Drake is at it again.
A day after issuing the Lauryn Hill-sampling Draft Day, he kept the generosity going by unveiling another new tune for fans to his October’s Very Own blog on Thursday.
Where Draft Day showed him flexing his muscles and responding to a certain married rap mogul who called him out, Days in the East showcases his much beloved, and sometimes ridiculed, pensive side.
Produced by Drizzy’s protege PartyNextDoor and co-produced by his longtime collaborator Noah ‘40’ Shebib, the new jam is a smouldering ode to a flame —- a quite famous one.
In typical Drake fashion, he switches between rapping and his wistful falsetto, especially when he’s talking about his girl questioning him about other women and seeking love advice from Erykah Badu, over tea.
But really, the track can be digested as a lyrical road map to his not-so-private romance with pop diva Rihanna.
For those who have followed their on-and-off love affair — which appeared to reheat during his recent European tour — Drake has littered the track with plenty of clues — as if recent grainy footage of the two holding hands weren’t enough.
“Why you keep askin’ me about her? / Couple other things I’d rather do than talk ‘bout that right now / Told you about givin’ him chances on chances on chances,” he sings, a subtle reference to rival Chris Brown. “He’s not holdin’ you down, he’s holdin’ you back right now.”
The nearly six-minute track even offers a quick interpolation of Rihanna’s heart-wrenching ballad Stay, for those needing a clear confirmation.
Rihanna sample aside, Drake unloaded enough hints that even the casual gossip-monger can decipher. There’s mentions of Chanel freebies, and fans of the singer know that on a regular basis, she posts pictures to her Instagram account of gifts delivered by the fashion house.
Drake sings of spending all his time on the east side and waking up with his girl in Amsterdam, and there’s been plenty of spottings of the pair looking mighty cozy all over Europe.
He even talks of having to put other men in check, because he’s lost her before. Well, let us never forget this epic moment in hip-hop beef history.
Your move, Rih Rih.
