Is there bad blood brewing behind the scenes?
Rapper A$AP Rocky, a native of New York who rose to fame in the early 2010s, recently became the focus of an unexpected report involving Canadian rap icon Drake as it was reported that the latter declined the chance to work with Rocky on a song that also included Kendrick Lamar.
With the release of his debut mixtape, “Live. Love. A$AP,” in 2011, Rocky’s climb to popularity began. Rocky’s tremendous skill was shown off on the album, especially on songs like “Peso” and his duet with ScHoolboy Q on “Brand New Guy.” Drake later asked Rocky to accompany him on tour the following year, further establishing their friendship.
Rocky’s debut studio album, “Long. Live. A$AP,” was released in 2013 and included a star-studded lineup of guest artists, including Drake. The song they made together, “F***in’ Problems,” became a huge smash and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
At that time, their collaborative musical relationship was thriving, and since then, the two musicians have grown close over the years. On his Club Paradise Tour, Drake even invited Rocky to open for him. Fast forward to January 2023, when Grammy-winning producer Hit-Boy commemorated the tenth anniversary of “Long. Live. A$AP” by sharing insights about one of the album’s standout tracks, “1 Train.”
Hit-Boy took to Twitter to reveal that the instrumental for the song was initially intended for Drake. However, the Canadian rapper passed on it, citing similarities to “Light Up,” a track from his debut studio album, “Thank Me Later,” which featured Jay-Z.
Within the music business, Hit-Boy’s revelation caused a stir. People in public and the media questioned Drake’s decision to pass up the chance to work with recognized musicians like Rocky and Lamar. Meanwhile, others hypothesized that Drake could have refrained from repeating a sound he had previously experimented with in favor of venturing into uncharted musical waters.
Despite this and beyond their business dealings, Drake is Rocky’s biggest fan. Rocky even thanked Drake for his early support in a 2013 interview on Hot 107.9. He admitted that Drake was the first to appreciate his abilities and lend a hand when he had no one else on his side.
He said, “The only person that put on for me when I ain’t have nobody was Drake. Drake was the first person to put [me] on before anybody. He didn’t want to sign me. It was just like, ‘Yo, that’s raw talent, yo. You gotta shine. I’ma see to it.’ So I’ll forever, forever owe Drake.”
Rocky also recounted a specific instance when Drake showed compassion to the group on tour. Drake sent a club invitation to Rocky and his group without knowing about Rocky’s financial position. Drake surprised Rocky by quietly handing him an envelope containing thousands of cash, demonstrating his undying faith in Rocky’s abilities.
“I remember being on tour with Drake and us going to the club, and I had my own money, I had my deal and everything, and him not knowing my situation, he didn’t want to assume or presume nothing,” the rapper recalled.
“He automatically was like, ‘Yo, listen: we all going to the club.’ He just put an envelope on my desk, and he just gave us [cash]. I open up the envelope, and it’s thousands in there. And I didn’t throw a dollar.”
Many fans are unsure whether Drake’s decision to reject the A$AP Rocky-Kendrick Lamar collaboration will affect their friendship or their ability to collaborate in the future. This is because fans are still processing the news of Drake’s decision.
Only time will tell if this unexpected event will lead to a gap between the two artists or act as a spark for new artistic projects. For the time being, fans can only guess and wait impatiently for the next musical releases from Drake and A$AP Rocky.