UPDATE (7:45pm EST): Drake sat down with Zane Lowe for his “most intimate interview of all time,” or something. Listen below and keep scrolling for some choice quotes.
UPDATE (8:00pm EST): VIEWS is available on Apple Music/iTunes.
VIEWS From The 6 season is officially here.
After a year and a half of preparation—which included two projects, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and What A Time To Be Alive—Drake is finally delivering his long-waited LP, VIEWS.
Thus far, Drizzy has officially released three of the project’s 20 tracks—“Pop Style,” “One Dance” and “Hotline Bling“—with another, “Controlla” with Popcaan, catching a leak a couple weeks ago.
Production credits for VIEWS—courtesy of Noah “40” Shebib—include 40, Kanye West, Boi-1da, Cardo, Southside, DJ Dahi, nineteen85, and plenty more. This should be fun.
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Drake shared a lot during his conversation with Zane Lowe. Here’s a quick breakdown…
On “The 6”
“I think the announcement was more than just the album title it was a shift in the city—we saw an opening there. The name took on a life of its own. Now the city is obviously referred to as was it is.”
Life After VIEWS
“I got other songs I got for this summer. By the time I get to the tour, I’m going to have a whole arsenal of songs that don’t even have to do with VIEWS.”
On “Hotline Bling”
“Just kind of taking it for what it is. I recorded it in a hotel room in London. I remember my camera man Theo, we had a great classic conversation—I remember, he said, ‘I didn’t get it.’ It’s almost an emotion I search for, I don’t want you to get it right away. If you’re able to get it right away and say ‘okay, I get it. That’s a great song.’ I don’t want that. It was a magical moment…I expected the reaction. I was praying for [success]!”
‘VIEWS’ Inspiration
“The album is based around the change of the season in our city. It starts in the wintertime. Starts with “Keep The Family Close.” Winter to summer and back to winter again. It’s just to show you the two extreme moods that we have. We love our summers but we also make our winters work… You start to value your days a lot more when most people won’t go outside type of thing… It creates a different person. I thought it was important to make the album here during the winter.”
“Pop Style” Without The Throne
“I just ended up going with my version of the song. Jay [Z] wasn’t even supposed to be on there—I was really trying to just get Kanye on it. Jay didn’t even do a verse. Ye just sent it to me like that: ‘Yo, Jay did my first few lines for me… people want to hear Jay Z rap. Put The Throne On There!'”
A Joint Drake x Kanye West Project?
“I love Ye. He’s a really good guy. I grew up with him as a role model. Always given him credit for why we’re here right now. It’s amazing to be his friend… We can link with each other and discuss anything. Feeling a way on this or just leisure talk, we have a great relationship. I hope we get more music out. We were supposed to do a mixtape together—an album together. Maybe now we can get that done.”
Chemistry With Rihanna
“I think that’s what makes the records better. We’re not just forcing the story… we have genuine energy between us.
On The Weeknd
“At the end of the day, that’s my guy. We’re from the same city. We grew up with the same goal trying to do this. A lot of the time we spent trying to do this together. We spent real time. We put in real work together. I’m proud of his success. We both had our moments where we both felt a way and went a little left. I have nothing but love for everyone over there.”
On Lil Wayne vs Birdman
“It’s tough to watch. I have a mutual respect for both guys and pray every day that it gets worked out that we’ll find an amicable place.”
On Nicki Minaj
“I don’t really talk to Nicki. [She’s] another person I have a lot of love for, a lot of respect to her and the past and what we built. I understand what love is and I understand her personal situation. She dealt with me how I would expect her to—with class. I would do the same. There were times I was sitting there, waiting to see, you know, how deep is your love? I have respect for Nicki, but unfortunately we haven’t spoken.”
