Drake has talked about Kobe Bryant in a few different ways over the years — from a controversial lyric to later tributes and public praise.

The controversial lyric (“Stay Schemin’”)

On Rick Ross’ track “Stay Schemin’,” Drake rapped about Kobe’s 2011–2012 marital troubles and potential divorce settlement, referencing how much money Kobe could lose.

The key idea of the bar was that Kobe might “lose” a huge amount of his fortune in a divorce, which many people took as a shot at his wife, Vanessa Bryant.

Vanessa publicly pushed back, saying Drake was never really a friend of Kobe and criticizing people profiting off their family’s pain.

After that, Drake apologized and said he never meant to offend Vanessa or anyone else, and that Kobe would “always be a friend and an icon” to him.

Later respect and tributes

Years later, Drake consistently spoke about Kobe with a lot of respect and admiration.

He has compared his own work ethic and mentality to Kobe’s, framing Kobe as a model of relentless focus and excellence.

During his “It’s All a Blur” tour in Los Angeles in 2023, a fan threw a Kobe jersey onstage and Drake stopped the show to honor him.

He held up the jersey and told the crowd something along the lines of, “We gotta show love to Kobe one time,” and asked the arena to make noise for Kobe.

So, what did Drake say about Kobe?

Summing up the main moments people usually mean when they ask this:

  • In “Stay Schemin’,” he referenced Kobe’s possible divorce payout and Vanessa, which caused backlash and led to a public apology.
  • In interviews afterward, he clarified he didn’t intend to disrespect Vanessa and called Kobe a friend and an icon.
  • More recently, onstage in L.A., he told the crowd to show love to Kobe and led a tribute moment, especially around Kobe’s birthday and “Kobe Bryant Day.”

If you’re asking about a specific quote or bar (song lyric vs. tribute speech), tell me which one and I can zoom in on that line and explain its context. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.