'It sells records': Drake and his dad clash over absentee father claims in lyrics

Drake has mined a lot of his personal relationships over the years to fuel his songwriting, whether through his many romances or his family life. Having spent most of his childhood growing up with his single mother, Sandi Graham, in Toronto, Drake has always been open about his sometimes strained relationship with his absent father, Dennis. But in a recent interview with Nick Cannon, Dennis claimed those lyrics are all false. 

"I had a conversation with Drake about that," Dennis explained. "I have always been with Drake. I talk to him, if not every day, every other day. We really got into a deep conversation about that ... I said, Drake, why are you saying all this stuff about me? This is not cool. [He said] dad, it sells records." 

Some examples of what Dennis was debunking include lines from 2014's "0 to 100" ("Since my dad use to tell me/ he was comin' to the house to get me/ he ain't show up/ valuable lesson, man, I had to grow up/ that's why I never asked for help") as well as 2011's "Look What You've Done" ("And my father living in Memphis now, he can't come this way/ over some minor charges and child support/ that just wasn't paid, damn/ boo-hoo, sad story — Black American dad story"). 

Drake disagreed though, taking to Instagram on Tuesday evening to post a direct response. "Woke up today so hurt man," he began. "My father will say anything to anyone that's willing to listen to him. It's sad when family gets like this but what can we really do that's the people we are stuck with ... every bar I ever spit was the truth and the truth is hard for some people to accept."