Drake has admitted he digitally altered a shirtless photo that went viral earlier this year.
The 38-year-old rapper, born Aubrey Drake Graham, has been at the centre of rumours he has secretly undergone cosmetic surgery since the image spread across the Internet but has now said the picture was simply the result of him going “too hard” with the Facetune app before it sent his fans into a frenzy.
Speaking about the viral image during an appearance on Bobbi Althoff’s new podcast Not This Again, Drake said: “Maybe I, like, heightened the saturation. I think I hit it too hard. They don’t look like that.”
His explanation came after Bobbi said: “People think you got a procedure done.”
The Canadian rapper had sparked speculation in June that he had undergone abdominal etching – a liposuction procedure designed to give the appearance of defined abs – after sharing the topless photo of his six-pack.
Drake went on to deny undergoing surgery on the podcast, adding: “No. People also say that I got a (Brazilian butt lift), right?
“They call me BBL Drizzy. I don’t know if my like wagon looked crazy when I walked in here, but did it?”
The reference was to a 2023 AI-generated diss track titled BBL Drizzy released by his rival Metro Boomin, which mocked rumours Drake had undergone plastic surgery.
Drake added: “I think it was just like I came from the gym. I was sweaty in that pic. Maybe I like went on Facetune and, like, put, like, details up, you know?
“When you can like make it… sorry, just being honest!”
Bobbi reacted: “You Facetuned it?!” Drake confirmed:
“Yeah, I was, like, maybe I, like, heightened the, like, saturation or something on it? I think I, like, hit it too hard. I hit it too hard. Yeah, (my abs) don’t look like that. You saw them.”
The OVO Sound co-founder has not disclosed how often he works out, though in August he posted statistics from a running app showing his jogging times.
He also previously posted hot tub selfies from Australia in February, though it is unclear if those were altered.
Drake has been the target of multiple diss tracks from Kendrick Lamar, including Meet the Grahams, which featured a photo of a prescription for the diabetes drug Ozempic issued under Drake’s legal name. In November, Drake sued Universal Music Group, alleging Kendrick’s team used bots and payola schemes to inflate the streaming numbers of his track Not Like Us.
The feud has produced at least five Lamar diss tracks – including Euphoria and 6:16 in LA – accusing Drake of issues ranging from cosmetic procedures to personal scandals.