Rapper Drake has announced that he is taking a break from his music career, saying: "I need to focus on my health first and foremost."

Just hours after the release of his new album, For All The Dogs, the multi-Grammy award winner revealed that he has had stomach problems for years.

"I probably won't be making music for a while, to be honest," he said Friday on his radio show.

Several upcoming shows have been postponed following his announcement.

"I need to focus on my health, first and foremost — and I'll talk about that soon," the "Hotline Bling" rapper said, adding that he doesn't know how long his music hiatus will last.

Drake, who is currently 36 years old, has gained a significant level of popularity and success in the hip-hop music genre.

The cover of his latest album was drawn by his five-year-old son, who also appears in the music video for the song 8AM in Charlotte.

At the beginning of this year he published a book of poems./BBC/