May 15, 2026
SHARE
Short Cuts
#1365 Canada Doesn’t Deserve Drake
Everyone is talking about Drake’s new album ICEMAN (except Canadian media.)
Noor Azrieh
Host/Producer
James Nicholson
Producer
Caleb Thompson
Audio Editor
max collins
Director of Audio
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher

Why is Canadian media more interested in the provenance of ice blocks than the next chapter in the career of one of Canada’s biggest stars?

 

Drake is one of Canada’s biggest cultural exports. He represents Canada and Toronto on the global stage, and yet at home he isn’t given the same acclaim as other Canadian icons. 

 

Writer and Hip Hop lecturer Dalton Higgins joins to explain why Canada hasn’t fully embraced Drake.

 

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Andrea Varsany (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Dalton Higgins

 

Additional music by Audio Network

 

Further reading: 

 

Sponsors:

Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today.  Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.

 

Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

 

Squarespace: Check out Squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

 

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to Canadaland.com/join

 

Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served.

More from this series
As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the CBC’s longstanding policy towards reporting on acts of terrorism suddenly became an international story.
September 9, 2026
Canadians are increasingly getting their news from the New York Times. 
September 4, 2026
There’s been wall-to-wall coverage of the breakdown in trade talks between Canada and the US, on both sides of the border. 
September 2, 2026
As trade negotiations broke down, Canadian streaming policy, CanCon requirements, and French language discoverability have taken a surprisingly central role in the narrative. 
August 28, 2026
As trade talks break down between Canada and the US, the race is on to fill in the details. Both Carney and US Trade Representative Jameson Greer are offering their versions of the final hours of negotiations. 
August 26, 2026
E-scooters are making headlines as a dangerous transportation option. From Xav Trudeau not wearing a helmet in an e-Scooter ad, to editorials calling them a scourge.
August 21, 2026
B.C.’s wildfires spread at unprecedented speeds, resulting in tens of thousands of evacuations and a province-wide state of emergency.
August 19, 2026
Is Canada a soft target for Chinese espionage?
August 14, 2026
all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
Short Cuts