Seems like Drake is both in his feelings and in hot water with some of his fans.
The Toronto native dropped his latest album, “Certified Lover Boy,” on Friday, and fans quickly began listening to it and offering their thoughts in real time on social media.
A flurry of chatter has since emerged in response to one song, “TSU,” which appears to be about about a stripper who wanted to better her life so Drake gave her money to start a business. Notably, the song’s writing credits are OG Ron C, Noel Cadastre, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Cross, Harley Arsenault, Drake and R. Kelly.
R. Kelly has been in the midst of a criminal trial in New York for the past several weeks. He’s facing nine federal charges, including one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits taking minors across state lines for the purposes of prostitution.
The R&B singer’s accusers have testified in the last two weeks that Kelly took part in beatings, sexual assault and statutory rape. One woman claimed he forced her to have an abortion, while several others claimed he knowingly gave them herpes.
“TSU” is reportedly the “most high-profile usage sampling since the singer was indicted,” said Rolling Stone.
Representatives for Drake did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Some have argued that because the song’s production samples Kelly’s song “Half on a Baby,” Drake automatically had to give him a writing credit on the track. Others, however, argue that Drake didn’t have to use the song at all and “could easily have passed on this one.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of charges Kelly is facing. He faces eight counts of violating the Mann Act, not four.