Whether Drake, in whose music video Lataj apears, was aware of Lataj’s criminal history or not, Alan Cross, a commentator on the history of popular music, said hanging out in a video with someone who had been alleged to be a real-life gangster could allow him “to achieve some sort of cred” — particularly amid a very public feud with Kendrick Lamar, which escalated around 2023 after simmering for years.