Drake Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The end of an era? Drake hinted that he’s thinking about stepping back from the music industry — but he’s not quite ready to fully retire.
“Well, I think on a broader scale, I think I’m at the point now where I just wanna — I feel like maybe we talked about this the other day — but I feel like I’m kind of introducing the concept in my mind of a graceful exit,” the “Hotline Bling” rapper, 36, said during an interview with Lil Yachty published on his FUTUREMOOD YouTube channel on Friday, February 24.
The “Broccoli” rapper, 25, had asked the Canada native what’s left “to even search for or want” after achieving the massive success that he has over the past decade.
“I feel like a lot of people that I’ve watched as the years have gone on, it’s a really addictive competitive space,” the Grammy winner told Yachty, whose real name is Miles Parks McCollum. “Oftentimes you’re addicted to the competition itself.”
The Degrassi: The Next Generation alum explained that he’s not ready for a full-on retirement, but indicated that he plans to stop making his own music when he feels he has nothing left to say that’s new.
Drake in concert during the Summer Sixteen tour in Chicago on October 5, 2016. Rmv/Shutterstock
“I’m not ready now, but to gracefully continue making projects that are extremely interesting and hopefully cherished by people, and then to find the right time to say, ‘I can’t wait to see what the next generation does,’” the “Nice for What” artist said. “I’ll still be around to work with people or do a show here or there, but I’m not going to force myself to compete. I would love to just see what the next generation does. whenever that time is. So, I guess that’s the one thing that I want for myself really badly.”
The Euphoria executive producer has had an extremely prolific run since releasing his debut album, Thank Me Later, in 2010. He’s since dropped six more solo full-length albums, three mixtapes, several EPs and collaborative releases with Future and 21 Savage. He has sold more digital singles than any other artist in U.S. history and holds the record for most Billboard Music Awards, with a total of 34.
“I’m really self-conscious about my music, and even if I do a good job, I always wonder how I could have done it better,” the “Take Care” musician said in May 2021 while accepting Billboard‘s Artist of the Decade Award for the 2010s. “I rarely ever celebrate anything. And just for anyone watching this wondering how this happened, that’s really the answer — it’s being so unsure how you’re getting it done that you just kinda keep going in the hopes of figuring out the formula.”