We are just weeks away from Camila Cabello‘s fourth album, C,XOXO. Ahead of the album, Cabello has teased a new sound. She has released the Playboi Carti collab “I Luv It,” as well as the Lil Nas X-assisted “He Knows.” As the tracks indicate, Cabello is playing with more rhythmic, electronic, and dance-ready sounds.
C,XOXO is probably her most collab-heavy album, as revealed by the tracklist, which Cabello shared to social media today (June 12). In addition to the previously released Carti and Lil Nas X collabs, Drake will feature on the song “Hot Uptown” and the follow-up interlude, “Uuugly.” Fellow Miami natives JT and Yung Miami will also appear on the album, in the song “Dade County Dreaming.” It is worth noting that the once City Girls are listed simply as JT and Yung Miami on the tracklist, indicating that this could possibly be their last feature as a duo.
You can see the full tracklist below.
1. “I Luv It” feat. Playboi Carti
2. “Chanel No. 5”
3. “Pink XOXO”
4. “He Knows” Feat. Lil Nas X
5. “Twentysomethings”
6. “Dade County Dreaming” Feat. JT and Yung Miami
7. “Koshi XOXO”
8. “Hot Uptown” Feat. Drake
9. “Uuugly” Feat. Drake
10. “Dream-Girls”
11. “305TilIDie”
12. “B.O.A.T”
13. “Pretty When I Cry”
14. “June Gloom”
C,XOXO is out 6/28 via Interscope. Find more information here.
If you really study the 6ix God, it’s clear Drake isn’t just a rapper, he’s a full-blown business mogul. And like any serious entrepreneur, Drake protects his assets and investments by strategically forming multiple companies. Over the years, he has been incorporating new businesses left and right, with CBC Canada reports showing he’s racked up over 50 different companies and LLCs to his name. It’s undoubtedly a head-spinning amount of corporate entities for one guy, and this has brought backlash his way. After all, for Drake, these companies are all part of the meticulous strategy to grow and maintain his empire.
See, an LLC (limited liability company) is a type of business structure that protects an owner’s personal wealth from the potential risks of any single business failing or facing lawsuits. By separating different ventures into their own LLCs, Drake ringfences each project. Therefore, if one goes belly-up, it can’t threaten to bankrupt his whole operation. It’s genius asset protection 101 for ballers of his net worth, which Forbes estimates around $250 million. So what are some of Drake’s key companies and LLCs? Let’s break it down.
This is Drake’s record label, co-founded in 2012 with Noah “40” Shebib and Oliver El-Khatib. Previously a subsidiary of Warner Records, OVO Sound became an independent label in 2022. It has since launched the careers of artists like PartyNextDoor, Majid Jordan, and Drake’s longtime collaborator, dvsn. Today, OVO Sound is a household name within the music industry.
Another one of Drake’s most popular companies is OVO Clothing. This is his signature streetwear line featuring that iconic owl logo you’ve probably seen a couple of times. OVO apparel quickly became a fashion statement, collaborating with heavy hitters like Canada Goose on premium outerwear pieces. Drizzy even has an entire sub-label with Nike called Nocta. With separate LLCs for OVO Clothing, Nocta, and likely other OVO brand extensions, Drake maximizes that hot branding across product lines and companies.
Drake’s multi-faceted production company was co-founded with Future the Prince in 2017. DreamCrew has scored major hits producing shows like Netflix’s Top Boy and HBO’s teen drama Euphoria. His commitment to entertainment at large has made Drake a lowkey, yet successful producer.
Within Drake’s array of companies are dozens of individual LLCs covering various aspects of his business interests. These include: at least 9 LLCs with the “DreamCrew” name for his production ventures, and 18 LLCs starting with his initials “ADG” (Aubrey Drake Graham). Moreover, there are other LLCs like “Owl Creative Holdings” tied to his OVO brand. Finally, there are cryptic names like “Silence Policy LLC,” and “Strix S-Corp.”
