One thing about Drake is that he is always going to remain standing no matter what. Over the last month or so, that rings true, especially after Kendrick Lamar decided to choose violence on “Like That.” A lot of people feel that he is currently on top right now against everyone who checked him after his “Push Ups” response. Some have even gone as far as to say that Lamar will not be able to top him. Even if you are not the biggest fan of his, you have to admit that he always finds a way to maintain his stature in hip-hop. In fact, Drake even feels the same way on “Still Here.”
“Based on what I got, it’s hard to think that He don’t hear me / Hitting like that 30 on my jersey, man, I’m gifted,” Drake raps on the now eight-year-old track. Yes, Views, the fourth studio album from The Boy, has now hit that mark today. It remains at the top in terms of first week sales numbers, raking in an absurd 852,000 copies. Additionally, it still sits firmly at 80th on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, five spots up from last week. If you do the math, it has now been somewhere on the list for 414 weeks.
Furthermore, it is one of eight Drake projects to still be on somewhere on the chart. He might really be remembered as the Iron Man of hip-hop for the reasons we mentioned, but also for how his albums seem to always stand the test of time. His ability to craft easily accessible rap and pop crossovers are not skills that everyone has. He truly is the Michael Jackson of the genre.
What are your thoughts on “Still Here” by Drake? Is this the best song from Views, why or why not? Where do you rank this album amongst the rest of his discography and why? What songs do you revisit the most? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
Girls all in my bed and they don’t trip off first impressions Girls all in your bed and they just ask a hundred questions I can’t f*** with you no more cause you be actin’ extra Do your favorite rapper like my son, like my son though Nothing mutual about my funds, ’bout my funds though All you n****s fightin’ over crumbs, where the bread at?
Someone who creates a bountiful amount of hype surrounding every release is Drake. Perhaps hip-hop’s greatest pop star, the Canadian hitmaker’s albums and their rollouts are an event. Even when one of his projects are viewed as mediocre, the buzz around them is massive. One of those albums that was not and is still not liked by critics in particularis Views. The main critique around his seventh offering is that it is too inconsistent overall and bloated. Regardless, a lot of fans have this album high on the list amongst the rest of his decorated discography. To recognize all of the love Drake got for Views, he decided to celebrate the album’s anniversary.
The Boy showed love to his now eight-year-old LP via an Instagram walk down memory lane. Drizzy captioned the 10-picture photo dump with, “Views April 29.” He shared images of early promotional content, as well as random images from the winter in Toronto in which he recorded the album. Fans in the comments section were reminiscing about how this album has impacted them since its release eight years ago today.
“Top 2 not 2… this album changed the game,” one fan boldly claims. “ICONIC TIME. CLASSIC. ,” writes another. Even Drake feels this is top-tier stuff. HipHopDX dug up old quotes from him speaking about how elite of a job he did with Views. “This album is probably my highest level of vocal performance,” he told Zane Lowe. That belief seemed to ring true for fans at the time, because this is still his best-performing album in terms of first week sales by quite a fair margin.
What are your thoughts on Drake celebrating his album Views on its eight-year anniversary on Instagram? Is this his greatest body of work, why or why not? If not, where does it rank in his discography? What songs do you revisit the most from this project and why? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
Everybody in hip-hop has been discussing Kendrick Lamar’s newly sparked beef with Drake and J. Cole for over a month now. It all started when he called out both of the “First Person Shooter” collaborators on Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” The first to respond was J. Cole, though it didn’t seem to go particularly well. He replied with a diss track on his album Might Delete Later and it lives up to its name when he eventually took the song down from streaming services.
But since then Drake has begun quite an assault on all of those that dissed him. While Kendrick remained the primary focus, Drizzy responded to numerous artists who took shots at him in recent weeks including Metro Boomin and Rick Ross, with rumors that it could even also include Future and The Weeknd. But as many expected, Kendrick hasn’t responded. The notoriously private rapper tends to disappear from the public light almost entirely between music releases and tours and has said nothing in response to the diss tracks. That silence has been repeatedly criticized by streamer and rap commentator DJ Akademiks. Check out the newest tweet he made about the situation below.
The new reason y K dot didn’t respond is that he don’t wanna diss Drake now that Kanye jumped in. NIGGA… well y tf did u diss him on an album with bare niggas who intended to diss him thru the whole album. It was cool when it was u metro weeknd future rocky but Kanye Ruined it?
