Steve Lacy Reacts to Drake Calling Him A “Fragile Opp”

Key Takeaways:

• In a Rolling Stone interview, Steve Lacy turned Drake’s “fragile opp” comment into a moment of humor and appreciation.
• The viral moment followed Lacy’s set at Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” concert.
• The “Bad Habit” hitmaker also discussed his early studio session with Lamar and teased his next album, Oh Yeah?

Steve Lacy has nothing but love for Drake — even after the rapper jokingly labeled him a “fragile opp” during a livestream with gaming creator xQc. The comment came after Lacy’s appearance at Kendrick Lamar’s “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” concert in Los Angeles.

In a Rolling Stone cover feature published on Thursday (Aug. 14), Lacy recalled first learning about the remark and being delighted. “I thought it was so awesome. I love Drake,” he laughed. “I was like, this is so beautiful. Like, yes.”

At first, Lacy wasn’t even sure what the OVO Sound frontman was getting at. “I didn’t know what it meant. No one knew what it meant. I thought it was really sweet,” he explained. That night, friends began texting him the phrase, and fellow artist Fouché sent him the actual clip. “I was so excited,” Lacy remembered. This was especially notable because, in that same moment, Drake also called one of Lacy’s songs “a hit.”

For Lacy, any perceived tension was overshadowed by the joy of performing at “The Pop Out.” “That was so beautiful and profound,” he said. “When you’re in Compton, you only see one type of music being blasted, so I never expected what I was doing to be respected or a part of the conversation of what Compton is. So, to be there and to feel that love … was very, very special.”

The Grammy Award-winning musician also touched on his history with Lamar, recalling their first studio session that led to “PRIDE.” on DAMN. Lacy described nervously offering the “tv off” rapper demos from his catalog and being floored when his name later appeared on the album’s leaked tracklist.

Lacy is preparing to release his forthcoming LP, Oh Yeah?, which was recorded partly in Paris. Themes range from heartbreak to new romance, and he’s rediscovered his passion for guitar after years of favoring synthesizers.

As for Drake’s playful jab, Lacy insists there’s no animosity: “I grew up listening to Drake and s**t,” he said. “We [are] all just trying to figure out humanity together. Being alive is weird, so [we’ve] got to embrace each other.”