The LLC corporate structure allows Drake to separate different assets and business activities in his companies. As a result, any risks related to that project are isolated to that particular project and the assets of that particular entity. Moreover, in addition to his core businesses, Drake has used LLCs to make strategic investments across other sectors. These include:
The plant-based food company Daring Foods
The Crypto payment platform MoonPay
Italian soccer club AC Milan (partnering with LeBron James)
Esports/lifestyle brand 100 Thieves
Real estate holdings like his $100 million Toronto mansion
Conclusion
Evidently, Drake is a man who is playing multi-dimensional business chess with these companies. For a business mogul of his stature, forming new companies regularly is just smart asset management. Altogether, Drake is playing the business game at an elite level. He is using the same tactics as billionaires like Donald Trump to amass a fortune. Just as he’s rapped, Drake indeed aims to “turn into Jay” by building an empire that goes far beyond his musical artistry. His multitude of LLCs are the behind-the-scenes legal entities that will help grow and protect that empire for years to come.
Tinashe is having a moment. A decade after her breakout single, “2 On,” the singer has broken through with the viral smash “Nasty.” It’s absolutely blown up on TikTok, and the popularity of the earworm song has carried over to the Billboard charts. “Nasty” debuted at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first time in Tinashe’s career in which she cracked the pop charts as a solo artist. This is extremely impressive given how long the singer has been at it.
Tinashe dropped her first mixtape, In Case We Die, in 2012. She had her aforementioned breakthrough with “2 On,” which peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains the singer’s biggest hit to date. The song did feature a verse from ScHoolboy Q, however, and was later remixed by Drake. “2 On” was eventually certified platinum, but it didn’t pave the way for much more radio success. Tinashe failed to have any of her singles chart over the next ten years. This, despite releasing well-received albums like Joyride (2018) and Songs for You (2019).
The singer is keenly aware of the rarity of scoring a hit a decade into a career. She told TIME Magazine that the success of “Nasty” has been rewarding, given how hard she’s worked on her craft. “This is what you wait and hope for,” she explained. “I’ve been grinding in the music industry for 10 years at this point. I’ve come to the place where I’ve accepted my path and I don’t really need more validation.” Despite the surprise success of the sing, Tinashe remains committed to her core fans. “I am super thankful for my core fanbase because they’ve been there from the jump,” she explained. “It’s exciting to see how it’s affecting the numbers of all my other songs too.”
The thing that separates the success of “Nasty” from “2 On,” however, is the fact that the latter is an independent release. Tinashe was signed to RCA when the first hit dropped, but now she’s releasing everything through Tinashe Music. “It’s amazing, it really validates all of my hard work,” she told the outlet. “Also taking that risk to go independent, it felt a little bit scary. I think staying true to myself and being able to make music that I love… has just propelled me to be a different human being that is much more confident. I’m so much more sure of myself and my path.”
Just when we thought the battle was over. Rick Ross was a minor player in the Drake vs. everybody narrative, but he still left an impression. Ross and Drake do, after all, have a stellar track record of hits together, and Ross’ social media trolling did gets laughs from Drake haters. Rozay’s diss, on the other hand, “Champagne Moments,” was met with muted response. Fans thought it was pretty lightweight in terms of content, but that didn’t stop the rapper for tweaking its cover art on streaming.
The cover art swap occurred on June 11. It was notable because, well, the original cover art was one of the most notable things about the original rollout. “Champagne Moments” was originally released with a viral image dating back to 2022. A user on the website 9gag found a photo in their grandma’s yearbook and posted it because they claimed it looked like “white Drake.” The photon gained traction, despite the true identity of the man never being divulged. Rick Ross’ decision to use the photo as his artwork revived the meme and brought it to the attention of those who missed it the first time around.
The new artwork for “Champagne Moments” has a less thrilling backstory. It’s unclear if the change was made to avoid legal complications, but it features a drawing of Drake looking nerdy. The rapper is made to have glasses and a bowtie, as well as blond, floppy hair. It’s insulting, albeit not as memorable a cover as the original. The timing of the artwork change is also odd. “Champagne Moments” dropped way back in April, and every other artist has moved on from the battle. Some have gone out of their way to remove evidence of the battle on social media.