In a new tweet, Akademiks theorizes why there’s been no response. “The new reason y K dot didn’t respond is that he don’t wanna diss Drake now that Kanye jumped in. NIGGA… well y tf did u diss him on an album with bare niggas who intended to diss him thru the whole album. It was cool when it was u metro weeknd future rocky but Kanye Ruined it?” his post reads. Despite his concerns, fans in the comments seem largely okay with Kendrick’s silence.
What do you think of DJ Akademiks doubling down on his criticisms of Kendrick Lamar for not responding to Drake sooner? Do you think Kendrick will release a response track any time soon? Let us know in the comment section below.
Hip-hop fans have been having a field day with the ongoing feud between Drake and seemingly the entire rap world. Including Kendrick Lamar, ASAP Rocky, and more, the war was prompted by Metro Boomin and Future’s two collaborative albums, We Don’t Trust You, and We Still Don’t Trust You. And just like in Drake’s feud with Pusha T some years back, his fans have come to his defense at his rivals’ live shows.
In a video going viral on social media, Metro overhears a fan yelling out lyrics from “Push-Ups,” the diss track Drake dropped in response to the producer’s provocations. The fan shouted the line, “Metro, shut your ho ass up and play some drums,” between songs, to which the producer replied, “I heard that.” The fan can be seen jumping up and down in celebration:
It’s not the first time Metro has been trolled by the “Push-Ups” line. Shortly after releasing the song, Drake hired a drumline to play outside famed Atlanta club Magic City, sending a video of them playing to Metro via his (public) Instagram Story.
Metro is going to have plenty of time to work on his responses to future incidents, as he and Future are gearing up to go on their We Trust You tour beginning in July.
Joe Budden is always looking for the angle. He’s been chronicling the feud between Drake, Future and Metro Boomin on his podcast, and he thinks the next chess moves will be made on the road. The former rapper theorized that Future and Metro Boomin will purposely schedule their tour in an effort to ruin the attendance for Drake’s upcoming OVO fest in Toronto. He went as far as to say that the duo will enlist the help of another Canadian superstar, The Weeknd, to drive the point home.
Budden noticed that Future and Metro’s Toronto date may line up with the same weekend as OVO Fest. If true, he’s confident Drake will push the dates back. “If The Weeknd comes out on that Future tour stop,” he noted. “I have Drake moving that weekend. He’s moving the weekend.” The rest of the podcast panel hated Budden’s theory. Regardless, he stood his ground. “This wouldn’t be the first time he moved OVO fest,” he added. “I don’t think there’s any shame in that when you spend as much money and as much manpower to put this weekend together.”
Joe Budden insisted that The Weeknd was the key artist in this game of concert chicken. He believes if the “Starboy” singer shows up to the Future show, it will take the wind out of Drake’s sails. His rationale is that Weeknd is a bigger artist. “I would think that the second day of OVO Fest has a greater turnout the day there’s not a Future show,” he posited. “Cuse that’s a weekend. That’s a whole weekend.”
The feud between these artists is not letting up. Firstly, Future and Metro dropped the “Like That” remix with more Drake disses. Secondly, The Weeknd crooned a few disses on the duo’s song “All to Myself.” Future also guested on Nardo Wick’s “Back to Back,” which saw him mock Drake using his own song titles. It’s safe to assume these artists will be performing their diss records in Toronto. If Drake does decided to move forward with OVO fest the same weekend, however, fans will be forced to pick sides. Things could get messy. To use Joe Budden’s own words: “let’s see.”
Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR have a legendary partnership dating back to 2013. The latter was the first artist signed to Drake’s OVO label, and he’s been a key collaborator on the last decade of Drake albums. The 6 God has returned the favor by hyping up PND’s solo outings and dropping a guest verse once in a while. He’s nowhere to be found on the singer’s latest, PARTYNEXTDOOR 4, but he’s been busy feuding with entire rap industry. Nevertheless, Drake found time to praise PND for dropping another stellar body of work.
Drake’s Instagram Story was dominated by PND content on April 25. There were screenshots from the music video for “For Certain” and photos from the singer’s wrap party. The thing that really clicked with fans, though was when Drizzy praised the quality of the album overall. He posted a screenshot of the single “No Chill” with the caption: “Played this 100000 times before release.” The rapper lamented not being able to count his spins towards the song’s overall numbers. “Wish they logged my streams.”
