The 5 weirdest name-drops on Drake and PartyNextDoor's album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U
From pop stars to poets, here are some of the celebs mentioned on the Valentine's Day album
Drake and PartyNextDoor have released their joint album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, and the project is packed. With 21 songs and features from Yebba, Pim and more, the Toronto rapper and Mississauga, Ont., singer-songwriter have teamed up for a project that addresses heartbreak, Brat summer, and of course, the Kendrick Lamar-Drake rap beef.
It wouldn't be a project from the OVO duo if there weren't some famous names mentioned. Here are the weirdest name-drops on the album.
1. Tate McRae
Enjoying the success of her late 2023 hit "Greedy," Tate McRae had a busy 2024 that took her on a world tour. Drake references McRae's globe-trotting success on "Small Town Fame," where he drops a line about the Calgary pop star: "Poppin' out in Saginaw, poppin' out in Salt Lake/ Poppin' out in Arizona/ Bitch, I feel like Tate McRae."
McRae shared a post with the lyric on her Instagram story, seemingly giving her stamp of approval to the song.
2. Charli XCX
Having Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us" become one of the hottest songs of 2024 likely meant that Drake was having the opposite of a Brat summer. The term, which was coined in reference to Charli XCX's Grammy-winning album, Brat, is all about having fun while embracing your flaws, mistakes and ego.
Drake mentions Charli XCX on "Small Town Fame" by likening her to a drug: "Puttin' Charli up her nose, X on her tongue/ She been geekin' hard, she done had a Brat summer."
3. Maya Angelou
Poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has served as inspiration for Drake in the past: he name-dropped her on the Scorpion track "Is There More?" when he rapped, "Still I rise, Maya Angelou vibes."
He references her on "Raining in Houston" with a line about liquor making words flow like poetry: "Maya Angelou, '07, shots of '42, your words are cuttin' deep, your words are hittin' different."
4. Beyoncé
Drake and PartyNextDoor both have musical ties to Beyoncé: Drake appeared on her 2013 song "Mine" and also penned the song "Girls Love Beyoncé" the same year, while PartyNextDoor penned the 2017 Beyoncé, Jay-Z and DJ Khaled song "Shining."
On "Lasers," PartyNextDoor gives a nod to Beyoncé's Destiny Child days with the lyric, "Baby, say my name like Beyoncé."
5. Wayne Gretzky
On "Nokia," Drake playfully uses the famed hockey player as a way to describe gifting jewelry to a woman and her friend: "Is that your bestie?/ I'ma ice both of y'all like Gretzky," he raps.