Drake caught a lot of flack for deleting his diss songs from Instagram on June 5. He wiped all the disses from the platform, including “Push Ups” and “Family Matters.” Both songs were mainly aimed at Kendrick Lamar, but contained disses for Rick Ross as well. In the case of the former, Drake pointed out that all of Ross’ biggest hits came from their collabs. The MMG boss seemed unbothered, however. He recently partnered with Julien’s Auctions to auction off an exclusive collection of street and contemporary art. Some of the most notable pieces included a Michael Jackson glove and several Air Jordan pairs.
Drake is known for his chart-topping hits and distinctive musical style. The Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter has shown his ability to blend introspective lyrics with catchy melodies, making him a sought-after collaborator in the music industry. However, his talent transcends his own performances; Drake is also a prolific songwriter, and has song credits on several other artists’ work. Despite rumors and accusations that Drake hires ghostwriters, the rapper has proven himself by crafting songs for a variety of other artists. Most recently, his reference track for Lil Wayne’s 2010 track “I’m Single” surfaced online. Here are seven songs that Drake wrote for other artists.
Released in 2009, “Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready)” is one of Alicia Keys’ most soulful ballads. The song delves into themes of love and vulnerability, and Drake has credits on the song as one of its co-writers. Upon release, fans immediately believed the song was about Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s relationship. The track also became a hit, reaching number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning widespread acclaim.
A year after its release, Nicki Minaj dropped the bomb that the song was written about her. About two weeks later, Drake also confirmed it. Speaking to BET, he confessed that he had written it based on a conversation he had with Nicki. He stated: “It is [about Minaj], I’m not gonna lie. The concept came from a conversation that we had, or conversations we have. I wrote it based off two things: number one, based off that, and then two, based on Alicia and Swizz and their situation and it just seemed fitting. It was like the perfect concept.”
6. “I Been That Girl” – Melanie Fiona (2012)
Long before the fame and fortune, Drake was still killing it in the songwriting game. While he was still in Toronto, he was a part of a group called The Renaissance. After the group disbanded, Drake co-wrote “I Been That Girl” for his former Renaissance bandmate, Melanie Fiona. While the song was never released as a single, it was included on Fiona’s second album The MF Life, which also featured collaborations with T-Pain, John Legend, Nas, and J. Cole.
5. “Fall For Your Type” – Jamie Foxx Ft. Drake (2010)
“Fall For Your Type” is a heartfelt R&B track performed by Jamie Foxx, released in 2010. While the track was originally intended for Drake’s debut album Thank Me Later, it did not make it on the album. Upon hearing the song for the first time, Jamie Foxx reportedly fell in love with it and subsequently decided to re-record it. Moreover, he ultimately included it on his fourth studio album, Best Night Of My Life. Beyond song credits, Drake also appears as a featured artist. “Fall For Your Type” became quite popular, even reaching number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.
Rita Ora’s “R.I.P.,” from her 2012 album Ora was a hit, and Drake shares song credits on the track. “R.I.P.”’s success helped Rita Ora establish herself as a rising star in the music industry, peaking at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Furthermore, the song blends elements from Drake’s “I’m Ready For You,” and the Chase & Status remix of Nneka’s “Heartbreak.” Drake had originally written “I’m Ready For You” for Rihanna, but the singer passed on it.
3. “I’m Single” – Lil Wayne (2009)
Drake has a long-standing collaborative relationship with Lil Wayne, and “I’m Single” is evidently a prime example of their synergy. Co-written by Drake, the track was featured on Lil Wayne’s 2009 mixtape No Ceilings. Although the remix featuring Drake was set to be on Wayne’s album I Am Not a Human Being, it was later re-released. Several years later, on June 6, 2024, a reference track for “I’m Single” was released.
2. “Mine” – Beyoncé Ft. Drake (2013)
“Mine,” a track from Beyoncé’s acclaimed self-titled 2013 album, showcases a fusion of R&B and Hip Hop. Both Drake and Beyoncé share song credits, and the former is also a featured artist. “Mine” was a standout track on the album, addressing themes of motherhood and marriage with poignant clarity. The song also featured Drake’s distinct lyrical style, blending it with Beyoncé’s powerful voice.