PARTYNEXTDOOR has often been described as the introvert to Drake’s extrovert. The two performed together during a 2022 concert in Toronto, and the latter commented on this dynamic. “I don’t mean to put you on the spot or anything. I know you hate this the most,” he noted. The “Push Ups” rapper then talked up PND’s impact on his music to the crowd. “I’m so grateful for you,” he announced. “I would not be the artist I am if it wasn’t for you. This is really my favorite artist in the world.”
Drake isn’t the only who’s impressed by PARTYNEXTDOOR 4. PND told Billboard that he has never put more work in on an album, and is thoroughly satisfied with how P4 turned out. “This is the proudest I’ve felt,” he admitted. “I’m excited to grind even more for the next [one]. I’m in love with how hard you should work for it.” He also doubled down on his preference to stay out of the spotlight. “The only thing that’s important, that has changed my life, is dropping music,” he told the outlet. “I’m not worried about the fame.”
Naomi Sharon arrived on the scene in 2019, and immediately drew comparisons to Sade. Not only in terms of her production choices and lovesick subject matter, but her sultry vocals. “Breeze” and “The Moon” were chilled-out singles that split the difference between pop and R&B. Sharon hasn’t broken through the way that peers like Jorja Smith and Snoh Aalegra have, but she drew lots of attention on social media recently. It wasn’t to discuss her music so much as her label situation. Despite not being considered a household name, Sharon is signed to one of the biggest artists in the world: Drake.
Not only is Naomi Sharon the first female artist signed to OVO Sound, she’s the only one. She’s the first lady of the label, as evidenced by her debut album, Obsidian. The thing that caught most fans off guard was the fact that Drake has rarely discussed Sharon or her music publicly. He signed her to the label in 2023 but the two have never collaborated. For an artist like Drake, who has a track record of working with singers in Sharon’s style, this was odd.
Fans took to the Instagram comment section to voice their confusion over Drake’s decision to promote artists outside of his label. “Why would he promote [Sexxy] Red and not his own artist,” one user asked. Another accused Drake of always putting his own music first, and failing to do the legwork to make sure his OVO artists get the exposure they need to pop. “If y’all learned nothing Drake don’t do the foot work for his artist,” they reasoned. “He makes them get it out the mud and uses them for his own albums and needs.”
Naomi Sharon talked about working with OVO during an interview with NME. She noted that they have a very “easy going” atmosphere in the studio, but that she had to request a goal so that she knew what to aim for in terms of song amount and due date. “I was like, ‘No, I need a goal,’” she said. “I was planning to go to Toronto for three weeks to record a little bit… We ended up in the studio making a song every day, which is very special.” While the working process may have been tricky, Sharon did state that her label boss has been helpful as a mentor. “Drake is one example of being an icon and doing the right things with music,” she told Clash. “He gives good advice.”
Hopefully this recent attention will lead to Sharon and Drake linking up on a song.
Larry Jackson is a prominent figure in the music industry, albeit in the background of what hits the screens and streaming apps. His career trajectory and recent ventures have positioned him as a key player in shaping the future of music distribution and artist management. This was also meant to remain in the background. However, thanks to a Joe Budden Podcast episode, the public have begun to wonder a little bit more about Larry Jackson and his music company, gamma.
Larry Jackson’s career is marked by significant contributions to the music industry, particularly during his tenure at Apple Music. As the former Global Creative Director of the music streaming app, Jackson was instrumental in curating exclusive content and fostering relationships with top-tier artists. Specifically, he was a top exec at Apple Music just around the time it became the dominant streaming service it is today. One of the ways he was successful in transforming Apple Music into a major streaming hub was by enlisting Drake and Taylor Swift for Apple Music’s advertising campaigns. He also helped negotiate the major deal that allowed Apple Music an exclusive window to stream Drake’s 2016 album, Views. However, Swift would later challenge Apple’s royalty policies during the launch of the music service, and this led to Apple agreeing to provide full royalties to rights holders throughout its free trial period.
