Dreamville rapper Bas recently spoke out in favour of Drake amid the recent wave of criticism targeting the latter. Bas defended the Toronto artist’s influence and track record in the wake of Ebro Darden’s latest comments.As reported by Complex on August 2, 2025, Bas's comments on Instagram on July 31 push back on the narrative that Drake lacks credibility within hip-hop culture."Drake is among the most, if not the most, inclusive of artists our culture has put forth. Pushed countless rappers to the forefront, dancehall artists, afrobeats artists, R&B artists, reggaeton, older artists, newer artists etc," he said.The statement came after Apple Music host Ebro Darden delivered a monologue questioning the direction of hip-hop discourse and criticizing what he saw as fan-driven defensiveness surrounding Drake.Darden’s comments came from a segment where he acknowledged that he likely would not be invited to a Drake-related event due to his past critiques. He then spoke more about what he saw as a disconnect between serious hip-hop commentary and fandom.Bas and DJ Paul defend Drake amid latest criticism In his comment, Bas also questioned the basis of the cultural criticism often directed towards Drake, addressing whether "it's the Canadian thing."“I don’t get this ‘culture’ narrative that’s persisted since the battle. If it’s the Canadian thing, Toronto [is] a hour flight from NYC lol. I’d argue their culture and ethnic makeup is more akin to NYC than pretty much any city in the States. NYC, Toronto, London are a triumvirate culturally,” he said. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHe continued by defending the Grammy-winning rapper’s credentials as a writer and artist, adding:"Surely it’s not his pen? He’s arguably the greatest writer of a generation. So what is it?”Bas' comments on Ebro's Instagram post (Image via Instagram/@oldmanebro)Several others spoke out in the comments section as well. As reported by Complex, DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia also joined the conversation, commenting on the same post that the rapper is “the best artist I’ve ever worked with,” praising both his business acumen and creative power.“How he do business, plus his power is unbelievable. One track with him in 2019 totally rebirth my production to the other big artists,” he added.These endorsements are the latest amid a growing pushback from artists who credit Drake with career-boosting collaborations and genre-crossing inclusivity, particularly in light of criticisms that have intensified since his public rap feud with Kendrick Lamar last year.Ebro Darden’s past criticism of Drake exploredEbro Darden made critical comments about Drake in the past. According to Complex, in February 2025, he referred to the Toronto rapper as “a sickness in the game,” suggesting that the rapper represents a form of dominance that harms creative vulnerability in hip-hop.“It could have been any artist, but it’s what Drake represents. He’s not willing to go rip his soul from the bottom and do ayahuasca and look himself in the mirror as Kendrick had prescribed to him,” he said.Drake, rather than responding with new music, chose to address the critique through social media. On his Finsta, he allegedly shared a Photoshopped image of Darden superimposed over a bowl of ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic brew referenced in Darden’s comments, according to the Complex report on August 2, 2025.The debate over Drake’s cultural legitimacy and creative approach continues to generate discussion, but artists like Bas and DJ Paul remain firm in their support, citing the rapper’s inclusive collaborations and consistent industry impact.