Despite their rocky relationship, Drake and Ye are longtime collaborators, and have song credits on multiple joints together. Evidently, their musical chemistry is undeniably strong. Drake co-wrote two songs “30 Hours” and “Facts” on Ye’s seventh album Life of Pablo. “30 Hours” features samples from Arthur Russell’s 1986 track “Answers Me,” and the drumbeat from Isaac Hayes’ 1973 single “Joy,” both of which are also credited on the track.
Drake hasn’t been doing too well in the court of public opinion over the last couple of months. It goes back to he and Kendrick Lamar’s rap beef that has seemingly concluded, but at best, has returned to the cold war it was before Lamar’s world-rocking “Like That” diss. Music fans deemed Lamar the winner and levied Drake with jokes afterward. It continued with Metro Boomin’s “BBL Drizzy” diss beat and things got worse when Drake remixed Snowd4y’s “Wah Gwan Delilah.” Both instances resulted in jokes from fans, and they continued thanks to Drake’s latest Instagram post which captured him in some funky pants.
Over the weekend, Drake made an appearance at his son Adonis’ soccer game. The was seen on the sidelines for teh game in a fancy get up: a sweater wrapped around his neck over a beige shirt and very baggy pleat pants. The pants in question went on to be the focus of jokes and commentary from fans on social media compared them to “dad pants” while also reference the “BBL Drizzy” allegations, the alleged daughter Kendrick said he had on “Meet The Grahams,” and Michael Jordan who is known for his affinity of baggy pants.
Kendrick Lamar has broken Aubrey Drake Graham so badly that he is wearing a Little House on the Prairie Skirt Pants. pic.twitter.com/Kum83IDRtj
“Kendrick Lamar has broken Aubrey Drake Graham so badly that he is wearing a Little House on the Prairie Skirt Pants,” one fan wrote. Another wrote, “Drake got them Michael Jordan cut pants lol” while a third said. “The fact that this is drake Wallahi looks like my dad’s pants.”
The jokes continued and you can view all of them in the tweets below.
— Rachel Tashjian Wise (@theprophetpizza) June 10, 2024
The problem with Drake’s pants isn’t the volume but the fact that they hang like crap. Pleat is zig-zagging all over the place. However you feel about silhouettes, the fit has to be on point. pic.twitter.com/tj4o7gzMxA
If I had the money that Drake does, I’d buy pants like these just to wear to the movies. Imagine all the snacks you could sneak in. https://t.co/zbS8FTjSHD
Kendrick Lamar has just announced his upcoming “Pop Out – Ken & Friends” concert in Inglewood, California. The live show will kick off at 3 PM on June 19. Fans expect a wide array of on-stage performers, though they have not announced any to the public yet. The show will also be Kendrick’s first outing since the dust has settled on his brutal beef with Drake. Billed as “Ken & Friends,” the event has already excited many fans about the possibility of their favorite rappers joining Kendrick on stage. Let’s take a look at a few favored artists who would surely turn heads at the event.
7. Mustard
Mustard, who produced “Not Like Us”, will be at Kendrick Lamar’s Pop Out concert in LA pic.twitter.com/BSBnoTsYwv
Given that this “Pop Out” concert is Kendrick Lamar’s first live show since the Drake beef, the number one question on everyone’s mind is, will he perform “Not Like Us?” On one hand, it seems like a no-brainer, as the platinum-selling single has been touted as a massive summer anthem, and has drawn throngs of crowds worldwide. On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar may very well eschew this performance in favor of tracks that promote peace and togetherness due to the concert’s Juneteenth setting.
Either way, if Mustard takes the stage, we’ll know that an earthquake is coming, as the acclaimed DJ will surely have the crowd stomping from the moment they hear his iconic producer tag. Mustard has also announced plans to release an album this summer. This means the DJ could preview a wide array of previously unheard cuts at the show.