Jackson had also held roles at RCA, J Records, and Interscope in the past. However, it was his time at Apple that built his extensive network. Today, he can boast of close ties with several music industry giants. These include Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, and of course, Drake. As a radio savant, Jackson also pioneered many artists and celebrities curating and hosting their own shows. This includes Nicki Minaj’s Queen Radio, Virgil Abloh’s Televised Radio, Kendall Jenner’s ZaZa World Radio, and Lil Wayne’s Young Money Radio.
In 2023, Larry Jackson launched a new company named Gamma, a modern media and technology enterprise. Gamma’s co-founders are Jackson and former Interscope CFO, Ike Youssef. The company’s LinkedIn describes it as “a modern media and technology enterprise designed to revolutionize how artist-entrepreneurs create, distribute, and monetize their content.” Interestingly, the company also receives financial backing from larger entities like Eldridge Industries, A24, and even Apple.
The company offers creative and business services across all artistic and commercial touchpoints. These include: content creation, distribution, and direct-to-consumer products. Gamma’s roster also boasts influential creators like Usher, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, and French Montana. Altogether, the company’s capabilities claim to oversee over 10,000 releases monthly through its distribution platform, Vydia. Gamma also has a stake in the Death Row Records catalog.
The Theory Behind Drake And Larry Jackson’s Relationship
Joe Budden Podcast might have actually cracked the code on why the rappers are really mad at Drake. IT GETS DEEP pic.twitter.com/nYnp5oy1Sr
Drake’s relationship with Larry Jackson dates back to their collaboration at Apple Music, where Jackson signed deals for exclusive content, including Drake’s OVO Sound Radio. This partnership likely led to the two developing a closer relationship. Drake even referenced Jackson in his lyrics on “Family Feud” with Lil Wayne, which allegedly motivated Jackson to start Gamma. Therefore, it’s not far-fetched that this relationship may have sparked a desire for a deeper involvement in the business side of music for Drake. This is why Joe Budden’s comments haven’t gone unnoticed. As the ongoing rap battle between Drake and his counterparts continues, Budden alluded to Drake’s likely co-ownership of Gamma fueling conflicts with other rappers who have released music through the company. These include Rick Ross, and French Montana.
Is Corporate Drake The Real Enemy?
Drake has a history of supporting emerging artists. Now, Budden’s speculations have led many to believe that Drake’s endorsements are not just acts of mentorship, but strategic business moves. This implies that Drake also receives hefty financial benefits from promoting rising artists. The theory also gains traction considering Drake’s business acumen and previous ventures in the music industry. Nowadays, the lines between “support,” and “investment” are becoming more blurred as time goes by. Nonetheless, if Drake does own a part of Gamma, it could explain the tension with other artists like Rick Ross.
Both Rick Ross and Kendrick Lamar have been openly involved in the recent rap beef with Drake. On “Push Ups,” his diss track against Kendrick and everyone else gunning for him, Drake demands him to “Drop & Give Me 50,” and makes more references to a number of his past failed business deals. Joe Budden suggests these bars allude to Drake’s alleged stake in Lamar’s work. Meanwhile, on Rick Ross’ “Champagne Moments,” Ross accuses Drake of sending a cease-and-desist letter to French Montana due to an issue with a song called “Splash Brothers.” The track was initially supposed to feature both Drake and Ross, but his verse was ultimately scrapped from French Montana’s album and replaced with Lil Wayne.
There is no concrete evidence to confirm Drake’s ownership of Gamma. However, Larry Jackson disclosed that Drake did send the cease-and-desist, but he believed it was a joke at the time. Nonetheless, Drake’s support for younger artists could simply be a gesture of goodwill, a way to give back to an industry that has brought him immense success. Without solid proof, the ownership theory remains speculative at best and Rick Ross previously shut down these rumors.
Larry Jackson got married in June 2023 to Stephanie Shepherd, a former assistant to Kim Kardashian, and co-founder of the non-profit Future Earth. The pair met while Jackson worked as Kanye West’s manager during the rapper’s The Life Of Pablo tour. The wedding featured guests like Justin and Hailey Bieber, Naomi Campbell, Clive Davis, Kris Jenner, and the Kardashians. Shepherd has also pursued acting and modeling. The event also included performances by Swizz Beats, Timbaland and the attendance of music industry moguls.
Following a cease-and-desist letter issued to Drake, the Canadian superstar has removed the “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss track directed at Kendrick Lamar. Originally posted on Instagram, the single used an AI-generated Tupac voice to provoke Lamar.
