The Weeknd
The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye, is yet another artist who was once on good terms with Drake but has since turned on him.
Back in 2010, when The Weeknd was an elusive rising star in Toronto, two of his songs were shared on Drake’s popular OVO blog. Drake also tweeted lyrics from The Weeknd’s “Wicked Games” in 2011.
Drake’s cosign gave The Weeknd a major boost in his career and they went on to release two duets: “Crew Love” on Drake’s 2011 album and “The Zone” on The Weeknd’s 2012 compilation.
Drake was reportedly eager to sign The Weeknd to his OVO label, but The Weeknd turned him down, signing instead with Republic in 2012. Some fans have suspected this was the turning point in their relationship.
Still, The Weeknd opened for the European leg of Drake’s Would You Like a Tour? in 2014.
In 2020, peace still reigned, with Drake alluding to The Weeknd’s vocal chops in his “Only You Freestyle” (“The boy that sound like he sang on ‘Thriller,’ you know that’s been my n**** / We just had to fix things, family, 6 ting we can’t split up”).
But by 2024, the tides had quietly turned. The Weeknd was featured twice on “We Still Don’t Trust You” and alludes to walking away from Drake’s label offer: “I thank God that I never signed my life away,” he raps in the eighth track, “All to Myself.”
He also adds, “Their shooters making TikToks / Got us laughing in the Lambo,” to which Drake responded directly in “Family Matters.”
“If Drake shooters doing TikToks, n**** / Realest shooter in your gang, that’s P’s brother, y’all ain’t getting shit shot, n**** / Can’t listen to the stick talk in falsetto, save it for a hip-hop n****,” Drake raps.
In the same song, Drake also implies The Weeknd’s music is more popular among gay men.
“Weeknd music gettin’ played in all the spots where boys got a little more pride / That’s why all your friends dippin’ to Atlanta, payin’ just to find a tour guide,” he raps.
