Drake's 9 Best Call-Outs on 'Scorpion'
On Scorpion, Drake explicitly draws on what he does best — combining the personal and sultry emotions of R&B with the energy and grit of the hip-hop world. What the combo leads to is a sweeping double-sided collection of vague disses and explicit references, leaving fans with general confirmation (yes, there’s a mini Drake in the world), while keeping cryptic on the remaining details.
And, of course, newfound fatherhood isn’t the only rumor he responds to, or the only controversy he conjures up. Drake casually sweeps from a Charlamagne the God diss, to bragging about suspected model girlfriends, to eerily mentioning the impending end of his work relationship with Lil Wayne. From call-outs to shout-outs, here’s everything Drake (kind of) told us on Scorpion.
On Being a Dad
“The only deadbeats is the beats I been rappin’ to” — “8 Out of 10”
After months of questions, disses, and rumors, Drake denies rumors of poor parenting, all while bragging about his beat package, on “8 Out Of 10.” When Pusha T called Drake a “deadbeat” dad on “Adonis,” — one of the more revealing diss tracks in modern rap history — Drake remained uncharacteristically silent. No response diss, no Instagram post, and definitely no press release. Until last night, there was no word on Drake’s son, or why he’d been kept a secret. On “8 Out of 10,” Drake assures fans that he’s not an absent father, but also doesn’t really say much else about it. It’s a flippant, quick response to a topic that held fans captive for months.
“Kiss my son on the forehead, then kiss your ass goodbye” — “8 Out of 10”
Again, this is a reference to his son, but not much else. Also, not really clear who Drake is kissing goodbye here. Per usual, we’re left with some answers, but mainly questions.
“I wasn't hiding my kid from the world, I was hiding the world from my kid” — “Emotionless”
This line on “Emotionless” is quintessential Drake at his finest. It leans heavily into the deep side of Drake that made him one of the Internet’s favorite emotion-filled singer/rappers, while denying any fault in keeping his child a secret.
“Hopefully by the time you hear this me and your mother will have come around, instead of always cuttin' each other down” — “March 14”
On “March 14,” Drake seems to fully open up, or open as much as he is willing to. It’s the closing track on Side B, and it hears the rapper admitting to only having met his son once, before going into matters of his own upbringing versus the one he wants to give his son. It’s a thoughtful and revealing look into Drake struggling to get along with his son’s mom, and the way that reminds him of his own parent’s tumultuous relationship — a topic that he’s mentioned throughout his catalogue.
On Dating
“My house is full of supermodels just like Mohamed Hadid” — “Sandra’s Rose”
Rihanna, J. Lo, and Hailey Baldwin are all on the rumored list of girls of Drake’s past, and for now, it looks like we can add Bella Hadid to the list as well. Earlier in the year, rumors circulated of the two linking up, and whether or not that was true, it gave Drake a good opportunity to name drop one of the world’s most famous supermodels… or more specifically, the supermodel’s dad.
On Anyone and Everyone
“Like Charlamagne I see the light and see the darkest patches” — “Sandra’s Rose”
Charlamagne Tha God and Drake have always had a confusing relationship, and on Scorpion it only complicates itself. The two originally were at odds over something Charlamagne had said about Drake on his radio show, but then the pair had seemingly squashed the beef when Drake dropped his 2015 Meek Mill diss “Back to Back” — a track that shared a sentiment they both could agree on. Now, Drake is at it again, alluding to Charlamagne’s apparent skin bleaching, something the radio host has denied multiple times.
“As soon as this album drop, I’m out of the deal” — “Is There More”
This is another confusing one, but for different reasons. The line is in reference to Drake’s deal with Lil Wayne’s label Cash Money Records, a deal he signed in 2009, which promised an alleged six albums for the record company. If true, that would make “Scorpion” the sixth and last album of the agreement, but it’s unclear why Drake would leave Lil Wayne. This could potentially just be Drake bragging about how money albums he’s put out, but if so, it’s a confusing way to do so.
“Leavin' me to ask what's their motive and makin' peace, Leavin' me to not trust anybody I meet” — “Emotionless”
There’s no name mentioned here, but if we’d have to guess, this one is for Pusha T, the G.O.O.D. Music CEO who revealed Drake’s secret son in an otherwise inconsequential beef. Again, just a guess though.
“I've had scuffles with bad boys that wasn't pretendin” — “Survival”
Drake isn’t stirring the pot here, as much as he’s just referencing a past feud. Diddy, the “bad boy” Drake is alluding to, got into a pretty public spat with the rapper about ghost writers and beat usage sometime around 2014. The two have been seemingly cordial since then, simply making this another opportunity for Drake to brag about what, and who, he’s overcome in his career to the top.
