Drake has shared a new song “Draft Day” in which he samples Lauryn Hill and name-checks a cadre of major league artists and athletes.
The Canadian rapper gives shout-outs for soon-to-turn-pro quarterback (and good buddy) Johnny Manziel, NBA star-in-the-waiting Andrew Wiggins, actor Jennifer Lawrence (“You could really get it”) and there’s a namecheck for Chance The Rapper.
Drake’s track samples Hill’s 1998 “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” — no mean feat considering Kanye West couldn’t get a sample cleared from the Fugees singer back in 2004.
“Draft Day” is currently available to stream and download at Soundcloud.
The song is fast turning viral, thanks in no small part to its possible reference to Jay Z and Kanye West (“Just hits, no misses/That’s for the married folks”). The rapper has been waiting for his chance since Jay Z took a subtle shot at Drake on a Jay Electronica track with the line: “Sorry Mr. Drizzy for so much art talk/ Silly me rappin’ ’bout shit that I really bought/ Why these rappers rap about guns they ain’t shot?/ And a bunch of other silly shit that they ain’t got.”
Drake’s fourth album “Nothing Was The Same” arrived at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 following its release last September. The set passed the million sales mark by November.