Drake was the victim of a boycott this week after Muslim critics claimed he told four female Muslim fans to remove their hijab at a recent show. Except Drake never actually said the word hijab. He suggested that one of the women should remove her “scarf” so she could turn up without getting too hot. Still, outraged fans blasted the rapper on social media and called him Islamophobic. Well, the uproar was enough to get The Boy to respond.
Just like everyone (but the boycotters) heard, Drake was literally talking about a scarf and not a hijab when he commented that the fan should “come up out that sh*t.” The rapper hopped on Instagram to kill all that Islamophobic noise and revealed he’s actually hurt by the controversy because he’s all about love and light. “I make a point every night to end my shows on tons of unity and love so, to find out that I am being utilized in a fake media story about me disrespecting Muslims is devastating to me.”
Drake said he was just joking around when he made the scarf comment because he enjoys “friendly banter with my fans” and that he would never make disrespectful comments like the one he’s being accused of.
“I am well aware of what a hijab is and I would never make a disrespectful comment like that in my life towards someone who is wearing one,” Drake wrote. “I am proud that my closest friends and fans come from all different religions and races, perhaps whoever made up this story should spend more time learning about other cultures and less time trying to divide us.”
The original tweet and video have been deleted.
Read Drake’s full statement below.
I make a point every night to end my shows on tones of unity and love so, to find out that I am being utilized in a fake media story about me disrespecting Muslims is devastating to me. At my show in the 02 in London I was talking to 4 women one of whom was wearing a jacket and a winter scarf, I made a comment about taking off the scarf because I enjoy friendly banter with the fans. I am well aware of what a hijab is and I would never make a disrespectful comment like that in my life towards someone who is wearing one. I am proud that my closest friends and fans come from all different religions and races, perhaps whoever made up this story should spend more time learning about other cultures and less time trying to divide us.