4 days before Future x METRO album release, TRAVIS SCOTT ask metro to play “LIKE THAT” which KENDRICK diss DRAKE & J COLE, did Travis know about the disspic.twitter.com/YP1olzTRhC
As long as we’re cool with playing Drake disses on stage at the “Pop Out” concert, Kendrick Lamar should absolutely bring Future and Metro Boomin into the mix. For starters, the trio could perform the explosive track “Like That,” which kicked off the beef back in March. Beyond that, Future and Metro have 2 full albums of brand-new material to showcase to the world. The albums, We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, are some of the biggest releases of 2024. The Inglewood audience would certainly be welcoming to the iconic hip hop duo.
Kendrick Lamar has made no secret of his kinship to Kodak Black in recent years. Yak was featured all over Lamar’s last album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, in the form of numerous spoken interludes and two highly-favored verses. Fans would certainly love to see Kodak Black live in concert alongside Kendrick Lamar, especially if it means seeing them perform “Silent Hill” together. If the rumors are true that Kendrick has a new album coming out in the near future, Kodak is a likely candidate to be on it, meaning the duo could even perform new unreleased music to the crowd.
4. Baby Keem
The Hillbillies a.k.a Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem perfoming at Camp Flog Gnaw 2023.
This one is almost a certainty, as Kendrick and Baby Keem tend to move as one unit together these days. It’s well known that the “Hillbillies” MCs are cousins, and Keem was placed in a number of front-and-center moments during Kendrick’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers album. Baby Keem also toured with Kendrick throughout the entirety of his record-shattering Big Steppers tour. Rumors have been bubbling for months now that there may even be a Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem joint album in the works, though no confirmation has been provided on that front from either artist just yet.
This is arguably the biggest long shot on this list, but it is still technically possible for Kanye West to make an appearance. West and Ty Dolla $ign have been making the rounds at numerous stops across the country to promote their ongoing Vultures album series. Kanye also firmly sided with Kendrick during the latter’s beef with Drake, even dropping a “Like That” remix. Despite this, people largely view Kanye as radioactive these days due to his outspoken antisemitism and public controversies.
Plus, Kanye did take subtle shots at Kendrick before dropping his “Like That” remix, arguing on a social media post that he “washed” Lamar on their 2016 collaboration “No More Parties In L.A.” While fans would love to see Kanye take the stage at Pop Out, nobody really knows the status of his working relationship with Kendrick right now.
2. SZA
“All The Stars” by Kendrick Lamar & SZA will be added to Fortnite Festival
Kendrick and SZA haven’t collaborated since the “Not Like Us” rapper departed their shared label, TDE, though they have been known to have exceptional chemistry on wax. Some fans have suggested that SZA has sided with Drake in the recent beef. These rumors are unsubstantiated, though SZA has worked with Drake in the last year, and the Toronto native even shouted her out while dissing Kendrick on the song “Push Ups.” An appearance from SZA at Pop Out would be a perfect way to solidify that she’s still cool with Kendrick while also promoting her long-awaited upcoming project Lana, which she has teased since late 2022.
Speaking of TDE, Kendrick Lamar’s former label-mates ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul would also be perfect picks to appear at the Pop Out concert. All three of the Compton MCs have deep roots in the neighborhood, as well as long-running relationships with Kendrick. Fans have demanded a Black Hippy collaboration album from the four artists for over a decade now, though it seems clear that it will never happen. At this point, a Black Hippy stage reunion would be the best that the fans can hope for. It would also make perfect sense as ScHoolboy Q recently dropped one of the hottest albums of the year with Blue Lips, while Jay Rock and Ab-Soul are each rumored to be working on new music behind the scenes.
In honor of the 2024 NBA Finals, Drake and the worldwide leader have linked up. Drake’s October’s Very Own brand and ESPN have collaborated to create a special varsity jacket. The robust OVO x ESPN jackets, which fuse the worlds of sports, music, and fashion, are certain to become collector’s items. Furthermore, only 175 were made, and the retail price was $698. Drake gifted the cast of ESPN’s NBA Today with their own personal letterman to kick off the network’s NBA Finals coverage.
