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Drake apologizes for Rolling Stone rant

Posted at 10:36 AM, Feb 14, 2014
and last updated 2014-02-14 12:36:27-05

(CNN) — Everyone has tough days at the office, but when Drake has one it goes viral.

The rapper has been picked apart online after he tweeted his feelings about his profile in Rolling Stone magazine.

The magazine’s cover features the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead at age 46 on February 2 from an apparent drug overdose.

According to Drake’s tweeted comments — some of which he later deleted — not only was he supposed to have the Rolling Stone cover, but the publication printed a quote that he called incorrect.

“I never commented on (Kanye West’s) ‘Yeezus’ for my interview portion of Rolling Stone,” Drake initially posted on Thursday. “They also took my cover from me last minute and ran the issue. I’m disgusted with that. RIP to Phillip Seymour Hoffman. All respect due. But the press is evil. I’m done doing interviews for magazines. I just want to give my music to the people. That’s the only way my message gets across accurately.”

Actually, it’s not the only way. By the early morning hours of Friday, Drake turned to his website to give more clarity on his rage against Rolling Stone, and to apologize to the Hoffman family and those who were offended by his comments.

“These days are the worst ones,” Drake said in a lengthy statement. “After dwelling on it for a few hours or days you will come to the conclusion that you brought it on yourself almost every time. So here I am having that moment.”

Thursday, which also happened to be the fifth anniversary of his landmark “So Far Gone” mixtape, was “an extremely emotional day,” Drake explained. “I completely support and agree with Rolling Stone replacing me on the cover with the legendary Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He is one of the most incredible actors of our time and a man that deserves to be immortalized by this publication. My frustration stemmed from the way it was executed. The circumstances at hand are completely justifiable (on the magazine’s behalf), but I was not able to salvage my story or my photos and that was devastating.”

Drake goes on to say that the issue was printed without him having the option to be in it or not, and that, had he been able to, he would’ve “waited until it was my time because I understand the magnitude of the cover they chose. But I just wasn’t given that option and that made me feel violated.”

In the end, the 27-year-old said he wanted to apologize “to anybody who took my initial comments out of context, because in no way would I ever want to offend the Hoffman family or see myself as bigger than that moment. I am still the same person. … I respect Rolling Stone for being willing to give a kid from Toronto a shot at the cover. I guess this is a day to learn and grow.”

The-CNN-Wire
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