Headlines

Album: Take Care (2011)
Charted: 57 13
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first single by Canadian rapper Drake, from his second studio album, Take Care, was produced by his longtime producers and collaborators Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels and Noah "40" Shebib. It first premiered on Drake's blog, October's Very Own, on July 31st, 2011 and was made available free to download.
  • The song finds Drake thoughtfully ruminating about the consequences of fame. "I might be too strung out on compliments," he raps. "Overdosed on confidence / Starting not to give a f--k and stop fearing the consequence."
  • Drake told Billboard magazine why he released this as the first single from Take Care. "By no means is it the best song on my album, it's really just the song for this moment, right now," he said. "I always try to put forth a song with a message. A lot of people pick their single by what's the strongest song. I don't really do that. I like to make sure that the content is very relevant to right now. I want people to party to it but at the same time the fans, the people that care about my career, the people that follow me, will hear a message in it."
  • The video was directed by OVO crew members Lamar Taylor and Hyghly Alleyne and shot in Drake's hometown of Toronto, Canada. It is a family affair featuring members of some of the rapper/singer's friends such as T-Minus, Noah "40" Shebib, The Weeknd, Boi-1da and Kromatik, but none of his Young Money label mates.
  • Shebib told MTV News how he and Drake had radio in mind when they cut this track: "That's a catchy song. 'They know, they know, they know,'" he said. "It's corny, it's catchy, it's perfect. That will run on radio all day. You balance with those evils when you make music. I understand what's going to work on radio as much, sometimes I want to make different types of music. But the thing is, you want to win. You want to have your cake and eat it too."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.