5 major reveals from Drake’s appearance on Bobbi Althoff’s ‘Not This Again’ podcast

On September 2, 2025, Bobbi Althoff's much-anticipated podcast reboot, Not This Again, launched with Drake as the first guest. In 2023, Althoff interviewed Drake on her The Really Good Podcast, which went viral and generated widespread discussion.

The latter, however, took a twist when the episode was removed, the two unfollowed one another on social media, and people began to believe that their friendship had broken down.

This new episode was filmed during the Canadian artist's European tour. As Althoff recounts, he asked her to accompany him through various cities before they finally interviewed in Switzerland. Instead of a traditional promotional look at new music, the conversation focused on addressing rumors, offering critiques of the media, and sharing personal and cultural insights.

Five Major Reveals from Drake’s Appearance on Bobbi Althoff’s Not This Again

In his interview with Bobbi Althoff, the Canadian artist spoke openly about a variety of subjects. These revelations provided a more personal insight into the rapper's life, resolving many long-held assumptions, explaining his opinions on the music industry, and eliciting more personal confessions.

1) Drake denies cosmetic surgery rumors about his abs and butt

Among the fastest-spreading rumors about Drake over the past few years has been the rumor that he has undergone cosmetic surgery, including abdominal etching or a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL).

Social media has dubbed him "BBL Drizzy," a title that gained widespread circulation following a shirtless gym photograph in June 2025. In the podcast, Althoff raised the topic head-on, providing Drake with an opportunity to shed some light on the matter.

“I don't know if my wagon looked crazy when I walked in here, but did it?”

He laughed and then made a flat refusal that he had ever been subjected to such procedures. Instead, he acknowledged that the viral photo might have appeared unnatural as he had made slight edits.

“I think it was just like I came from the gym. I was sweaty in that pic. Maybe I like heightened the saturation or something on it. I hit it too hard. They don’t look like that. You saw them.”

2) He confirms plans to return to U.S. touring, including Los Angeles

Wireless Festival 2025 - Day Two - Source: Getty

Another issue that fans have been closely following is the touring schedule of Drake. In 2024, he completely omitted a U.S. leg, instead performing international shows. Some assumed it was because of his high-profile feud with Kendrick Lamar- particularly since he was not in Los Angeles.

Drake has responded directly to these rumors on Not This Again. Upon being questioned whether he was scared off American stages by Althoff, he said it was all a matter of logistics, as he had just ended a major tour and wasn't yet ready to start another. Nonetheless, he gave assurance:

“I gotta do another one,” he said, specifying that Los Angeles is still on his list.

3) The “culture vulture” label still stings him

One of the most repeated criticisms of Drake has been his label as a "culture vulture", an artist who borrows sounds and styles from other genres or regions without truly belonging to them. In 2015, rapper Earl Sweatshirt likened Drake to a vulture for young talent, stating that his impact may overshadow that of upcoming artists.

The criticism gained force a year later when Drake released Views, which heavily featured dancehall influences. The discussion was revived in 2019, when the UK rapper Wiley labeled Drake a culture vulture after the Toronto artist began working extensively with British MCs.

On Not This Again, Drake acknowledged that the label still influences him. In his explanation, he stated that when he collaborates with artists in other scenes, it is not about appropriation or exploitation, but about admiration, influence, and creating platforms for others.

"I experience a lot of guilt tripping in my life where people are like, 'No this is your fault,' essentially... My intentions are pure. It's the same way even in music. People will be like, 'You're a culture vulture,'”

He added:

“People will describe the collaborative efforts that I have put forth and the artists that I've picked up or shined a light on as me taking. They'll put a negative spin on it and try and tell me it's a self-serving thing and I think I get real sensitive about that.”

4) WWE’s Rhea Ripley is his “muse”

Among the lighter and more unexpected moments of the interview was when the rapper admitted that his social media algorithm had been showing him endless clips of WWE superstar Rhea Ripley.

“On SOS for me, so I couldn’t try to pull up Tiger’s Instagram. My FYP page is just all Rhea Ripley. She’s a wrestler, she’s mine, she’s like my muse. But is she? Yeah, but she’s what I’m the opposite of. Probably everything that she likes. And like I can’t pull up, I can’t, got it.”

The remark soon went viral in both hip-hop and wrestling circles as fans were delighted by the mashup of the hip-hop and wrestling worlds.

5) Drake criticizes “entitled” hip-hop journalists

Perhaps the most pointed section of the conversation came when the rapper explained why he had decided to sit down with Bobbi Althoff, instead of a standard press interview.

“What we did, it changed a lot of things for a lot of people.”

The rapper admitted that their 2023 interview had led to anger in some quarters of the media, especially among senior hip-hop journalists who felt they deserved more of their time.

“It was me essentially just recognizing somebody that I never met in my life, that I fully believed in, that I thought was really interesting, and that I wanted to have an interesting conversation with."

He further entioned :

“It pissed off, like, so many, all these f**king losers, these, like, storied journalists, like, this guy and that guy who feel so entitled to this interview, and, ‘Drake never does anything for this type of media.’ And it just made people so angry, that two people who maybe have nothing to talk about, or everything to talk about, but just based on random energy, could come together.”

The rapper admitted that their 2023 interview had led to anger in some quarters of the media, especially among senior hip-hop journalists who felt they deserved more of their time. In retrospect, Drake explained that the viral success of their initial interview made storied journalists feel entitled to the interview.

Drake's interview with Bobbi Althoff also clarified other rumors and criticism that the artist had been subjected to.

About the author

Tanishqa Patil is a Pop Culture writer at Sportskeeda, bringing two years of content creation experience from various platforms, including Thesportslite [TSL], Fusion World, and Exotic India Art. Her academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in English. Currently, she is expanding her expertise through a Master's in English Literature.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Tanishqa enjoys painting, reading, and immersing herself in the art world. If she could attend any concert in history, it would be a performance by the iconic Indian singer K.K. (Krishnakumar Kunnath).

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Edited by Maithreyi S