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Drake’s 2023 Features, Ranked From Worst To Best

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Drake has had a prolific 2023. This year, he toured North America and released his eighth studio album, For All The Dogs, along with a Scary Hours Edition. Despite the mixed reactions, Drake continued to dominate as both a solo artist and as a collaborator. His project included appearances from SZA, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Chief Keef, Bad Bunny, and more. Already, he’s lined up the first few months of 2024 for his upcoming co-headlining tour with J. Cole. However, between his own releases, he’s contributed numerous rap and sung guest verses throughout the year. Today, we are ranking each of Drake’s features in 2023 from worst to best. Take a look at the list below.

Read More: What Is Drake’s Best-Selling Album?

6. Young Thug – “Parade On Cleveland”

Drake is the very first voice on Young Thug’s Business Is Business, although he contributes twice to the tracklist. A somber and melodic intro, “Parade On Cleveland” is fitting for Thug’s first release since his indictment for racketeering-related charges against the YSL collective. Handling both a short verse and the song’s chorus, Drake makes multiple references to Thug’s incarceration. He sings lines like, “soon as I’m fresh out the box like a Tic-Tac.” Drake also proclaims that there will be a “parade on Bleveland as soon as I get home” before the song transitions into a collect-call between him and Young Thug. Although it is a solid album opener, “Parade on Cleveland” ultimately pales in comparison to their second collaboration on Business Is Business, as well as Drake’s other 2023 features. 

5. Popcaan – “We Caa Done”

OVO signee Popcaan kicked off 2023 with a “Song Of The Summer” contender. “We Caa Done” brings Drake into the world of dancehall, a genre he has tackled on numerous occasions. While Drake does not contribute a full verse, he floats over the instrumental as he steals the show on the song’s chorus. The uplifting production allows plenty of space for Popcaan to provide his auto-tuned melodies, while Drake contributes a catchy chorus and carefree ad-libs. He sounds incredibly comfortable over dancehall, lending infectious vocals to the feel-good track. 

Read More: Drake’s “Scary Hours” Mixtapes, Ranked

4. Nicki Minaj – “Needle”

This year saw the reunion between Drake and Nicki Minaj on the Pink Friday 2 highlight, “Needle.” The dancehall-fused track sees Drake opting to sing a heartfelt yet festive verse and chorus. He likens his love interest to a needle in the haystack of life while catchily singing, “I just wanna pull up the Maybach and bend your leg back.” Drake’s verse and chorus effortlessly assist Nicki Minaj in embracing her Trinidadian roots on the sincere yet danceable track. “Needle” differs from Drake’s previous features on Nicki Minaj tracks, but still showcases the duo’s timeless chemistry. 

3. J Hus – “Who Told You”

One of 2023’s most anticipated collaborations saw Drake featuring on J Hus’s latest album, Beautiful And Brutal Yard. “Who Told You” is a summertime banger that displays both artists’ greatest strengths. Hus provides his signature afroswing cadences and humorous yet charming lyrics while Drake finds his pocket in the P2J-produced instrumental. He “knows the vibes,” weaving between rapping and singing about dancing with Lilah Pi. On “Who Told You,” Drake matches J Hus’s breezy afro swing flow as they ask, “who told you gangsters don’t dance?”

2. Young Thug – “Oh U Went”

Drake’s other 2023 feature on Young Thug’s album is significantly more upbeat. “Oh U Went” includes a lively and soulful trap beat produced by Metro Boomin. While Thug rides the beat with ease, it is Drake who steals the show. He flexes on other rappers in true Drake fashion, spitting bars like, “I got more soldiers than a military / I got more stones than a cemetery / I got more streams than y’all in February.” He also spits some clever punchlines like “If a n***a really try to jam me, get jammed first like the countdown.” It is a short yet effective verse as Drake makes his mark on “Oh U Went,” contrasting his style with Young Thug’s to make a standout moment on Business Is Business. 

1. Travis Scott – “Meltdown”

Undoubtedly Drake’s best feature of 2023 is his verse on Travis Scott’s “Meltdown.” One of the instant favorite guest appearances on Utopia, Drake and Travis recreate their magic that they had on songs like “Sicko Mode,” “Company,” and “Portland.” “Tensions is definitely rising,” Drake warns listeners as he declares that it is “T time” before spitting one of his most menacing verses. With an aggressive whisper, he flips the various phrasings of “T time” and tells his opps that they are “scared of the 6.” His villainous verse sends shots at Pusha T and Pharrell, reigniting his 2018 beef with the former. Drake’s show-stopping verse is accentuated by an ominous beat with triumphant horns and Star Wars lasers. His verse raises both the tension and the lyrical bar incredibly high with one of his meanest verses in recent memory.

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The post Drake’s 2023 Features, Ranked From Worst To Best appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

VVSNCE Says Latto Refused To Work With Her After Free Features For Females Comments

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Latto has had some undoubtedly big career moments lately, though they’re unfortunately being overshadowed by drama. Earlier this month she shared her first single of 2023, “Lottery,” which finds her taking a well-received venture into pop music. What listeners aren’t loving, however, is her decision to work with controversial producer Dr. Luke on the track.

