Drake denies Islamophobia, sends message of unity

Multi-award-winning rapper Drake has denied charges of Islamophobia over comments he made during a recent concert.

Drake told a concertgoer to remove her scarf during a show in London earlier this week, prompting angry responses from his Muslim fanbase, who believed the comments were directed at a woman in hijab.

"I see you four girls right there… you got on that hot ass scarf right there, you might wanna take this off," the Canadian star told an unidentified woman in the crowd at the O2 arena.

"You gotta turn the f*** up. You gon have to come out that sh**," he went on.

After the video of the Drake’s exchange went viral on social media sites, many people condemned what they believed to be Islamophobic remarks.

"Boycott this misogynist islamophobe. I don't care. I'll take the heat from any Drake fan. Bring it on! I stand tall for my Muslim sisters!" said one Twitter user.

Another user said: "Calling a Muslim's hijab "that s***" and telling them to take it off is so disrespectful but let's see Drake actually gets called out for it."

However the rapper issued a statement on his Instagram page on Friday calling the accusations "fake news".

"At my show in the O2 in London I was talking to four women one of whom was wearing a jacket and a winter scarf," he said.

"I am well aware of what a hijab is and I would never make a disrespectful comment like that in my life towards someone who is wearing one," he added.

“I am proud that my closest friends and fans come from all different religions and races, perhaps whoever made up this story should spend more time learning about other cultures and less time trying to divide us.”