Fans React to Drake's Controversial 'American Slaves' Lyric on "Slime You Out"

"40 and/or Lil Yachty should have pulled him aside," wrote one fan.

Prince Williams / WireImage

A line in Drake's new single has the streets talking.

"Slime You Out" featuring SZA is the rapper's first single off of his upcoming album For All the Dogs. While fans were excited to finally get a taste of the new music, a line in the opening verse "You got my mind in a terrible place / Whipped and chained you like American slaves" has been met with controversy.

The Toronto-bred rapper's bar inspired a number of memes, commentary, and other responses on social media:

“Whipped and chained you like American slaves..” nobody in the studio told Drake that line was awful?? pic.twitter.com/bzd1i3zNt5

— International Sleep⁷ 시차 (@SleepDeez) September 16, 2023
Twitter: @SleepDeez

“Whipped and chained you like American slaves”??? @Drake https://t.co/jh6YfjsXOg pic.twitter.com/sATwBDPcv5

— William Carter, IG: InquisitiveCarter (@wcarter1020) September 16, 2023
Twitter: @wcarter1020

Omg. That Drake line wasn’t AI?! He really said that?!

“whipped & chained you like American Slave…”

I— pic.twitter.com/PWTxHPAJXx

— muva.✨ (@kayyvella) September 17, 2023
Twitter: @kayyvella

“Whipped and chained you like American sllllaves”-Drake

40 and/or Lil Yaucty should have pulled him aside and said pic.twitter.com/N90kbzH0Eu

— Aaron Busby 🏁 (@MrBusby4o8) September 16, 2023
Twitter: @MrBusby4o8

sza heard drake say “whipped and chained you like American slaves” and said “yeah, I need to get on that!” pic.twitter.com/O5RpMdaSlx

— uncle vaun. (@_Vaun) September 16, 2023
Twitter: @_Vaun

Drake criticism tends to get overblown and silly on here at times but man that “slave” line really is gross lmao… I think it’s the “American” clarification that really does it

— Frazier Tharpe II (@The_SummerMan) September 17, 2023
Twitter: @The_SummerMan

Drake nor SZA have responded to any of the online commentary at publishing time.

"Slime You Out" marks the first time the former couple released a song together. “We’re cool, we’ve always been cool. It’s never been weird. It’s never come completely out of the blue,” SZA said in an interview last year.

Halle Berry recently expressed her displeasure at the "Slime You Out" cover art, which features a 2012 photo of her being slimed at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. On Instagram, Berry confirmed that Drake hadn't obtained her permission to use the image and said she was "dissapointed" in him.

Drake's forthcoming album For All the Dogs has been pushed back two weeks and will now be released on Oct. 6.

Latest in Music