Drake Recently dropped studio album #9 “For All The Dogs”, in which he features his son Adonis’ voice on track number 5: Daylight. Following this, he released a music video titled “My Man Freestyle”, to follow up on his sons feature where Adonis sings the full version of the feature, while playing basketball with his team, lifting weights, leading them, and other controversial behaviors.
While praised by many, this music video is a prime example of parental pressures on children to perform their gender identity in a stereotypical way that meets societal expectations. On top of presenting his recently turned 6 son in a stereotypical masculine way, “balling” with his team and acting out other gestures and postures typically associated with masculinity, Drake involves the media, making this public, and exponentially increasing the pressures now not only on his son and the other children that participated in the video, but all young boys growing up looking for role models.
While it is okay if this was Adonis’ genuine gender identity expression, it falls in too closely with how Drake, his father, presents himself to the public, so there is a clear correlation between personality traits seen here. Drake shows himself a sport-mainly basketball-loving individual, representing his team constantly, as seen within his clothing brand Octobers Very Own. This parent-child bond is a clear example of a parent putting their own belief, identity and views onto their child as to create a “mini-me”. Wanting to please the primary male role model in his life, Adonis may comply.
Since Drake is one of the biggest artists of today, breaking records with his music such as first rapper to surpass 80 million monthly listeners on spotify(as of october 10, 2023), and song IDGAF ft. Yeat placing #1 on Billlboard Global 200 chart, his influence must be taken into consideration as well. Drake is a beyond distinguished individual, currently in a very influential position of power, and this must also be taken into consideration when dissecting the issues presented in this music release, because it causes the consequences to be even greater.
Not only is he projecting his own persona onto his son, but setting an image for him and other viewers worldwide of what a boy should act like, look like, dress like, and talk like, in order to be of value, or amount to the status that he is at. This is harmful to those trying to find their own masculinity, as well as gender identity and expression, because it creates so much noise too difficult to drown out.