According to Billboard, the estate threatened to sue and stated the voice was “a flagrant violation” and “blatant use” of Pac’s legacy.
The message was delivered via a cease-and-desist letter filed by Howard King, requesting Drake pull the song within 24 hours or face all of the estate’s “legal remedies.”
“The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality,” King wrote in the letter. “Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use.”
Additionally, the letter reads, “The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupac’s voice against Kendrick Lamar, a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult.”
Last Friday (April 19) on Instagram, Drake dropped off the “Taylor Made Freestyle.”
Upon pressing play, you will hear something you wouldn’t expect: Tupac’s voice. The single opens with an AI Tupac verse requesting KDot stand up for the West Coast. It is followed by an AI Snoop Dogg asking for the same.
AI Tupac raps: Fuck this Canadian lightskin, Dot We need an undebated West Coast victory, man Call him a bitch for me Talk about him liking young girls, that’s a gift from me Heard it on the Budden Podcast, it’s gotta be true They told me the spirit of Makaveli is alive In the nigga under five-foot five, so it’s gotta be you
AI Snoop added: ‘Cause right now it’s looking like you writing out the game plan on how to lose How to bark up the wrong tree and then get your head popped in a crowded room World is watching this chess game, but are you out of moves?
After that, Drake pops in for his own slick talk: The first one really only took me an hour or two The next one is really ’bout to bring out the coward in you But now we gotta wait a fucking week ’cause Taylor Swift is your new Top And if you ’bout to drop, she gotta approve
Since “Like That,” your tone changed a little, you not as enthused How are you not in the booth? It feel like you kinda removed You tryna let this shit die down, nah, nah, nah Not this time, nigga, you followin’ through
He ends the song with a message, “I know you’re in that NY apartment, you struggling right now I know it.”
Former Death Row head Suge Knight doesn’t like Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss to Kendrick Lamar. Not because it attacked Lamar but because it put 2Pac and Snoop’s voices together on the song.
Speaking on his Collect Call with Suge Knight podcast from Breakbeat Media, Suge said, “Putting him on a song and dissing Kendrick for everybody entertainment–that ain’t how it go.”
He added, “Then putting him on a song with Snoop, who was a part of his downfall and exit, ain’t ever a good look. Pac was a king on that chessboard. He never was a pawn, so he can’t make him be a pawn now.”
Eminem is back. The Detroit legend announced that he’ll be releasing his anticipated comeback album, The Death of Slim Shady, this summer. He couldn’t have picked a better time to do so, given that hip-hop has experienced a commercial resurgence in 2024. Part of the reason for this resurgence is the feud between Drake and seemingly every other popular artist in the genre. Metro Boomin is one of the artists who started this feud, and he recently announced that he’d love to collaborate with Slim Shady.
Metro took to X (formerly Twitter) after Eminem released the teaser for his new album. The producer didn’t mince words. “Somebody please tell Eminem I’m tryna lock in,” he wrote next to three lock emojis. Metro has been one of the prolific artists in the genre for a decade, so it makes sense that he’d want to experiment. Metro has praised the Detroit rapper multiple times in the past. He hyped up Shady’s 2011 BET cypher on X (back when it just Twitter). He also workshopped a “dream” album with Em in mind during a thread in January.
Metro Boomin said he wanted to create an album featuring all the rap stars of the early 2000s. A user asked who he want to work with most, and he named Eminem as one of his top picks. Those who have followed Metro’s career should not be taken aback by his fandom. While his beats sounds worlds apart from Eminem’s, the producer loves Em and Dr. Dre’s work on 2001. He told GQ that they the album was the inspiration for his own Heroes & Villains release. “You can still make great songs with [artists], but as a producer, it’s like, what are you bringing,” he noted. “You’ve got to bring new artists. That’s a big part of your duty.”
Metro Boomin may be in luck. Eminem has broadened his musical palette in recent years, as evidenced by Kamikaze. The 2018 album saw the veteran emcee switch up his usual beat makers for contemporary producers like Tay Keith, Ronny J and Mike Will Made It. It was eventually certified platinum, so the tweak worked. Eminem hasn’t divulged how far along he is on his upcoming album, but most hip-hop fans would at least be curious to hear what he sounds like over a bombastic Metro instrumental.
