
On his new album, is Drake breaking up with the 6ix?
This year, Valentine's Day has fallen on a new music Friday — and there is so much to listen to this weekend.
If you're not pressing play on Sabrina Carpenter's deluxe version of S hort n' Sweet or Alessia Cara's new album Love & Hyperbole, then chances are you're listening to another buzzy new record: Drake and PartyNextDoor's collab album, Some Sexy Songs 4 U (stylized as $ome $exy $ongs 4 U or $$$4U).
Today on Commotion, Toronto radio personality Mastermind and critics Jackson Weaver and Hanna Flint join guest host Rad Simonpillai to talk about how this album is landing for the 6 God, post-lawsuit and post-feud.
We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, including a conversation about Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.
WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube:
Rad: Look, this is an interesting time for this new album to land, given what's been going on with Drake lately. We've been talking about this beef with Kendrick, Drake's defamation lawsuit against Universal Music, Kendrick's big Grammy wins for Not Like Us, and of course the Super Bowl performance. How does all that affect your experience listening to this album?
Mastermind: Listen, I take Drake's albums for what they are, and this is obviously a collab with him and PartyNextDoor. They've made a bunch of great records in the past. And so I think for fans of Drake and/or PartyNextDoor, they're going to be happy with it. Anybody who already has a pre-conceived judgment against Drake — they don't like him already, or maybe they don't like him any more because of what happened in the last 6 to 8 months — they're going to roll their eyes and then have their same opinion.
What I realized with the whole beef is that there's a lack of impartial judgment when it comes to rappers. Like, if you don't like Kendrick, you can't really say honestly if he did something good or bad. And I think the same applies with Drake. So I think he went into his wheelhouse, and they concocted something that's for his fan base. But he also gives us some rappity-raps on this as well, so there's that.
Rad: Jackson, when I listen to this album, it sounds like a guy feeling betrayed by a girlfriend — but maybe that girlfriend is hip-hop. Or maybe that girlfriend is his friends. Or maybe the girlfriend is Toronto, even…. What did you think about this album?
Jackson: I don't know if Drake is breaking up with Toronto or not but, I mean, this is almost as sad as The Weeknd. I don't know what's gone wrong in Toronto these past couple weeks. All our musicians are, like, crying into their albums. We have already raised how you have to kind of interpret this album for better or worse, and I think "worse" in Drake's favor [is] as a response to Kendrick. For all of the rappity-rap, for all of the flow, for all of the double entendres, for all of the beat switch-ups, we're picking this apart to see, was this a reference to Kendrick? He says, "damn," here — was that a reference to Damn. by Kendrick?....
So everything is not necessarily the lyricism as it stands on its own; it is being swallowed up into this conversation, which is not necessarily very strange for rap or even music…. But this is really — and I think this is part of the defamation suit that Drake has — about how this is overshadowing everything about Drake. This beef has gotten to totemic levels, where we cannot even listen to a little Finding Nemo reference without thinking, "How does this fit into the Kendrick and Drake beef?"
Rad: Mastermind, I can't look at the album cover here without thinking, what's Drake doing out in Mississauga? For those who don't know, Mississauga is the neighboring city just outside of Toronto. We know it's Mississauga because in the back of the album cover is what we call the Marilyn Monroe Towers…. You know, on his earlier album Views, Drake is sitting at the top of the CN Tower. And this new album opens with a track called CN Tower, where he's very in his feelings…. What do you think he's trying to express with that?
Mastermind: Drake has always been about Toronto, right? So when you think about the different references — CN Tower, Marilyn Monroe Towers — it's never been him hiding or not celebrating where he's from. Every concert he's like, "I'm a kid from Toronto, the greatest city in the world."...
Take God's Plan for example, where he went outside of Canada to go give away all this money and stuff. He got a lot of flack for that because he is talking about Canada. So it's a no-win situation because on one hand, it's like you celebrate the things from here and then we have people criticising, "Why is he standing in front of these towers in Mississauga?" He rapped about Mississauga so many times before. And Party is from Mississauga, so it just makes sense, being a collab album. Those towers are kind of the Mississauga trademark, if you will, right? Like, it's either that or Square One. Pick one.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Winnipeg Free Press
12 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
BET Awards to celebrate 25th anniversary with major star power from Kendrick Lamar to Mariah Carey
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The BET Awards is bringing major star power — including Kendrick Lamar, Mariah Carey, and Jamie Foxx — to celebrate its 25th anniversary on Monday. Lamar leads the pack with 10 nominations, including album of the year for his critically acclaimed project 'GNX.' His ubiquitous diss track 'Not Like Us,' emanating from the Drake feud, received nominations for video of the year and viewer's choice award. The awards will air live on June 9 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. Eastern. The rap megastar made waves with his Grammy triumph, winning song and record of the year for 'Not Like Us.' He followed up with a groundbreaking halftime show, becoming the first solo hip-hop performer to headline the coveted slot. He is currently on the Grand National Tour with SZA. Carey, Foxx, Snoop Dogg and Kirk Franklin will receive the Ultimate Icon Award, which selected due to their impact on entertainment as well as their community impact and advocacy. Who else is nominated? Doechii, Drake, Future and GloRilla tied for the second-most nominations with six. Metro Boomin pulled in five nods, while SZA and The Weeknd each scored four. Who are the show's performers? Rap icon Lil Wayne, rapper GloRilla and singer Teyana Taylor will hit the BET Awards stage. The lineup of performers also includes rapper Playboi Carti and singer Leon Thomas. Who will host the show? Kevin Hart is expected to bring the funny as host. The comedian-actor, who hosted the BET Awards in 2011, called this year's ceremony a 'black-tie affair.' 