Drake Opens Up About Meek Mill Feud

Whether we admit it or not, we are all creatures who take a bit of pleasure in the melodramatics of other people's lives. It's why we obsess The Bachelor, marathon The Real Housewives, and claw at our sofas during the elimination round of Dancing With The Stars. So, when certain events, like Drake and Meek Mill's feud, take place without the provocation of a network and ratings-hungry producers, we really take note. But, I do have some sorry news for those of you who'd like this feud to morph into some sort of real life Batman vs. Bane superhero and villain battle. Drake just graciously, one and for all, ended the war.

Drake brought up the feud on his own accord to The Fader during his interview with the website. He told the publication all about how the drama started, saying,

I'm just gonna bring it up ‘cause it's important to me. I was at a charity kickball game — which we won, by the way — and my brother called me. He was just like, "I don't know if you're aware, but, yo, they're trying to end us out here. They're just spreading, like, propaganda. Where are you? You need to come here." So we all circled up at the studio, and sat there as Flex went on the air, and these guys flip-flopped [about how] they were gonna do this, that, and the third. Given the circumstances, it felt right to just remind people what it is that I do in case your opinions were wavering at any point.

Drake further explained the feud by speaking about how things looked from his side, saying that he was surprised Meek Mill wasn't releasing music, whereas Drake himself released diss tracks on the matter:

This is a discussion about music, and no one’s putting forth any music? You guys are gonna leave this for me to do? This is how you want to play it? You guys didn’t think this through at all — nobody? You guys have high-ranking members watching over you. Nobody told you that this was a bad idea, to engage in this and not have something? You’re gonna engage in a conversation about writing music, and delivering music, with me? And not have anything to put forth on the table?

The Fader states that Drake's last diss track to Meek, "Back to Back," came about because of the 28-year-old's enlightened foresight on the matter. The rapper confessed that,

It was weighing heavy on me. I didn’t get it. I didn’t get how there was no strategy on the opposite end. I just didn’t understand. I didn’t understand it because that’s just not how we operate. I was like, "I'm gonna probably just finish this." And I know how I have to finish it. This has to literally become the song that people want to hear every single night, and it’s gonna be tough to exist during this summer when everybody wants to hear [this] song that isn’t necessarily in your favor.

Now, what makes this interview the nail in the coffin for this feud with Drake as the clear winner? He didn't diss, bad mouth, or play sides. He told a straightforward reiteration of what went on and his honest feelings behind it. Despite how much I love "Back to Back" (and I do, I really do) this interview is far more telling in terms of who has a better sense of self and confidence when it comes to not only their persona, but their craft. And that means acknowledging the fact that he does sometimes draw inspiration from other people, but that doesn't make him unoriginal or a fraud. It just makes him, as The Fader explains, like any other major pop star.

Drake explains that "music at times can be a collaborative process" and that he's not about to nitpick over which exact thought from which person led to whatever his ultimate brainchild was. It's not about discrediting help from those who influenced him and it's not an admission to having a ghostwriter. He's just defending the fact that he does occasionally become influenced enough by the initial creative stimulation of another person, which will inspire him to pen a song.

So, the next time you think you're going to check Drake, think again. It's so clear that this Degrassi graduate is the furthest thing from an unsure, reliant kid. He's an artist, first and foremost, and that means, as Drake notes, being "collaborative." It means opening up your mind and listening to the suggestive thoughts, opinions, and yes, even ideas, of other people in order to get your own creative juices flowing. The Fader insists being "publicly targeted" made him stronger, and it's true. Now that he's laid everything out on the table, no one, including Meek Mill, can use those perceived weaknesses against him.

That's how you win a feud, my friends.

Image: Giphy