At midnight (October 6), Drake will finally deliver his For All The Dogs album. (He’s supposed to, anyway.) He has already released “Slime You Out” featuring SZA, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and warned an ex-lover, “I’m slimin’ you for them kid choices you made.” But “8AM In Charlotte” might be taking more acute aim at someone.
The new song arrived early Thursday, October 5, exclusively on Drake’s Instagram page. Throughout, Drake name-drops the likes of 21 Savage (his It’s All A Blur Tour co-headliner), Central Cee, Shania Twain, T.D. Jakes, and Lauryn Hill, but it’s all in a playful light. In fact, there aren’t any explicit disses at all, but fans have a theory that the third verse is a veiled shot at Kanye West.
“Conspiracy theories start floatin’ ’round like the Kennedy guy,” Drake raps. “I’ll prolly hold a grudge against you guys ’til I’m seventy-five / Ayy, n****s lyin’ for a livin’, I couldn’t relate / We all gotta lay in the bed we make, but that couldn’t be Drake / You forced a lot of fake love when real ones stood in your face / That’s why you got deserted by your n****s like puddin’ and cake / I got you on camera bowin’ down, but the footage is safe / Thank God, another USB to put in the safe.”
On X (formerly known as Twitter), people have correlated these bars to a video of Drake bowing down to Ye after bringing him out as a guest during his Summer Sixteen Tour. There’s also the outside chance that the mention of “conspiracy theories” and “lyin’ for a livin’” is related to his beef with Pusha T and Ye that crescendoed in 2018 with the public reveal of Drake’s son, Adonis. (Is it a coincidence that the “8AM In Charlotte” video stars Adonis?)
Saying “I got you on camera bowing down but the footage is safe” while we got you on camera bowing down to Kanye multiple times is insane
pic.twitter.com/KzI81gFThJ
— yzyupdates (@yzyupdates) October 5, 2023
Drake bowing down to Kanye after bringing him out at the Summer Sixteen tour
pic.twitter.com/FB0LH2WLfv
— yzyupdates (@yzyupdates) October 5, 2023
This is the best Drake has rapped in a while.
Adonis is adorable.
No comment on the styling.
Is the last verse about Kanye? https://t.co/xgzGlekpKA
— Sowmya Krishnamurthy (@SowmyaK) October 5, 2023
Drake isnt as obsessed with kanye as kanye is to drake. And kanye stans are SUPER obsessed with drake its concerning. https://t.co/isWxh1oMlv
— manas (@pyth0ntrnchcoat) October 5, 2023
look i don’t mind drake and kanye hating each other but they don’t need to do constant reminders nigga we know we don’t need updates on it 5 years later
— ⓢ (@margielatabiz) October 5, 2023
Drake has to be the pettiest person alive. Once again he dissed Kanye on his new song
“You forced a lot of fake love on real ones, stood in your face
That’s why you got deserted by your niggas, like pudding and cake
I got you on camera bowing down, but the footage is safe
Thank… pic.twitter.com/7IilgEBVRf— Jasper (@Jasp3r_0) October 5, 2023
At any rate, Lil Yachty teased that Drake “deals with some controversial things” across For All The Dogs, and “8AM In Charlotte” might fall under that umbrella.
For All The Dogs is out 10/6 via OVO Sound. Find more information here.