Self-Care Song of the Day #6: Drake-Energy (and how it relates to Randall Collins' Microsociology)

"Got a lotta enemies, got a lotta enemies
got a lotta people tryna drain me of my energy..." - Drake

I'll be the first to admit it. I haven't always been the biggest fan of Drake. Maybe there's a part of me that subconsciously rejects someone who used to be a child TV star. Or, maybe there's a part of me in denial about someone from outside of NYC or LA at the top of the Hip Hop food chain...

But, whatever the case,

Started from Degrassi now we here

my opinion about Drake has been changing lately. Even though I don't like the Raptors, I do like the fact that he represents his city. And, I've warmed up to some of his songs, including his 2015 hit, "Energy." I guess you could say that I've moved from being a bonafide "Drizzy hater" to being someone who appreciates his hustle. Fair enough?

Anyways, "Energy" is an important song in which Drake address a growing legion of haters. He describes all the people in his life who want to see him fail and talks about the constant battle to protect his energy, a precious emotional resource if there ever was one.

This song sort of reminds me of Randall Collins' path-breaking work in Interaction Ritual Chains. Collins describes how people seek out exciting group rituals to get charged up with positive emotional energy. We attend birthday parties, meet up with friends at cafes, and do a bunch of things to replenish our energy whenever we're feeling low.

But, in similar ways, we must also be on guard against haters and people who drain our energy. Maybe it's a coworker who is constantly complaining or a friend who is constantly posting negative stuff without offering solutions. There is a lot of noise out there and people are hurting. But, ask yourself this: When was the last time you felt good after perusing Facebook for 20 minutes or so? I'm all for people disseminating information and rallying around progressive causes. But, awareness shouldn't come at a cost to one's mental health. And mental health is paramount to fighting the good fight.

All of this is to encourage you to cultivate positive emotional energy in your lives. If nothing else, maybe take a short break from the excessive negativity online. As Drizzy says, "Fuck goin' online, that ain't part of my day."

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