The video for “Hotline Bling,” in which Drake shows off his signature dance moves, premiered last night, and this morning, Virginia rapper D.R.A.M. turned to Twitter to address the controversy surrounding the song’s release. The song “Hotline Bling” was first promoted by Drake as a remix of D.R.A.M.’s Latin-flavored summer hit “Cha Cha,” which Beyoncé had previously co-signed in an Instagram edit.
As “Hotline Bling” gained popularity, it transitioned from a remix to a rework, severing ties to D.R.A.M.’s original and became Drake’s first solo No. 1. The rising star took to Twitter on Monday night to express his displeasure, claiming that Drake had “jacked” his original song
Where the Hotline Bling Song Came From?
In a previously unpublished section of his Fader cover story, Drake addresses the question of where the song came from. To the magazine, he reveals:
“You know, like in Jamaica, you’ll have a riddim and it’s like, everyone has to do a song on that. Imagine that in rap, or imagine that in R&B. Imagine if we got one beat and every single person — me, this guy, this guy, all these guys — had to do a song on that one beat. So sometimes I’ll pick a beat that’s a bit, like, sunnier, I guess is the word you used, than usual, and I just try my hand at it. And that’s kind of what ‘Hotline Bling’ was. And I loved it. It’s cool. I’ve been excited by that sort of creative process.”
Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and D.R.A.M.’s “Cha Cha” share a common lyrical thread, according to him, because they are both based on the same sample, Timmy Thomas’s “Why Can’t We Live Together,” which Drake cites on his song.
Based on his definition, Drake considers “Hotline Bling” to be more of an inspired-by than a wholesale steal of a lesser-known song. Though it isn’t always easy to tell the difference when it comes to Drake, as Meek Mill and Vulture’s Lindsay Zoladz have pointed out. This time, it looks like Drake spoke last. No thanks, D.R.A.M.
Who Was Targeted in Drake’s Her Loss Album?
On Her Loss, Drake seems especially confident. Listeners have been unwrapping diss tracks from Her Loss directed at everyone from Serena Williams’ husband to Kanye West, and one of them has a subtle jab at D.R.A.M. for their earlier fight. Drake revisits his brief battle with the musician now known as Shelley on “BackOutsideBoyz.”
Drake raps, “Tried to bring the drama to me, he ain’t know how we cha-cha slide,”.
D.R.A.M. was one of the few who didn’t walk right on through the bar. Following the release of “Hotline Bling,” the artist behind “All Pride Aside” took to social media to air out Drake for bringing up the conflict between them.
“Somebody tell Drake to shut the fuck up about that shit, man. Fuckin’ five years ago. This n***a never even fuckin’ touched me, n***a. I pressed his ass,” he said. “His fuckin’ bodyguards god damn — I ain’t gon’ hold you. His bodyguards went to town on the kid. But his bodyguards did, not his bitch ass! He ain’t touch me. He’s a bitch. You know that. Why I gotta god damn get into all of that? When I see him, I see him. What’s good with the one-on-one though, my baby? Wassup, my n***a? But he don’t wanna do that.”
Evidently, Drake’s record is an all-out assault on as wide an audience as possible. Drake didn’t just target D.R.A.M; he also indirectly attacked Megan Thee Stallion by bringing up her lawsuit against Tory Lanez. Meg criticised Drake, saying that any male rapper who even mentions her name is just out for attention. A total of sixteen tracks make up Her Loss, but Travis Scott is only featured once.