Drake Reveals That His Father Has Cancer During ‘Iceman’ Livestream

Drake unveiled his long-awaited album, Iceman, on Friday. While the LP — which dropped alongside surprise albums Habibti and Maid Of Honour — sees the rapper offer fans a window into how he felt about the highly publicized feud with Kendrick Lamar, it also delves into other personal matters close to the heart.

On “Make Them Cry,” the opening track of Iceman, Drake delves into the pressures of fame, money, expectations, and family matters, rapping at one point, “I don’t do psychedelics because I’m too scared of unpacking/ Sometimes I only see myself in my therapist’s glasses.” At the end of the introspective song, he reveals that his father Dennis Graham, who he raps about in the opening verse, has cancer: “My dad got cancer right now, we battling stages/Trust me when I say there’s plenty things I’d rather be facing.”

In the past, Drake and his father have had a complicated and fraught relationship that in recent years, appears to have reached a public reconciliation. Drake’s mother, Sandi Graham, and father divorced when he young and the artist has been open about how his parents have impacted his childhood and music.

Elsewhere on Iceman, the LP features production from longtime collaborator Noah “40” Shebib as well as a host of names including Overkst, OK, and more. The record also includes collaborations with Future and rising star Molly Santana and is Drake’s ninth solo studio album — his first since his now infamous war of words with Kendrick Lamar. The album follows his joint R&B project with Partnextdoor from last year, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U.