Drake Addresses "Rich Flex" Memes

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Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 9: Rapper Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Drake reacts to the "Rich Flex" memes.

Drake and 21 Savage continue to ride high off of Her Loss. The collaborative album from the two artists came with an entire rollout that was a meme in and of itself. Drake and 21 Savage delivered mock interviews and performances on platforms like Howard Stern and SNL.

However, Drake's opening bars on "Rich Flex" took a life of their own. Drizzy's sassy delivery at the top of the record spurred memes across the Internet. Shortly after its release, the song unintentionally became a trend on TikTok due to Drake's numerous requests for 21 Savage. Though it may have painted Drake in a somewhat unflattering light, it ultimately propelled the song to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 9: Rapper Drake and Rapper 21 Savage perform onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

Over the weekend, the Canadian rapper finally addressed the memes surrounding "Rich Flex." During the Drake X Stake stream, he detailed a conversation with a drunk woman at a bar who asked him how he's able to deal with people always making fun of him, specifically due to the "Rich Flex" memes.

“I understand after all these years that, I feel like I have a polarizing presence. I’m almost a character in people’s movies and therefore, there’s a running dialogue. There’s jokes. You’re either the villain to some people or hero to some people," he explained.

After a 10+ year run in the game, Drake said that he understands that "it just comes with the territory." As projects like Honestly, Nevermind show, there's always room to explore other avenues, even if it doesn't resonate with everyone. However, he said that he's able to take a joke without reacting negatively to what the Internet has to say about him.

"But ultimately, I’ve just found a way," he said. "I’ve always been able to laugh at myself, but I really do feel now that I mentally am able to separate the two. So I just want to stay in that zone, that’s kinda my resolution. I feel really good right now.”

Check out the full clip below.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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