Lil Wayne Says People Hate Drake Because He’s Light-Skinned [Video]

Lil Wayne refused to let colorism get in the way of him signing Drake to Young Money.

The mixtape maven sat down with “The Richard Sherman Podcast,” where he opened up about the decision and credited his upbringing around Cash Money founder Birdman for shaping his artist signing process. This mentorship led him to sign Drake and Nicki Minaj, his biggest acts to date. Wayne likened himself to “a proud father,” witnessing the success of two of the biggest acts in hip-hop.

When Sherman delved into the reasons behind the criticism Drake faces, Wayne pointed to historical prejudices within the Black community.

“He red, he light-skinned. That’s history. That’s just American history. How I know is because I’m not light-skinned,” Mr. Carter stated before touching on his own internalized battle with skin tone as a dark-skinned male who grew up in the South. “I hated on all light-skinned dudes in school. So yeah, it’s American history, man.”

Drake, who is biracial, having a white mother and a Black father, has long been criticized for his blackness and what he identifies as. When it comes to music, he has faced just as much controversy, from people believing his music has not matured to those who think he’s simply fallen off after over a decade in the industry. Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, most recently called Drake out for being more of a pop artist instead of a rapper. Either way, Drizzy is here to stay, and Wayne will see to it.

Full episode below.