Drake’s ‘God’s Plan’ Video Shows His Spectacle Of Charity (pics & video)

That Drake’s new video ‘God’s Plan’ is topping the chart is not the  focus of this article but exudes another part of him that was not known: Generosity.

Since February 16th that the video was released, Drake made global headlines with his unexpected video for “God’s Plan”.

There were no love interests, no elaborate storylines and no special effects; instead, the beautifully-lensed clip, directed by Karena Evans, followed the star around Miami while he gave away his label’s $999,631.90 budget to those in need.

Some were treated to supermarket shopping sprees, wads of cash and free luxury cars, whereas a cherry-picked selection of shelters, charities and support groups were presented with those comically huge checks we only ever see on-screen.

Drake beams throughout the entire video; he swells with pride as tearful fans wrap themselves around him and blink in disbelief at the gifts they’ve just received.

It’s a video guaranteed to make even the most cynical among us smile, laugh, maybe even shed a tear.

The visuals are undeniably joyous, but it is easy to be cynical. It’s exceedingly simple to accuse Drake of being self-serving, to argue that the most genuine charitable gestures are made off-camera.

Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg certainly took this view, asking: “Isn’t it a little bit cheap to use those emotions of, ‘Look at this person in need getting something good,’ and transfer those emotions onto yourself? I don’t know the last time I saw a four-minute montage of ‘Look at all the nice things I do.”

Rosenberg went on to clarify that he found the video disingenuous as opposed to the actual donations themselves, but he still pissed Drake off so much that the musician called Rosenberg to personally vent his frustrations. “This is the most important thing I’ve ever done,” he reportedly said, obviously annoyed that his generosity had been dismissed as contrived.

It is worth being critical, especially given the music industry’s recent trend of #woke-washing. Half-baked political statements, disingenuous solidarity and the use of minority groups as props have all been rightly criticized, as have attempts to profit from tragedy.

But this is different.

This isn’t a case of an artist making a superficial statement to make themselves look better. Instead, this is an example of an artist putting his—well, his label’s—money where his mouth is.

Drake’s grandiose display of generosity also makes sense in the context of “God’s Plan”. It’s easy to read into the lyrics and their religious overtones. In a Sabor Tropical Supermarket, he asked all shoppers that everything on the shelves are free, by presenting a scholarship check to an unsuspecting student. Or is it Drake sliding up to a family who’s sitting on a ledge, one of the kids notices the rapper sitting next to her, and shrieks. Drake smiles and hands the family a wad of of cash. The family covers their eyes and they hug.

This is Drake at his most sincere, which is precisely why the “God’s Plan” video seems natural rather than contrived. Fans still fall at his feet, but there’s no security to stop them. He’s really in these schools, he’s actively listening to these communities—as behind-the-scenes videos have shown—and he really is laughing and joking un-self-consciously.

In that sense, “God’s Plan” is as far from a PR stunt as you could get.

Better still, it seems Drake’s team genuinely did their research when looking at how to spend their money. One particularly heartwarming story is that of Destiny James, a talented and ferociously intelligent young black woman raised by a single mother in South Carolina. James had always dreamed of college but never thought it possible due to her lack of access to resources.

James’s narrative is a familiar one in even the most privileged of western countries: the extortionate cost of higher education had crippled her both financially and emotionally, forcing her to invest her energy into staying afloat as opposed to thriving. Then, along came Drake. The rapper presented her with a $50,000 check, enabling her to pay her tuition fees with no stress and work towards a Masters degree in public health. She plans to bring her skills back to her hometown, to educate those the system left behind.

The “God’s Plan” visual isn’t a humanitarian intervention, it’s a music video, and it does exactly what a music video should do: it creates a visual narrative, introduces us to some seriously inspirational characters and leaves us feeling entertained, with a smile on our faces.

God’s Plan video has earned him nearly 30 million plays over a few days.

Drake might not have changed the world, but he’s at least changed the lives—if only temporarily—of a handful of lucky Miami residents. For that, he should be celebrated.

Can you please watch the video below: