State Champ Radio drake
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We’ve seen this before. A new artist breaks through with a hot new single that seems to completely dominate social media and group chats, alike. But as fire as the song is, the artist doesn’t manage to break into the mainstream. Then, Drake steps in and throws an alley that would make D Wade do a double take.
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The OVO Capo either adds a verse to the bubbling track or finds his way onto a completely new offering. Suddenly, not only is the song with Drake everywhere—radio, Billboard Hot 100, every car driving around your neighborhood—the artist is now a household name who appears on every radio show and podcast. It’s the Drake Effect. Future, Migos, ILoveMakonnen (for better or worse), and BlocBoy JB have all been recipients. And now, according to a few cryptic IG posts, it appears that 4Batz, the quasi-mysterious new R&B artist who has a love of Pooh Shiesty masks, may be the latest beneficiary of Drake’s goodwill.
But does he need it?
Trending on Billboard
If you haven’t heard 4Batz’s breakthrough single, “act ii: date @ 8,” you’ve undoubtedly seen clips from his “From the Block Performance” that featured him crooning into a microphone through gold grills while his friends hover in the background, dancing and punctuating certain lines like professional hype men.
The video itself isn’t spectacular, it looks like every other “From the Block Performance”—a franchise produced by the 4 Shooters Only YouTube channel that features rappers in their home city performing, well, from the block. The only difference is 4batz isn’t a rapper. He’s an R&B singer with a childlike falsetto who sounds like he was raised on nothing but The Weeknd’s first three mixtapes. And like The Weeknd, his voice is surprisingly delicate even if the words it’s delivering are at times surprisingly abrasive.
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The song and video went viral, catapulting the Texas native into stardom before anybody really knew anything about him. His own YouTube channel only has three videos, the first being “act i: stickerz ’99′” which was uploaded in October of last year and now has over 2 million views. The “Official Visualizer” for “act ii: date @ 8” has 3.1 million views.
As its popularity increased a number of artists took note and offered their support. SZA left a comment on one of his Instagram posts, he FaceTimed with Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West), and Timbaland posted a reaction video to the song wherein he says Drake should collaborate with 4Batz.
All of that lead to the song debuting at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and igniting a bidding war that sources said would “end in a robust seven-figure deal” for the artist. And, now, as the song continues to climb the charts, 4Batz posted a video on Instagram last night announcing a “date & 8” remix and asked his fans “who yall want on the remix”?
A quick look at his comments show that the early favorites are Brent Fiyaz, SZA, and Bryson Tiller. But fans really believe it’s the 6 God since he also took to Instagram last night and posted a Story that said “Date @ 8 REMIX” with mentions of 4Batz and his longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib.
While Brent and Bryson would both add interesting elements to the single, and SZA would add a wallop of star power, a remix with Drake will undoubtedly push the single way, way up the charts. He’s one of the biggest pop stars in the world and easily the biggest rapper in the game. A verse from him is enough to launch entire careers (just ask JB).
But 4Batz’s career seems to be moving along just fine. The rollout of his singles has been deliberate and interesting. He’s landed at an aesthetic that accentuates his music. And people seem to be genuinely rooting for him. A top 40 hit doesn’t seem too far away.
But Drake is Drake. The guy with 328 Hot 100 entries. Even if 4batz doesn’t need the Drake Effect, helping him get to 329 may be too tempting to turn down.
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Source: Cole Burston / Getty / Drake
The 6 God, aka Drake, is currently on tour again, calling for Tory Lanez’s freedom and, at the same time, continues making big moves in Hollywood.
Deadline reports that Apple TV+ has greenlit a new 10-episode sci-fi drama series called Neuromancer based on William Gibson’s award-winning debut novel of the same name.
Skydance Entertainment and Anonymous Content will co-produce, and Drake and his production company DreamCrew Entertainment produce.
JD Dillard (Sleight, Devotion) and Graham Roland (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Dark Winds) will co-develop the series, with Roland as showrunner and Dillard directing the pilot episode.
“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing this iconic property to Apple TV+,” Graham Roland and JD Dillard said in a joint statement. “Since we became friends nearly ten years ago, we’ve looked for something to team up on, so this collaboration marks a dream come true. Neuromancer has inspired so much of the science fiction that’s come after it, and we’re looking forward to bringing television audiences into Gibson’s definitive ‘cyberpunk’ world.”
Synopsis Per Deadline:
The streamer reveals Neuromancer will follow a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high-stakes crime with his partner Molly, a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes, aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets.
For Drake, he continues to dabble in the world of television. The rapper currently serves as an executive producer on Sam Levinson’s hit HBO drama series Euphoria starring Zendaya.
Drake was also instrumental in helping get Top Boy’s fifth season on Netflix.
It seems when it comes to hit shows, Drake has the Midas touch; we shall see if that streak continues with Neuromancer.
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Drake is getting blasted on X, formerly Twitter, for showing online support for the currently incarcerated Tory Lanez. In an Instagram Story post, Drake calls for the freedom of Tory Lanez which has sparked a barrage of online criticism.
Drake, 37, shared an image of Tory Lanez to his Story feed with the words under the photo reading “3 You,” which many assume to be suggesting freedom for Lanez. Lanez, 31, was found guilty in 2022 of felony assault for shooting and injuring Megan Thee Stallion. In August of 2023, Lanez was officially sentenced to 10 years behind bars in connection to the matter.
Several Hip-Hop figures and fans on social media seemed to side with Lanez during his legal ordeal with Megan Thee Stallion, with many believing that the shooting incident never took place among other unproven yet heavily discussed theories.
There have also been shots taken via songs towards Megan Thee Stallion, including a perceived shot from Drake on the song “Circo Loco” from his joint album with 21 Savage, Her Loss. However, 21 Savage claims that the Canadian superstar was not pointing his verse in that direction.
Despite that clarification from the Atlanta rapper, some believe that Drizzy holds some manner of animosity towards women rappers and that his support of Tory Lanez qualifies those assumptions. We’ve got reactions from X below.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: YouTube / OVO
Now that Drake has brought back the baggy pants look from yesteryear, it seems like the man isn’t done with the retro vibes as he’s taken to using an OG camcorder for his directorial work on his latest visuals for the SZA and Sexyy Red assisted, “Rich Baby Daddy.”
For the video celebrating the pregnancy he has with his “wife” Sexyy Red, Drake captures the beautiful moments of their baby shower before Red goes into labor and they dash to the hospital where she gives birth to their little bundle of joy.
To help mark the joyous moment, Drake, Red and SZA are joined by a gang of thick young women who seem to have made their way to the hospital directly from the club as they twerk up and down the hallways of the medical center. Even Sexyy Red joins in on the twerking competition right after pushing a whole little person out her body. That’s… impressive?
Check out the visuals to “Rich Baby Daddy,” and let us know your thoughts on the joint in the comments section below.
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Drake has often bragged about his prowess with the ladies and even once alluded to his, ahem, situation on a popular song a few years back. Now, The Boy is trending online after an alleged leaked video featuring Drake and his other “boy” went viral online.
To be completely honest with the readers, we have no idea where the alleged video came from, if it’s truly a leak, or why the footage is out there for the world to see. In a brief drive-by of the video, viewed for editorial purposes, a person thought to be Drake is sitting on a couch while holding on to the “joystick” with a shot of the person holding a smartphone to capture the image.
Drizzy once pointed to the size of his appendage on A$AP Rocky’s hit posse cut “F*ckin’ Problems” with 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar, immortalizing himself by saying, “I don’t really say this often/But this long d*ck n*gga ain’t for the long talkin’.”
If the clip that’s going around X and other online spaces truly is the OVO Honcho, it appears that some agree that Drake wasn’t lying during that particular bar. As expected, some fans are saying that the leak was done on purpose to keep some of the rumored Megan Thee Stallion smoke off him, while others are showing off some incredible thirst.
We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Cole Burston / Getty
Drake called out the Grammy Awards in a post on social media, declaring his support for those artists nominated that evening
As the Grammy Awards got underway Sunday night (Feb. 4), Drake expressed his feelings about the ceremony, making it clear that he wasn’t going to be paying attention. In a post to his Instagram Stories, he shared a clip of his acceptance speech during his last appearance at the awards in 2019. “All you incredible artists, remember this show isn’t the facts, it’s just the opinion of a group of people (whose) names are kept a secret (literally you can Google it),” the rapper wrote in a text caption over the clip. “Congrats to anybody winning anything for Hip-Hop, but this show doesn’t dictate s—t in our world.”
His animosity against the Grammy Awards and the Recording Academy began during that 2019 appearance where he won the Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan.” “We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport,” he said at the time (at one point, his microphone seemed to be cut off). “It is not the NBA … This is a business where sometimes it is up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say … or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis,” Drake said. “You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. If there is people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you, you already won.”
The Toronto, Canada, native also threw barbs at the Grammys in 2021 after The Weeknd didn’t receive any nominations that year. Drake was nominated four times at the 66th edition of the Grammys, including Best Rap Performance for “Rich Flex” from the Her Loss joint album with 21 Savage, which was also nominated for Best Rap Album. His solo album from last year, For All The Dogs, was not submitted for consideration. Drake is currently on his It’s All A Blur: Big As The What nationwide tour, performing the second of two nights at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, with J. Cole. It runs through April 16, where it will end at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
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Yasiin Bey took to Instagram Live to address the recent comments he made about Drake where he suggested that the Canadian superstar’s music is often heard while shopping at Target. The artist formerly known as Mos Def elaborated on his statement, urging for more substance from Drake and even demanding the same of himself.
Yasiin Bey shared a video on his Instagram page addressing his comments on Drake, and the expectations of an artist of his magnitude, while even turning some of that critique toward himself.
“First of all, I don’t hate anyone,” Bey began his discussion. “My opinion is mine. It’s legal in all states, as far as I’m aware. It was not an opportunity to try to slander him, or to clown on him. I have reached out to him, I have no responses yet. I’m not keen to talk about people or to them through a screen, I prefer to talk to people directly. But I will say this. The young man is very talented, he’s been able to be very successful with that talent, and I have no issue with his success or anything that he’s been able to achieve as a result of his talent.”
