A freelancer reporter claims his reputation was ruined after he was dragged into a social media hellstorm amid Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s feud.
Christopher Alvarez, a 26-year-old writer and recent graduate of Columbia Journalism School, penned a personal essay for Brooklyn Daily Eagle debunking his involvement as the alleged OVO mole and other malicious rumors about his association with the Canadian rapper.
It began when tweets from a user named EbonyPrince2k24 began threatening legal action against Drake on Friday, as reported by the Eagle. The anonymous individual allegedly had evidence of wrongdoing as well as items supposedly left by Drake at the Mark Hotel in New York City—including a laptop, medications with Drake’s legal name on them, as well as receipts and clothing.
Among the items was a copy of Brooklyn Daily Eagle’s May 8 edition. A photo of Alvarez, who lives with Thanatophoric Dysplasia Type 2, a rare skeletal disorder that requires him to use a wheelchair, was also shared from security footage of the lobby.
These tweets, along with other cryptic videos and allegations, quickly went viral on social media. It was later discovered that EbonyPrince may have been an employee of the Mark Hotel attempting to sell Drake’s unclaimed items from the hotel’s lost and found.
As the situation escalated, Alvarez continued to be wrongfully implicated online. Some users suggested that Drake may have been involved in some kind of altercation with the writer.
Alvarez told the Eagle that he’s interacted with all kinds of celebrities, including Drizzy himself, whom he has a photo with.
“I've had the privilege to be with Drake, Kendrick Lamar and other celebrities who have been very nice to me, but I don't understand where it all got blurred with the fans. I can confirm that I was with Drake on the night of Jan. 22, 2023. After his NYC concert with 21 Savage,” Alvarez wrote in his essay for the publication. “I was called to meet Drizzy at The Mark Hotel, and we had a blast listening to new beats. I am not in the position to talk about his character outside of our meetings but I can say I was not violated in any way.”
“Growing up in a society that was not meant for me to succeed in, I would never put myself in a position that would further dehumanize the disability community,” Christopher added, citing CDC statistics that 80 percent of women and 30 percent of men with developmental disabilities have been sexually assaulted.
“Lastly, I have been getting a lot of spam phone calls, texts, emails and social media messages saying that I am the ‘snitch’ in this beef, that I accepted ‘hush money’ from Drake and that I was somehow in on the plan because I follow ‘underaged high school girls,’" Alvarez emphasized. "First, I don’t know anything about Drake and Lamar’s beef because to me life is too short to hate and I don’t follow it. Second, I’m a hard-working journalist who holds elected officials and private entities accountable; I don’t have rappers on speed dial to be ‘the mole’ or ‘snitch.’”
Read both the Brooklyn Daily Eagle's full report and Alvarez's piece here.
