Drake says taking break from music over health issue

Canadian rapper Drake said Friday he is taking a break from music, just hours after dropping his latest album, in order to focus on recurring stomach issues.

"I probably won't make music for a little bit, I'm gonna be honest," he said on his SiriusXM radio show Table For One, adding: "I need to focus on my health first and foremost... I need to get right."

"I've been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach," he explained.

The 36-year-old Grammy Award winner had just released his latest studio album For All The Dogs. Long-awaited, it features Bad Bunny, J. Cole, SZA, Lil Yachty, and a Frank Ocean sample.

His five-year-old son Adonis drew the artwork for the cover and was featured in a music video for a new single off the album called 8AM in Charlotte. He also raps on the track Daylight.

Drake's hiatus has forced the cancellation or postponement of several upcoming concerts in the United States, according to his website and Ticketmaster.

But Friday and Saturday shows scheduled in Toronto, where fans were already seen lining up, appeared to be a go still.

Drake mentioned that he would also meet unspecified commitments.

"I got some other things I need to do for some other people that I made promises," he said.

Otherwise, he said, "I'm gonna lock the door in the studio for a little bit," Drake said. "I don't even know what a little bit is. Maybe a year or so, maybe a little longer." (AFP)