Rap Radar: Drake

Drake’s highly anticipated appearance on the Rap Radar podcast with Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller dropped on Christmas Day 2019, serving as an over two-hour capstone to his decade of dominance in the music industry. The notoriously press-shy artist sat down for a candid, wide-ranging conversation that provided rare insight into his personal life, creative process, and high-profile industry relationships.

The interview is widely remembered for Drake’s unfiltered honesty regarding his career’s biggest controversies and triumphs.

• The Toronto Setting: The sit-down was recorded inside Drake’s multi-million dollar Toronto mansion, offering an intimate, home-court atmosphere that allowed him to speak freely on his own terms.
• The Pusha T and Kanye West Feuds: Drake didn’t shy away from his most bruising public battles. He admitted that Pusha T’s “The Story of Adidon” was a “genius play in the game of chess” that handed him his first real loss in competitive rap, while firmly stating he had “no desire” to ever mend fences with Pusha or Kanye West.
• The Meek Mill Beef & Serena Williams: Reflecting on his feud with Meek Mill, Drake revealed that tennis icon (and then-girlfriend) Serena Williams gave him the competitive advice that sparked his Grammy-nominated diss track “Back to Back.” She urged him to not just respond, but to finish the battle decisively.
• Taking Ls in Stride: He discussed his unexpected reception at Tyler, the Creator’s 2019 Camp Flog Gnaw festival, where he was famously booed by fans expecting Frank Ocean. Drake brushed it off, acknowledging that sometimes the universe just requires you to play the villain for a night.
• A Decade of Dominance: Beyond the drama, the conversation explored his relentless work ethic, the evolution of his sound alongside producer Noah “40” Shebib, his thoughts on fatherhood, and his mindset as he transitioned from a rising star to the defining hip-hop artist of the 2010s.