Yasiin Bey Sets Internet Ablaze After Calling Drake “Pop” Artist, Drake Responds

There are very few things that get the internet talking like a conversation where someone seemingly critiques Drake. Yasiin Bey recently labeled the Toronto superstar a “pop” artist, and the 6 God responded.

The artist formerly known as Mos Def appeared on an episode of The Cutting Room Floor and a clip of his conversation with the host, Recho Omondi, surfaced online on Saturday (Jan. 13). Omondi asked the “Ms. Fat Booty” rapper if the For All The Dogs artist was “Hip-Hop.” Bey seemed initially hesitant to respond before saying, “Drake is pop to me.”

He continued, “In the sense like, if I was in Target in Houston and I heard a Drake song, it feels like a lot of his music is compatible with shopping. Or shopping with an edge, in certain instances.” Notably, he laughed throughout his response and there was a sense of insincerity when he called the Grammy winner’s music “likable.” People interpreted this as shots at the father of one and spent the weekend debating several ideas that unfolded from this almost three-minute clip. Check out Bey’s comments and a few tweets discussing the hot topics below.

Naturally, with Drake being mentioned in a seemingly negative light, and especially given how he’s addressed his critics head-on over the last few years, people assumed that he would diss Yasiin Bey either via a song or social media post. The people were right, as the former Degrassi actor posted an Instagram story on Monday night (Jan. 15) with an old clip of Method Man discussing what Hip-Hop is.

“Hip-Hop is a culture,” the Wu-Tang Clan member said. “It’s a way of life, the way you dress, the way you talk, the way you walk. It’s the breakdancing, rhymes, stage show, DJ, mixing and scratching, the wordplay. That’s Hip-Hop”

The part-time crooner added a caption to the post, writing, “What umi say again? Lemme shine my light king don’t change up now” with laughing emojis. He cleverly referenced Bey’s classic 1999 record “Umi Says” from his album Black On Both Sides. Check out the clip and Instagram story post below.

Drake has found himself on the defensive over the last few months, especially after the release of his eighth studio album For All The Dogs. While the October 2023 LP was commercially successful, it yielded critiques from fans, naysayers, and major voices in the culture like Joe Budden.

The eponymous podcast host questioned the “petty king’s” maturity, saying, “[Drake is] rapping for the children. I had to look up how old this ni**a was when I finished listening to the album […] You gonna be 37 years old. Get the f**k away from some of these younger ni**as and stop f**king these 25-year-old. Why are you still f**king the 25-year-olds? You’re a 37-year-old billionaire.”

He fired back at Budden and more on the Scary Hours edition of Dogs in November 2023, rapping, “Imagine us gettin’ our validation from an ex-musician searchin’ for recognition/ Same story every time, they heckle in repetition/ I’m top of the mountain, these ni**as still down at base camp, they plannin’ they expedition/ Y’all the type to catch a charge, head to the deposition/ And act like the rapper named after the sex position” on “Stories About My Brother.” Listen below.

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