Drake Reacts To “Random Angry Poets” Critiquing His Poetry Book
Drake has responded to professional wordsmiths who didn’t think highly of his poetry debut.
During an interview with Complex, New York Times best-selling author Hanif Abdurraqib (Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest) reacted to Drizzy’s poetry book, Titles Ruin Everything, dismissing his attempt at the craft.
The acclaimed author admitted he wasn’t trying to “gatekeep” the world of literature, but thought of Drake’s prose as nothing more than “jokes.”
“Some of these are so absurd that they’re actually funny,” Abdurraqib said. “But it’s hard to tell if he also understands that they’re bending into absurdist humor, and understands that there will be people who find it profound? Or if he’s convinced himself of the profundity. Really, it’s kind of just a book of puns. Silly lil’ jokes.”
“It is a struggle for me to tell how in on the joke he is… I’m not personally offended by anything that masquerades as poetry, because it happens so often in every possible arena of entertainment and consumption, but this is essentially a coffee table book of one-line jokes.”
Aris Kian, Houston’s current poet laureate, also bashed the text, labeling “The Boy’s” attempt as “a goldmine of mediocre mic drops.”
“Where he could push himself to indulge in the silliness and sentimentality that even the purest of poets would forgive, he disintegrates into petty abstractions and instead gives us lines like, ‘You were in my dream last night/ They call that a nightmare, right?'”
“Drake’s poems operate within an excess of white space, a reduced set of images, and limited punctuation. The tools of tension, breath and play are only explored through the typical two-line set up/punchline format.”
On Thursday, the global artist took to Instagram to respond to the celebrated bards, mocking their critiques.
“Randomly angry poets: blahagaggagesvachjsksyavsvvehevehebwgabvqvqqvwww[.] Me:,” he quipped, using a picture of the late Canadian sex educator and registered nurse, Sue Johanson, looking aloofly unbothered.
Last Friday, Drake announced his literary debut, titled Titles Ruin Everything, A Stream Of Consciousness. “I don’t know if I have ever wanted people to buy or support something more in my life,” the rapper captioned the IG post. “Our first book is available tmrw on @drakerelated and other select retailers.”
Drizzy also announced that a new album would accompany the book. “I made an album to go with the book,” he typed. “They say they miss the old Drake girl don’t tempt me. FOR ALL THE DOGS.”
Drake just announced his new album is coming soon… “FOR ALL THE DOGS” ?? pic.twitter.com/AHQ2jBXTze
— OnThinIce (@OnThinlce) June 24, 2023
More from VIBE.com
