Its lyrics target Drake, revealing the existence of his secret child, Adonis, and accusing him of hiding his son from the public while exploiting black culture for commercial gain.

The cover art for the track, featuring a controversial image of Drake in blackface, added to its shock value and public debate.

[7] Pusha T also attacks Drake's alleged insecurities regarding his race, and mocks OVO Sound producer 40 for looking frail due to his multiple sclerosis.

Drake commented on the cover, saying "the photo represents how African Americans were once wrongfully portrayed in entertainment" and how these frustrations had not changed since.

[11] The track received critical acclaim despite its controversy: some praised it as a diss song for being vicious and harsh, noting it as victory for Pusha T in the feud, while others said it went too far.

[16] The Tampa Bay Times ranked "The Story of Adidon" at number 10 on their "50 Best Songs of 2018" list,[17] while Pitchfork described it as "at once a three-dimensional chess move and vicious sucker punch.