The cover art for Pusha-T’s song “The Story of Adidon” is jarring: a photo of a young Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake, in blackface with wide grin.

The image, which accompanied the latest musical volley in an ongoing back-and-forth between the rappers, was an effective bit of opposition research, leaving fans scrambling to debate its legitimacy and determine its provenance.

Following 24 hours of memes and speculation, Drake — facing a lacerating track that questioned his authenticity, attacked his friends and family and insisted that he was hiding a secret child — opted to respond, for now, only to the photograph. In a rare public statement, delivered on Instagram, the rapper, who is biracial, said that his poses in blackface were a commentary on race from his days as a young actor.