With a golden outline, the October’s Very Own and 2024 NBA Finals insignia stand out on the sleek breastplates of the jacket. Also of note, the rear of the stylish sleeves. They are made of superior leather and have the NBA On ESPN logo on them. Additionally, the style combines the ESPN trademark badge with the iconic OVO owl. Additionally, the model number out of the 175 produced is imprinted inside the coats. Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins, Richard Jefferson, and the rest of the crew got their hands on special jackets from Drake himself.
Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson had a good time laughing at Perk’s jacket size. The jackets will be extremely hard to get for Drake super fans, and the reselling market is probably a wild palace right now. Through his collaboration with Stake, Drizzy was able to post two $500,000 gambling slips. “Dallas cause I’m a Texan Oilers are self explanatory Picks are in @stake,” he captioned the post featuring the six-figure betting slips. He wagered $500,000. Furthermore, with the Dallas Mavericks, he will win $875,000. It will be a total payout of $1.375 million if they beat the Boston Celtics for Kyrie Irving’s second Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Drizzy is rooting for Canada on the ice. He is hoping that Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers may win the Stanley Cup. Drake is betting $500,000 to win $525,000, making them a small underdog with a combined payout of $1.025 million. Additionally, the OVO CEO’s luck with his bets hasn’t been as good lately. Furthermore, he bet $565,000 on boxer Tyson Fury in May, but the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk prevailed. Overall, Drake is making bets and brand deals with all the postseason sports going on right now.
Drake has officially begun his post-beef era with the recent outing “Wah Gwan Delilah.” The track is a bizarre parody/remix of the Plain White T’s 2005 hit “Hey There Delilah.” It’s been turning heads all across social media. To create “Wah Gwan Delilah,” Drake linked up with a virtually unknown artist by the name of Snowd4y. This left many fans to believe that the song was created using artificial intelligence. As it turns out, the song is all too real. That’s right, Drake really crooned lyrics about being “so cheesed” in an extremely odd fake patois. The track serves as the second release Drake has put out since the Kendrick Lamar feud settled down. The first post-beef track was another poorly-received collaboration with Sexyy Red, titled “U My Everything.”
So who exactly is Snowd4y? How did he get the chance to craft “Wah Gwan Delilah” with one of the biggest artists on the planet? With fans far and wide looking into the TikTok troll, it seems that this song may be his big break into the mainstream. Here, we’ll examine what we know about Snow, and try to understand what compelled him and Drake to produce and release this incredibly misguided track.
Before landing this massive Drake feature, Snowd4y was primarily known for his skits and jokes across social media. Users on Drake’s official subreddit were quick to track down the “Wah Gwan Delilah” vocalist’s socials. Through their research, they confirmed that Snowd4y is a Toronto native. As such, the internet comedian produces a lot of content relating to everyday life in Toronto. He often utilizes characters satirizing the people of the Canadian city. Most of the skits on Snow’s TikTok page consist of different situations involving “Toronto man.” Others lean on common local stereotypes and tropes of the city.
While Snowd4y was not well known outside of Toronto before the release of “Wah Gwan Delilah,” the social media personality does have a solid base of fans, with nearly 40,000 followers on TikTok alone. This number is expected to keep growing, particularly if the Canadian humorist continues to collaborate with big name entertainers like Drake.
While most Americans likely aren’t aware of Toronto’s mixed cultural diaspora, the city does have a large portion of residents of Caribbean descent. This explains why Drake and Snowd4y approached their “Wah Gwan Delilah” track with such a heavy island-inspired accent. Jamaican patois is even used within the title of the song. “Wah gwan” is island shorthand for “what is going on.” There are multiple bars across the song that lean on this gimmick, including Drake’s strange admission that he is “so cheesed” at the notion of Delilah having been sexually active with other men in her past.
Kendrick Lamar even referenced this Toronto dialect in his Drake diss track “Euphoria” back in May. On “Euphoria” Kendrick raps “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and blammy, crodie/ Tell me you’re cheesin’, fam/ We can do this right now on the camera, crodie.” These lyrics left many listeners baffled at first. Fans quickly determined from context clues that “cheesed” means confused, baffled, or angry, depending on its use.