Bey then spoke directly to his words and that criticism isn’t always an attack on a person, recognizing that Drake has contended with such comments for the duration of his still buzzing career.
“I do feel that some of the criticism that he’s received in the past has been mean-spirited or unfair. So I don’t want to participate in that,” said Bey. “I’ve never had no issue with you personally, I don’t know you well enough to have any sort of issue with you in that regard. Nonetheless, it’s not sacrilegious to have a critique or opinion of a public figure, particularly one of that magnitude in current, modern culture.”
Yasiin Bey added that he would welcome the opportunity for a face-to-face conversation with the OVO Sound honcho, adding that he enlisted the help of Dave Chappelle to connect the two.
View the entire video below.
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Photo: Getty
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Drake was a hot topic of discussion during the MLK holiday weekend after a new interview featured Yasiin Bey sharing his thoughts on the Canadian superstar’s music. In the debates that cropped up since the clip went viral, Drake has responded in a way befitting of the “Petty King” moniker he gave himself.
Yasiin Bey was a guest on The Cutting Room Floor podcast and a segment of the chat was shared online regarding Drake and his musical output. The Brooklyn veteran expressed that Drizzy’s music is what you’d hear while out shopping at Target, signaling that he views the OVO Sound honcho as a popular or mainstream act.
Drake took to his Instagram Stories feed and shared a clip of Method Man discussing the finer points of Hip-Hop culture with an interviewer. True to his nickname, the Take Care star wrote in the captions, “What umi say again? Lemme shine my light king don’t change up now” referencing Bey’s classic “Umi Says” track.
While Bey’s observation might ring true considering where Drake stands in the greater conversation surrounding the culture, Hip-Hop has undergone a series of transformations since Bey’s initial start in the 1990s, and artists of that ilk undoubtedly influenced Drake. As it stands, The Boy has previously demanded respect from rappers for his pen work and even hopped into a strictly Hip-Hop bag on the deluxe version of his last studio album, For All The Dogs.
Naturally, Bey’s comments woke up the hives of both artists, pitting them against each other with fans using silly potshots, with some referring to Bey’s music as “Peace God Raps” and other related jabs. Others are defending Bey’s right to his comments and have taken swipes at Drake’s authenticity as a rapper while firmly placing him in the “pop Rap” world.
Hopefully, a conversation can happen between the pair to clear the air.
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Photo: Getty
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Yasiin Bey doesn’t pop out too often but when he does, it will always get attention from the Hip-Hop masses. In a new viral clip making the rounds, the former Mos Def likened the music of Drake to what one would hear while shopping at Target; the reactions are priceless.
Yasiin Bey was a guest on The Cutting Room Floor podcast and a clip from the conversation made it onto Twitter and spread widely. During the discussion about Drake, Bey said that Drake’s music was “likable” after the host said they found the Canadian superstar’s music to be good mainstream fun.
As the conversation progressed, it was clear that Yasiin Bey was trying to be diplomatic and the pair decided to advance the conversation to another topic. What might be getting people talking the most online is that when the host elected to move on, the pair seemed to smirk at one another.
Drizzy fans are rallying together to question Bey’s pedigree as a rapper but the Brooklyn MC has a sizeable share of defenders schooling the youngins on the fact that he’s one of them ones on the microphone.
Hopefully, Drake doesn’t take this personally and it all blows over by the end of the weekend.
Check out the clip of Yasiin Bey speaking on the sound of Drake’s music below.
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Source: Jackson Lee / Getty
Drake might consider himself a certified lover boy, but the man does seem to be a bit toxic as he threw some darts Rihanna’s way on his last album, For All The Dogs.
Luckily for Riri, she’s boo’d up with a man by the name of A$AP Rocky, and unlike Pardison Fontaine, Rocky isn’t letting any man slander his queen. On Kid Cudi’s new cut “WOW,” the Harlem rapper shot an arrow right back at the King of the North in the name of his woman.
After hearing Drake subliminally diss Rihanna on “Fear of Heights,” and then taking a shot at Rocky on “Another Late Night,” in which he said, “I ain’t Pretty Flacko, b-tch, this shit get really Rocky/ Damn, what? Dirty how I did him in the Wraith,” Rocky seemingly decided it was time to clap back with a little something of his own. On his verse for “WOW,” he apparently did just that. After dropping some bars speaking about how he and his “vamp bae got our own handshake,” he added “These ni**as can’t stomach me, gotta go get a mandrake.”
Could that have been Rocky rubbing his relationship with Rihanna in Drizzy’s face and then topping it off with a subliminal dart? Could be anybody’s guess at this point, but we feel like this isn’t the end of this back-and-forth. Though a mandrake is a root plant used to treat stomach issues and makes perfect sense to add to a bar talking about the guys not being able to stomach A$AP Rocky, it seems less like a coincidence following lines talking about his relationship with Rihanna. Just sayin’.
Check out the track below. Let us know if you think A$AP Rocky is taking shots at Drake or if this is much ado about nothing in the comments section.
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