Few people can relate to Drake’s career achievements, but we know we share at least one thing in common with the record-breaking chart-topper: A stomach ache can still bring him to his knees.
On Friday, October 6, Drake finally released his For All The Dogs album, and, as is the case with every Drake project, the rest of the day was consumed by people dissecting everything about it. But Drake fans might want to especially savor this ritual because For All The Dogs could be his last drop for a while.
“I probably won’t make music for a little bit,” Drake said on his Table For One show on SiriusXM’s Sound 42. “I’mma be real with you. I need to focus on my health, first and foremost, and I’ll talk about that soon enough. Nothing crazy, but I want people to be healthy in life, and I’ve been having the craziest problems, for years, with my stomach.”
He added, “I need to focus on my health, and I need to get right, and I’m gonna do that. […] I have a lot of other things that I would love to focus on, so I’m going to lock the door on the studio for a little bit. I don’t know what ‘a little bit’ is. Maybe a year or something. Maybe a little bit longer.”
In February, Drake told Lil Yachty that he had started contemplating what his rap retirement may eventually look like, and an excerpt of what he had to say then can be read below:
“I feel like I’m kind of introducing the concept in my mind of a graceful exit. I feel like a lot of people that I’ve watched as the years have gone on, it’s a really addictive, competitive space, and oftentimes, you’re addicted to the competition itself. And so, sometimes it’ll baffle you. Like, why are these people still making attempts at trying to present in the space? And then you’ll realize, like, their needs and desires and their soul was probably fed for so long off of being a guy or the guy that they can’t let it go.
I guess what’s left for me is just to find a way to gracefully — like, I’m not ready now, but to gracefully continue making projects that are extremely interesting and hopefully cherished by people, and then to find the right time to say, ‘I can’t wait to see what the next generation does.’ I’ll still be around to work with people or do a show here or there, but I’m not going to force myself to compete.”
Drake’s It’s All A Blur Tour with 21 Savage is winding down, with hometown dates at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena tonight (October 6) and tomorrow (October 7). See all of his remaining dates here.