’ll battle the majors.” This shows his resilience and refusal to let external pressures affect his work. Drake also mentions his relationship with his fans, saying, “Shout out to the real fans that knew what I had in the basement/Shout out to the fake fans, I thought we had an arrangement.”
A Musical Legacy
Drake’s father, Dennis Graham, has a long history in the music industry. He was a drummer who performed with Jerry Lee Lewis and even released a song titled “That On That” in 2019. Graham shared how he influenced his son’s musical tastes, saying, “Yeah, he knows everything I know. He knows all the music that I came up with, he had to listen to.”
Graham also recalled special memories with Drake when he was younger. They used to take 18-hour drives to Memphis every summer, where they would switch off listening to each other’s music. “He turned me on to rap music and I turned him on to my music. We switched off in the car,” Graham said.
A Father’s Pride
Graham expressed his pride in his son, telling The Fader in 2016, “Drake is such an entrepreneur. He knows every in and out of the music business.” He added, “Drake was extremely smart about what he was doing and knew every step that he was taking.”
Graham also shared what he believes Drake learned from him. “I think he learned how to be humble, down to earth, to be real, or 100%. To just stay focused and do his music. To not let all the hype and the media get to him or to make him react to some of the stupidity of what goes on in the music business.”
A Special Tattoo
Back in 2017, Graham got a tattoo of his son’s face, which has become a symbol of their close relationship. Drake even posted a playful Instagram caption about the tattoo, saying, “I was just sitting here thinking why you do me like this we family,” with three laughing out crying emojis.
Graham responded with humor, saying, “Hahaha I had 16 people to try and straighten this out, they’re hurting me.” He also added, “I love you and miss you.” The tattoo, done by artist Money Mike, depicts a younger Drake without his beard and with a short haircut.
A Family Love for Tattoos
Tattoos seem to run in the family. Drake has his own extensive collection, including a tattoo of his father’s mugshot, which he got in 2014. This shows the deep connection between father and son, both in music and in personal expression.
New Music Releases
The release of Drake’s latest trio of albums comes three years after he dropped For All The Dogs in 2023. The new music was released after the star’s Iceman episode four livestream. Drake had previously mentioned his desire to act and take on new challenges, saying, “I have been dying to act and have been dying for a challenge.”
He also talked about the current state of the music industry, saying, “The game is extremely calm seas right now. Nobody is rocking any boat on the water and so once we discussed a livestream rollout, it just sounded like the perfect mix of risk and reward for me.”
