Drake’s fans yell at me whenever I talk about this, but I keep talking about it because we just keep getting more and more evidence of Drake’s inappropriate relationships and friendships with children, exclusively with teenage girls. Several years ago, a then-31-year-old Drake was openly going on dates with an 18-year-old whom he first met when she was like 16. It felt like a grooming situation. On the heels of that, Millie Bobby Brown (then 14 years old) kept talking about her deep friendship with Drake, and how he often called her and texted her and checked in with her. Again, deeply inappropriate, I don’t care what his fans say. Then Billie Eilish had a similar story, again presented as something nice: she and Drake had developed a friendship when she was 16/17 years old.
Perhaps Drake – who first tasted stardom as a teenager – really is trying to be a mentor and friend to young stars and celebrities. But if that’s the case, why is it always teenage GIRLS? It’s creepy and a pattern is forming. So, this happened – Drake talking about how he hooked up with SZA in 2008.
One of the most noteworthy (and, admittedly, gossipy) moments on 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s long-awaited mixtape Savage Mode II, released last Friday, occurs when Drake, the featured artist on album highlight “Mr. Right Now,” drops the bombshell that he once dated TDE star SZA. “Said she wanna f–k to some SZA, wait/Cos’ I used to date SZA back in ’08,” Drake raps, sharing the confounding news with little fanfare. The claim immediately confused fans, who worked out that SZA would have been 17 years old for much of 2008.
It’s true – I actually thought that SZA was in her mid-20s right now, but she turns 30 years old on November 8. She was born in 1990. So yeah… if Drake was “dating” SZA in 2008, she would have been 17 years old up until November 2008. Drake would have been 21/22 in 2008. Drake is just bragging about dating/having sex with teenagers now, I guess.
SZA corrected him and said it was in 2009. So she was 18. My guess? Drake starts grooming girls when they’re as young as 13 or 14 but he’ll only “date” them when they turn 18.
I just didn’t want anybody thinking anything underage or creepy was happening . Completely innocent . Lifetimes ago .
— SZA (@sza) October 5, 2020
Photos courtesy of WENN
If he was 21/22 then it was not all that creepy then – they were almost the same age. Now however, all these “friendships” with current teenagers seems predatory to me
Agreed, I believe what SZA is saying. It can still be true that Drake needs to develop better boundaries when it comes to his interactions with teenagers. A pattern is forming.
If Drake was 21 or 22 and she verified she was 18 then this is a non story. Also if we are going to back up women’s stories when they are victims then we also need to backup women’s non-sexual relationships with men/mentors as well. Women are allowed to have that without being vilified.
Good point.
Yes. Also, the title of this post is misleading. Drake’s behavior with teen girl artists is definitely something to watch and comment on, but it isn’t necessary to make stories where there isn’t one. He’s got enough questionable behaviors.
She is so talented and beautiful. I’m def a SZA fan!
Eh, that’s fairly close in age and not a big issue, IMO.
A 30 year old dude intentionally forming friendships with young teen girls? Not good.
It’d be one thing if he had said “I’ve been through it, if you need advice on being famous as a kid, I’m here” and said it equally to boys and girls, but…not what he’s doing.
He’s a weirdo (I haven’t forgotten that he texts Millie Bob Brown at his big age) but if SZA said she was 18 then fine cause that not too big of an age or maturity gap.
Yeah the Millie Bob Brown thing is pretty bad… Isn’t she 14? And he’s in his 30s
I don’t think it’s creepy or scandalous for a 17/18 year old to date a 21/22 year old. There isn’t much difference at that age. Drake being friendly with girls a couple of years younger now is weird.
There was a viral thread on Twitter about how grown women refuse to claim him and never come back for seconds. Most comments were cracking on him for being corny but every third to fifth comment mentioned his grooming of young girls. People are taking note. He’s going to have a reckoning.
He’s shady, but that relationship is fine to me if she was eighteen. I dated a guy six years older when I was 19-20. We broke up because he was dating younger for a reason, but I wasn’t taken advantage of or anything.
This hook up/relationship, no issue.
The rest of them? Something is very wrong there and needs to be talked about as it is continuing. I’m glad people seem to be noticing.
If she really was 18 back then and he’s only a couple years older than her, then it’s not that much of an issue, if at all. That being said, SZA is way too good for him!
People “knew” about R. Kelly for years before anything was done about it, so this doesn’t surprise me. But since Drake is doing this with young white girls as well as black girls, I suspect he’ll face consequences sooner.
He’s gross.
18 and 21-22 isn’t a big deal imho.
But 30 and young girls even if it’s “only texting and not touching” is inappropriate and gross. And a grown ass man should know the difference.