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Drake announces year-long break from music to deal with ‘craziest’ stomach issues

Rapper opened up about ‘the craziest problems’ he’s been having for years

Inga Parkel
Friday 06 October 2023 17:56 BST
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Eminem with Drake on stage

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Drake has opened up about the stomach issues he’s been facing for years, saying that he’ll probably take a “year or so” break from music to focus on his health.

During a recent episode of his SiriusXM radio show Table for One, the 36-year-old “One Dance” rapper revealed that he’s been having “the craziest problems” with his stomach.

“I probably won’t make music for a little bit,” Drake (real name Aubrey Drake Graham) said. “I need to focus on my health, first and foremost, and I’ll talk about that soon enough. Nothing crazy, but just like, you know, I want people to be healthy in life.”

He added: “So, I need to focus on my health and I need to get [that] right.

“I have a lot of other things that I would love to focus on. So, I’ma lock the door in the studio for a little bit. I don’t even know what a little bit is. Maybe a year or so, maybe a little longer.”

Drake’s news comes the same day as the release of his highly anticipated eighth studio album, For All The Dogs, which features artists including SZA, Bad Bunny, 21 Savage, Sexxy Red, Chief keef and many more across its 23-song setlist.

The Independent’s Nadine Smith found the rapper’s latest album “borders on sinister”, in her two-star review.

Drake
Drake (Getty Images)

“Drake tries and fails to prove he can keep up with the cool kids,” Smith writes. “For better or worse, the album is at its best when Drake’s not there.”

For All The Dogs is out now.

The “Toosie Slide” artist is currently nearing the end of his 2023 It’s All A Blur tour, which kicked off in July in Chicago. After 56 dates across the US and Canada, Drake will conclude in Columbus, Ohio, with a future date “to be determined”.

Just last month, Drake was called out by Halle Berry for using a photo of the Catwoman actor, 57, without her permission to tease his single “Slime You Out” on Instagram.

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The photo showed Berry covered in green gunk after being “slimed” at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

Days after his post, Berry responded to an Instagram follower who had asked what her thoughts were regarding Drake using the picture for his single.

“Didn’t get my permission. That’s not cool, I thought better of him!” she wrote on Friday, adding in a follow-up comment: “Hence my post today. When people you admire disappoint you, you have to be the bigger person and move on!”

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