While the hate comments poured in last week, the 777 artist made it known that she wasn’t bothered by twerking along to the LU KALA-assisted bop in her pyjamas. The debut of Latto’s Billboard cover photo provided a moment of relief for the rap diva, though it didn’t last long. Over the weekend, one of Kodak Black’s artists hopped on Instagram to address some comments made by the 24-year-old in her accompanying music video, specifically about working with other female artists.

Latto Says She’s a “Girl’s Girl”

“My number one thing has been being a girl’s girl,” Latto candidly told the outlet during their sit-down. “I utilize my power in uplifting others on my way up. When you see Latto do a feature with an upcoming female rapper, I don’t charge them. The label got to cover the glam, but I don’t profit off that.” Last year alone she appeared on a handful of tracks alongside other women, including Chlöe’s “For the Night” and Lakeyah’s “Mind Yo Business.”

Prior to that we also heard her on Kali’s “Mmm Mmm” with Moneybagg Yo, Queen Naija’s “Bitter,” and Tay Money’s “Brat.” Though her discography proves that she obviously isn’t one to shy away from a joint track – especially if it embodies girl power – another rising rapper claims that Latto refused to work with her in the earlier days of her career.

VVSNCE Speaks Her Truth

Earlier this weekend, Kodak Black’s artist, VVSNCE, shared her thoughts on Latto’s Billboard interview. “Everybody keep taggin’ me in this shit, [I don’t care] ’bout no feature from her or nobody else,” she wrote in a repost on her IG Story. “She did do that lame [shit] tho, ‘I don’t work with new female artists,’ [were] her EXACT words. That’s the real reason she was mad at Yak! She had to pay for that song on her album ‘cuz she ain’t wanna do a song with me.”

As you may recall, the Ohio-born artist spilled some serious tea with the arrival of her debut album last year. At the time, she was pressed because one of the male features on her tracklist was reportedly giving her a hard time about finishing the collab because she ignored her DMs. Latto never identified the culprit, though many were quick to assume that Back For Everything hitmaker was to blame. Hear everything VVSNCE had to say about the drama in the video above, and check back later for any updates on the situation.

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Wiz Khalifa Says It Shouldn’t Take Over A Day To Write A Verse

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Wiz Khalifa says that he sends his features back to artists within the same day. Wiz explained that he feels it shouldn’t usually take longer than a day to finish a verse in a pair of posts on Twitter.

“The fact that I send my features back same day be having me lookin at these artists crazy,” Wiz wrote.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – JANUARY 19: Wiz Khalifa attends the premiere of “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on January 19, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

He later admitted: “It does take a min to write a rap sometimes especially if your [sic] focusing on what your sayin or u just suck.”

Not everyone agreed with Wiz’s take in his replies.

One user argued: “There’s no time limit on greatness. It’s different when you actually engineer your own music as well because now you’re writing for the mix too.”

“Money and weed bars don’t take that long we know,” another joked.

As for his own music, Wiz dropped off his seventh solo studio album, Multiverse, in July 2022. He also worked on the collaborative albums Stoner’s Night with Juicy J and Full Court Press with Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, and Girl Talk the same year.

In addition to music, Wiz is set to star as George Clinton in the forthcoming film, Spinning Gold. The movie will be hitting theaters in March 2023.

On the business side of his career, Wiz recently teamed up with Red Light Holland to sell non-psychedelic mushroom kits in the United States, Europe, as well as Canada.

“Launching Mistercap Magic Truffles in the Netherlands and creating other Mistercap natural mushroom products and Home Grow kits is gonna be dope,” Wiz said of the move. “We are building something special and are excited to grow with the industry.”

Check out Wiz Khalifa’s posts on Twitter below.

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SZA Intended Frank Ocean, Drake & More To Be On “SOS”: Report

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SZA appears to have wanted Drake, Frank Ocean, Bad Bunny, and many more on her second studio album, SOS. In a new behind-the-scenes video titled SOS: Where The Hell Have You Been?, a whiteboard is visible showing the many collaborations.

All-in-all, SZA apparently intended to work with Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Finneas, Halsey, Harry Styles, Kacey Musgraves, Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, Rosalía, Tyler, The Creator, and more, in addition to Drake, Frank Ocean, and Bad Bunny.

HOUSTON, TX – NOVEMBER 05: SZA performs on stage during the Astroworld Fest 2021 at NRG Park on November 5, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/FilmMagic)

“Sometimes people turn in their verses and sometimes they don’t. And a lot of people just did not turn in their verses. But I’m grateful for who did,” she said in a recent interview on Hot 97.

She added that she doesn’t take it personally because “for a lot of these people, I didn’t turn in my verse [either] so I can’t be too mad.”

As for who did make the album, SOS features Phoebe Bridgers, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Don Toliver, and Travis Scott. Bridgers recently detailed how her appearance came together while speaking with NME.

“It all happened so fast,” Bridgers told the outlet. “I wasn’t really used to that in the pop world, because vinyl isn’t so much of a consideration until way later, it’s just like, ‘Do you want to be on this record? Okay, it’s out next week’, which I really like. I like that turnaround time.”

She continued: “Personally, I sit on stuff for so long, it takes me years to make albums. I like being involved. I like seeing someone else’s world from that angle. She’s definitely my favorite rapper [and] that record is insane.”

Check out SOS: Where The Hell Have You Been? below.

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