Drake was an open book during his interview with Beats 1’s Zane Lowe. Before his global listening party kicked on Apple Music late Thursday night (April 29), the Man of the Night described his admiration for Kanye West and his “phenomenal” pool. Drake also reveals that a joint project was in the works but that the two have tracks in the stash that may be released (he had hinted earlier in the interview that new material separate from Views will make its way to fans before summer).
Drizzy then touched on listening to Stevie Wonder “All I Do” and Alabama Shakes “All Your Love” during Views‘ creation, Birdman and Lil Wayne‘s business beef, the world outside of his own, working with Rihanna as well as the best lessons he’s learned from his mom and pops.
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On his Toronto home studio
“[Back To Back] was one of the first things we actually recorded.” He later discusses guests in the studio. “They’re comin to watch somethin’ happen but some nights, nothin’ happens… There’s nights of nothingness.”
On the Views From The 6 title
“It was just a shift in the city … The name took on a life of its own.”
On making What a Time To Be Alive
“I went to Atlanta and spent six days with Future … He’s a machine. I’ve never seen anybody with that much of a catalog.”
“’Jumpman’ was the last one of the tracks. ‘Digital Dash’…he had just bodied it so much. It was presented to me as a finished piece. I gotta do it justice.” Dinner, immediate group, “It was the kind of the birth of should this be the whole thing. That was the realization of, we’re gonna do this whole project together.”
On Taylor Swift
“I love Taylor too man. She’s just such a sweetheart for doing that [Apple commercial] and just in general. She’s angelic to me man.”
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On releasing more new music
“I got some other songs in the stash. I’m gonna have an arsenal of songs that have nothing to do with Views.”
On listening to his own Views
“Do I want to listen to myself or other songs that I’m into? If I didn’t wanna listen to myself, that’s a problem there.”
On self-criticism
“I was very hard on myself. I scrapped whole songs to get rid of one thought … I didn’t take pride in getting something done unless it was something.”
On how Views will be received
“I don’t want you to get it right away … Great music takes a little work. It takes elevating your listening level.
On “Hotline Bling” choreo and viral response
“I have to give credit to [choreographer] Tanisha Scott. None of it was planned.” He also said, “I was expecting the reaction. I was praying for it.”
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On creating Views in the 6
“We really love our summers but we really make our winters work. I thought it was very important to do the album here.”
On keeping it real in his music
“I’m a very honest person. I can’t write fiction.”
On landing The Throne on “Pop Style
“Jay didn’t really do a verse. I was just trying to get ‘Ye on it first. Jay kinda just did my first few lines for me and that’s how we flexed it … It didn’t play out how I wanted it to go. Sometimes [Jay Z and I] just fall on opposite sides of the spectrum. It’s always mutual respect but sometimes it has to be from afar.”
On Kanye’s pool versus his pool
“I take pride in being Kanye West’s neighbor. He has a phenomenal pool. His pool’s gotta be like half a football field … Mine was designed to outdo Hugh Hefner’s pool. I’m willing to sell it for $100 million.”
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On collaborating with Kanye West
“[Kanye] lives up the block. We have a few things that we’ve worked on. It’s all about finding a place for it. ‘Ye is one of my favorite people in the world … I hope we get some more music out. We were supposed to do a mixtape, album together.”
On teaming with Rihanna (again)
“It wouldn’t be a record without Rihanna, would it? We do well as a team … “Too Good” came to fruition after we did “Work.” [I was like] I think I have one that would follow this one up really nicely. It was like a flawless victory when she sent it back. Every nuance, every cadence was perfect … That’s what makes the record. We’re not forcing some story on people. A lot of the music and energy we have is genuine. We have a genuine energy.”
On Birdman and Lil Wayne’s business beef
“I’m a person that’s very grateful for all the names that you mention, specifically Birdman and Wayne. I have a mutual respect for both guys. I pray that it works out … That’s business, man. It’s a situation I pray gets resolved. It’s a legacy. It was amazing to see Kobe score 60 points. I want to see them go out and score 60 points.”
On his relationship with Nicki Minaj
“I don’t really talk to Nicki. Another person I have a lot of love for … She dealt with me how I would expect her to — with class. I always have respect and love for her. Unfortunately, we haven’t spoke.”
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On his mom feeding him gossip
“She’s always down. My mom gets all the passa straight to her phone. She’ll ask me about it. I’m always reassuring.”
On best lessons from his parents
“My mom’s thing is a 72-hour rule … I’ve learned to control my emotions for those first two or three days. I let it sit and it always goes away.”
“The most valuable piece of information from dad is don’t mix Virginia Black with vodka water. [Laughs]“
On the world outside Drake
“I obviously spend a lot of time in my own world but when I do take a broader look at the scope of things, whether it’s issues with the world, I have a massive amount of prayers for everybody’s well-being. I don’t directly, literally address that in my music. I try to make music that transcends gender, nationality to try and unify people … Whatever way I can contribute to bringing some joy to people’s lives, I pray that I can do that as many times as I can over and over.”
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On acting comeback
“I got something nice coming up in May. I’d love to go back to acting. I feel like I spent a lot of my life honing that craft. [Playing in movies] is the goal. It’s all about the right decision.”
On embarking on a world tour
“I think I’ve put enough work in on this album where I could go on a world tour.”
Download the album here from iTunes.