Image via Complex Original
Drake's Views From the 6 has finally made it to the home stretch. On his OVO Radio show in January, the rapper confirmed that his long-awaited fourth studio album would be released in early April, ending a lengthy saga of speculation. Since announcing Views in late 2014, Drizzy has seemingly been hard at work on everything but the project: he dropped his surprise mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late, feuded with Meek Mill on wax, and even linked up with Future for What a Time to Be Alive.
If the scorching lead single "Summer Sixteen" is indicative of the album's vibe, Views could be packed with saucy diss tracks and tantalizing collaborations. But other than a bulk of cryptic Instagram posts and tweets, many details about the album and those involved are still frustratingly murky. To put everything into perspective and map the project's progression, we've compiled all the confirmed facts and rousing rumors about Drizzy's highly anticipated follow-up to 2013's Nothing Was the Same. Sit tight, we're almost home. The 6 God is watching.
The Road to Views From the 6
July ‘14: Rumors of a new record started circulating when Drake and Chris Brown were spotted in the studio together. Four days later, Drake hinted that a new project was in the works on his new track, "0-100/The Catch Up."
Aug. 14’: Things got a little strange during Drake’s performance at OVO Fest, when Rihanna’s face flashed across the stadium screen with the numbers “666.” The rapper clarified via Twitter that “the 6” is included in the title of his new album, not a metaphor comparing Rih to the devil.
April ‘15: In an interview with Four Pins, Drake revealed he only had two completed tracks that he liked for Views, one of which was a Beyoncé collab.
May ‘15: Several Drake songs leaked onto various hip-hop forums and obscure SoundCloud accounts, including “Can I,” an unfinished track with Beyoncé.
Sept. ‘15: In the cover story of Fader's 100th issue, Drake spoke candidly about his ghostwriting scandal, ensuing beef with Meek Mill, and the influence of Toronto in Views from the 6.
Nov. ‘15: Rumors of the album’s impending release caught fire when a mysterious billboard popped up in Toronto with the slogan, “The 6 God is watching”—a less than subtle reference to Views.
Jan. ‘16: Drizzy ended the year with a bang at his New Year’s Eve performance in Miami, where he not only reunited Birdman and Lil Wayne but also told the crowd that "the 6 is coming very soon." A week later, Drake’s go-to producer, Noah "40" Shebib,posted an Instagram photo hinting Views was in its final production stages.
A series of studio photos on Drake’s own Instagram showed he was putting the finishing touches on Views—and that he’s got some serious ping pong chops. And on the OVO Sound Radio show at the end of the month, he dropped "Summer Sixteen" and revealed that Views would be released sometime in April. "For now, just know we are working,” he said. “I’m here. I’m excited for all this."
Feb. ‘16: With Views From the 6 season officially in full swing, Drake's marketing team cranked out huge billboard ads around Toronto, most notably in Billy Bishop Airport and Dundas Square. In an interview with the New York Times, 40 said that Views contains “a lot of introspection,” as Drake discovers “new flows, new cadences, new patterns.”
March ‘16: Earlier in the month, Drake hinted that the album was nearly completed with four successive Instagram posts captioned "Home stretch." A few weeks later, the rapper and his OVO crew put on a special showcase at Fader Fort which featured a performance of some of his biggest hits.
Potential Songs
“Summer Sixteen”
Drake gave us the first official look into the highly-anticipated View From the 6 when he dropped lead single "Summer Sixteen" on an episode of his OVO Sound Radio. Produced by Noah "40" Shebib, Boi-1da, and Cuebeatz, the menacing track included lines aimed at Meek Mill and Tory Lanez.
“Can I”
"Can I" is the second Beyoncé and Drake collaboration after 2013's "Mine." A snippet of the sultry single leaked in May, sparking rumors the song would be featured on Views. The rapper released the full version five months later on an OVO Sound Radio show.
“Hotline Bling”
The 2015 summer hit that broke the Internet with a flood of memes and gifs—and even got Bernie Sanders grooving on Ellen—may find a home on Views.
“Back to Back”
The monster diss track that put Meek Mill on the ropes and nabbed a Grammy nomination could also end up on Views.
Untitled Track
This six-second snippet of a track made its way to Vine, and it's definitely catchy.
"Controlla"
With the release of Views imminent, a collaboration between Drake and Popcaan surfaced online. It's unclear if this will be included on the album.
Potential Collaborators
Beyoncé: The singer lent her vocals on “Can I,” which could appear on Views.
Kanye West: Drake helped Kanye on "30 Hours" and "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1" off The Life of Pablo so it’s not out of the question that ‘Ye may return the favor on Views.
Kendrick Lamar: Rumors of the two rap giants hitting the studio together surfaced after the two simultaneously took to social media to express their affinity for $2 bills. The connection is a bit of a stretch, but if Drizzy and Kendrick did play out their rivalry on Views we could be looking at the biggest single of the year.
Willow Smith: Drake hinted at the young pop singer’s involvement in the album via an Instagram post captioned, “Young muse all on views.”
Metro Boomin: Drake teased a potential collab track with Metro in a cryptic tweet in February.
Future:What a Time to Be Alive was one of most hyped projects of 2015, and it would make sense for these two to continue their partnership on Views.
SAFE: Drake has already spotlighted the talented Toronto rapper on an OVO Sound Radio premiere, and several Instagram posts of the two together supports rumors of a collaboration.
Noah "40" Shebib: The rapper’s right hand man posted a series of studio photos with Drake and talked about their recording process back in February.
Boi-1da and Cuebeatz: The veteran producers worked on “Summer Sixteen” with 40.