Sensitive Canadian rapper Drake will be on Ellen today, and a promo clip from the show packs everything there is to love about little Aubrey into five minutes and 30 seconds. There’s the modesty that leads him to call Saturday Night Live an “intense talent gauntlet” and the self-deprecation with which he declares drinking strawberry-lemonade “a thrill.”
This interview is why Drake is beloved. Not by people who listen to his music; they’d be fans even without his ability to charm Ellen. No, the appearance explains why the moms, dads, and grandparents of people who listen to Drake’s music love him. Sure, he might grind up on Rihanna during a show, but offstage they’re just friends. And when a creepy dude in a puffy coat jumps out of a box to scare him, Drake doesn’t jump up and attack. This is the guy who once sang, “I want your hot love and emotion endlessly.” He falls back into a defensive pose and puts his hands up to ward off the scary man. So vulnerable. So sweet.