'It's a chance to reflect, cherish and honor life's unforgettable moments,' Hart said in a statement. He has a history with the network, hosting 'Comic View: One Night Stand' in 2008. He was an executive producer and one of the stars of 'Real Husbands of Hollywood' and launched adult animated comedy 'Lil Kev' on BET+. Will there be any tributes? The BET Awards will offer tributes to former popular hosts and performances, including the network's once-flagship program '106 & Park. ' ''106 & Park' was more than just a music countdown show; it was the heartbeat of Black youth culture and one of the highest-rated BET programs for over a decade,' said Scott Mills, BET's president and CEO. The weekday show launched in 2000 and lasted for more than a decade. The show thrived with a video countdown, interviews and performances. The show will reunite past hosts A.J. Calloway, Free, Julissa Bermudez, Keshia Chanté, Rocsi Diaz and Terrence J. The tribute will feature performers such as Bow Wow, Amerie, B2K, Jim Jones, Mya, T.I. and Mr. 106 & Park. It is not yet known whether Carey, Snoop, Foxx and Franklin will receive individual tributes during the ceremony. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Are there any other standout nominees? There's a competitive list of top-notch actors looking to take home the top award in their category. For best actor, the category includes: Aaron Pierre, Aldis Hodge, Anthony Mackie, Colman Domingo, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Joey Bada$$, Kevin Hart, Sterling K. Brown and Will Smith. For best actress, the nominees include: Andra Day, Angela Bassett, Coco Jones, Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Kerry Washington, Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis and Zendaya. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Simone Biles, Angel Reese and Jalen Hurts are among the sports stars competing for awards.


CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Will this be the summer of Addison Rae?
Social Sharing Over the last five years, Addison Rae has managed to make the jump from young internet celebrity to legitimate pop star. It's a transition that can be almost impossible to manage, but with the success of her 2024 song Diet Pepsi and a brat summer tailwind from her appearance on Charli XCX's Von dutch remix, the former TikToker is ready to emerge as an artist all her own. Today on Commotion, culture writer Joan Summers, music journalist Maura Johnston, and rapper Rollie Pemberton join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to share their thoughts on Rae's self-titled debut album, Addison. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion on the new Lorde single and the latest from the band Turnstile, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: We met Addison Rae as a TikTok influencer, and she's managed to do the improbable — which is, become a legitimate, bonafide pop star…. Today the debut album, Addison, came out. Joan, we've been talking about this moment for a minute…. Why is 2025 gonna be the summer of Addison Rae? Joan: I think Addison Rae, you said just perfectly, did the impossible by fully transcending from TikTok stardom to pop stardom. It is a pipeline that has been paved by many other people before her, but none quite like her, where they started on the internet as a TikToker. She was a college student, cheerleading. She was in Louisiana, got on the Internet, and fully transitioned from that to this. And I think she's really the first one to do it in this way. What I think people are picking up on is, when she debuted, there was a lot of chatter about authenticity. Is this real? Can we trust what she's doing? Is this really coming from her heart, her soul? And I think despite all the criticisms she faced post- Diet Pepsi — which were totally unfounded and mostly teenagers on the internet, if you ask me — I think that she stuck to her guns. She did something weird. She put out something unlike any of what her peers are doing right now. She found some luminaries in New York, overseas to help produce the record. And speaking of that record and those luminaries: all women. I think it's one of the first pop albums this year that we can confidently say is produced entirely by a team of up-and-coming young women. So I'm very proud of her. And I just think that people are finally resonating with what she's rocking. WATCH | Official music video for Fame is a Gun: Elamin: Joan Summers said Addison Rae is for the girls…. When you survey the way that Addison is landing, Rollie, does it feel authentic to you? Do you hear this record and go, "This feels like you are trying to give me something that is coming genuinely from you."? Rollie: You know, typically … my soul would tell me this is contrived, but knowing what's actually going on, I feel like it really is authentic. You know? I definitely feel like there was a bit of a PR blitz to establish Addison's coolness…. The Charli XCX co-sign — which by the way, that Von dutch remix is amazing. It's such an incredible song. That was the first thing that perked me up where I was like, "Oh wait, she's really about that life. She really wants to make music." It's not just a TikTok celebrity who's like, "How can I be more famous? Let me be an artist." It felt very authentic. I think the fact that she's going with the Y2K aesthetic — you know, the headphones on, she got the iPhone earpods and everything — it feels like it's really true to her interests. And the aesthetic actually just works so much for her. I feel like seeing people like Charli XCX and Lana Del Rey really getting behind her, that's the ultimate co-sign for me. They don't just do that for anybody…. I'm like, okay, these are people who are genius pop stars, strategists, artists. They see something of that in Addison Rae, and that's why they want to get behind it, I think. Elamin: I think it's really important to absorb how unlikely all of this is, because we are, I think, in a cultural moment that is very allergic to the inauthentic. I think we can kind of smell it right away. There's a sense of, "Oh, this feels like something beyond our control came together," [or] "This was assembled in a boardroom somewhere." And whenever you get that sense, I feel like there's a sense of, I don't want to mess with this. I'm not rocking with it. But for her to transcend that mountain, it's a much higher and harder mountain to climb.


CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Friendship subverts traditional depictions of male companionship on screen
Comedians Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd star in a new dark comedy, Friendship. It's a film that delves into a subject you don't see represented often: friendship between men. Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with film critics Adrian Horton and Jackson Weaver to discuss their thoughts on Friendship and how the film subverts traditional depictions of male companionship on screen.