The hype train behind More Life is at an all-time high.
With confirmation from Drake that the project will premiere this Saturday on OVO Sound Radio, fans are justifiably eager to hear what new songs have made the cut. And while Drake has been careful not to leak any additional info online, he has performed a handful of songs during the Boy Meets World Tour that are rumored to be from More Life tracklist.
Select fans have been kind enough to capture video snippets of these live shows, which offer the best indication of what Drake’s sound has in store. He’s referred to More Life as a glorified episode of OVO Sound Radio, and been firm in his assertion that it is not a cohesive body of work, but a collection of songs meant to soundtrack a good time. So, to prepare for this upcoming release, we’ve compiled all the live footage that’s been released over the last few months and included production/feature credits.
“Free Smoke” was the first More Life record to find its way online, and the song finds Drake combining his tough rap flow, most prominent on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015), with the soft R&B chorus of his most recent album Views (2016). There’s been no mention as to who the singer is on the chorus, or who the female rapper is on the latter half (perhaps Nicki Minaj?), but the song is credited to Drake’s standby producer Noah “40” Shebib. Read partial lyrics here.
The track that Drake has played most often on tour has been “Kiss My Teeth,” also referred to as “The Streets.” The club banger was first previewed, fittingly, at a club, where Drake and his DJ partook in the crowd’s reaction by dancing and singing along. You can check it out below, and you can read the lyrics right here.
“Kiss My Teeth” (aka “The Streets”) has also been previewed in Amsterdam, where it was revealed that the song featured a verse from Giggs. The U.K. rapper comes into on the third verse, and spits an ominous, grime-inflected sixteen bars that can best be heard in the live recording below. “Kiss My Teeth” is produced by New York producer Ness Beats.
Drake and Giggs have also come together for a song tentatively titled “Next Man.” The duo previewed it while overseas, and the song departs from “Kiss My Teeth” in that it goes for a harder, more bass-heavy sound. It’s obvious that Drake is pulling lots of inspiration from U.K. music, and his inflection even bears some of the vocal quirks that are prominent in the grime scene. “Next Man” is produced by Murda Beatz, who gets a shout out with the line “Murda on the beat so it’s not nice.” Read partial lyrics here.
These are in addition to the singles “Fake Love,” “Two Birds, One Stone,” and “Sneakin” featuring 21 Savage, all of which have been officially released. Preview all three tracks below and purchase them on iTunes.