Drake Stirs Controversy with Michael Jackson Lyric

Drake’s new music didn’t come without some controversy.

On Saturday night, the Toronto rapper surprised fans by dropping two new tracks including “Chicago Freestyle” and “When to Say When.” The latter contains a lyric that did not sit well with Michael Jackson fans.

“Michael Jackson shit, but the palace is not for kids / Still women sayin’ it’s childish the way we live,” he raps.

Drake is referring to the King of Pop, who was charged with seven counts of molesting a minor at his Neverland Ranch. He was acquitted on all charges in 2005, but sexual abuse allegations resurfaced in last year’s HBO documentary “Finding Neverland.” Drake’s “palace” may refer to his three-acre compound in Hidden Hills, Calif., which he calls the YOLO estate, or his new Toronto mansion nicknamed The Embassy.

Michael Jackson fans were quick to call him out for seemingly dissing the late legend.

Others assumed that the MJ reference was Drake’s way of addressing the criticism surrounding his friendships with teen stars like Millie Bobby Brown and Billie Eilish, which some have labeled “creepy.”

The lyric is also surprising considering Drake sampled Jackson’s unreleased vocals from his 1983 session with Paul Anka on “Don’t Matter to Me” off 2018’s Scorpion. “Drake wants to drop Michael Jackson p*dophile jokes but spend money on a damn unreleased verse for his last album. that shit is disrespectful,” tweeted one fan.

Both “When to Say When” and “Chicago Freestyle” arrive ahead of Drake’s upcoming album. He also released a visual for the tracks, which was shot at various locations throughout New York as well as his hometown of Toronto.