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Drake released his long-awaited album Iceman on Friday. The album – which was released alongside surprise albums “Habibti” and “Maid Of Honor” – gives fans a glimpse into how the rapper experienced his public beef with Kendrick Lamar. But the album also addresses other personal topics that are obviously close to his heart.
On “Make Them Cry,” the opening track from “Iceman,” Drake deals with the pressures that come with fame, money, expectations and family issues. At one point he raps: “I don’t do psychedelics because I’m too scared of unpacking/ Sometimes I only see myself in my therapist’s glasses.”
At the end of the introspective song, he reveals that his father Dennis Graham – whom he raps about in the first verse – has cancer: “My dad got cancer right now, we battling stages/ Trust me when I say there’s plenty things I’d rather be facing.”
Drake’s complicated relationship with his father
Drake and his father have a complicated, burdened history that seems to have given way to reconciliation, at least publicly, in recent years. Drake’s parents – his mother Sandi Graham and his father – separated when he was young. The artist has always spoken openly about how much his parents influenced his childhood and his music.
On “Iceman,” long-time collaborator Noah “40” Shebib is responsible for the production, and producers such as Overkst, OK and others are also involved. The album also features features with Future and rising talent Molly Santana and is Drake’s ninth solo album – his first since his now infamous blowout with Kendrick Lamar. It follows his collaborative R&B project with PartyNextDoor last year, “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U.”