While Snowd4y is known for his comedy skits, his release of “Wah Gwan Delilah” didn’t come completely out of nowhere. Just a few weeks ago the Toronto native released the track “Banned From Toronto,” which sees him humorously interpolating multiple flows and lyrics from Kendrick’s “Euphoria.” While his primary function is to craft jokes, the “Banned From Toronto” single is much more musically enjoyable than “Wah Gwan Delilah.” Clearly, Snow has some genuine musical talent, though it’s buried under a thick layer of sarcasm and post-ironic humor.
After creating “Banned From Toronto,” many content creators have asked if Snowd4y would like to work with prominent Toronto artists. In one particularly prophetic interview, a podcast host asks Snow point-blank if he’d like to collab with Drake on a track like “Wah Gwan Delilah.” Snowd4y played it cool, suggesting he would only do the collab if Drake comes with some heat. Still, it was obvious that the young comedian would be excited at the prospect of sharing the mic with Drake, leaving some to say that the interview manifested the collaboration.
Why Would Drake Release This Song Right Now?
While nobody is suggesting that Drake isn’t allowed to have fun with a silly parody record, the release of “Wah Gwan Delilah” does have fans scratching their head in confusion. You might even say that Drake fans are cheesed themselves, regarding the whole ordeal. Releasing the track so shortly after being clowned by Kendrick Lamar on wax makes Drake look quite unserious. It also seemingly strengthens Kendrick’s argument that the Toronto MC is simply an actor cosplaying in different cultures.
For now, it seems unclear when exactly “Wah Gwan Delilah” was initially recorded. It is entirely possible that Snowd4y could have released the song without directly consulting Drake first. Drake did repost the track on social media, which assured fans that it wasn’t made using AI (Even Plain White T’s were in disbelief). Still, little is known about “Wah Gwan Delilah’s” production outside of that. Either way, this parody seems 20 years too late, and more unintentionally funny than purposefully satirical. The only major upside of “Wah Gwan Delilah” is that Snowd4y’s internet comedy has been exposed to a whole new audience of potential fans.
Reference tracks have always existed in hip-hop. Few artists, however, have been associated with the concept of a reference track than Drake. He has become the poster child for this practice, much in the same way that he has for ghostwriting. It’s been a topic of debate since 2015, and it resurfaced after the Kendrick Lamar battle subsided. Reference tracks for “Ratchet Happy Birthday” and “Mob Ties” leaked online, furthering the narrative that Drake doesn’t write his own material. Another reference track has surfaced, but this time, Lil Wayne is on the receiving end.
The reference track leaked on June 6, and sees Drake lay down the basis for what would become the Lil Wayne song “I’m Single.” The reference track dates back to early 2009, when Drizzy signed to Wayne’s Young Money label. The most fascinating aspect of the the reference is not that Drake wrote it, but how much he was able to emulate Wayne’s signature flow. The Toronto upstart made it very easy for Weezy to hop on the song and make it a standout on his album I Am Not a Human Being. Drake was originally slated to be on “I’m Single” with Wayne, but it wound up being a solo effort.
Between Drake’s writing credit on the final version, and the production from Noah “40” Shebib, it’s no surprise to learn that “I’m Single” started out as an OVO joint. This is not the first time that the topic of Drake writing for Lil Wayne has surfaced. Karrine Steffans told VladTV that Drake penned lots of songs for Wayne during a 2015 interview. “[Lil] Wayne told me that Drake had written some things for him,” she claimed. “I was in the studio with Wayne listening to something that Drake had written, cause [he] can’t write like that. He’ll be honest about it. He only writes a certain way.”
Steffans asserted that Lil Wayne had no problem using Drake’s song ideas. “He was very honest,” she recalled. “So Drake was just kinda showing him how to take his ideas and turn them into a story and to make that story come back around. That’s a skill. That’s a storytelling skill. Not everybody can do that.” Drizzy seemingly borrowed Wayne’s tactics as he got bigger, if the PND and Vory reference tracks are anything to go by. The “I’m Single” reference track provides a unique glimpse at the working relationship between two legends, though. One that has come back to haunt one, and leave the other unscathed.
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