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Rb Hip Hop

Drake Was Working on New Music During ‘Nokia’ Video Shoot

Smiley, one of his OVO signees, says the Toronto rapper is hard at work.

Drake attends the Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Kings basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 2, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
Drake attends the Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Kings basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 2, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
Mark Blinch/Getty Images

Seems like Drake is making good on his statement that he’s working on new material that will address this past year.

A clip has surfaced on social media of OVO artist Smiley speaking on Drake being locked in and concentrating on making new music, saying that the Toronto rapper has been working on new material during parties and even on the set of the “Nokia” video.


“Brother, I’m telling you, I seen him the other day,” he said. “We’re at a party and he was in the other room by himself eating pasta with wired headphones writing music while we have a whole f—ing party going on. He’s on a different mode right now.”

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He added, “Even at the ‘Nokia’ video shoot, during breaks, he had a bunch of producers and he was just recording. So he’s in that crazy mode, right now.”

Back in February, during his Anita Max Win tour in Australia and New Zealand, he told the crowd that he was “gonna have a one-on-one talk” with them “when the time is right.” Then in April, he thanked fans for streaming $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PartyNextDoor and said that he was working on a new album and that “it’s a slap” while streaming with Adin Ross.

Drake reposted the clip of Smiley talking about him being in the lab on his Instagram Story, so there must be some credence to what he’s saying.

The Take Care rapper hasn’t released a solo album since For All the Dogs in 2023.

This article first appeared on Billboard U.S.

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Bad Bunny Turns the World Into His Casita With Triumphant Super Bowl LX Halftime Performance: Critic’s Take
Christopher Polk/Billboard

Bad Bunny performs at Super Bowl LX held at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.

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Bad Bunny Turns the World Into His Casita With Triumphant Super Bowl LX Halftime Performance: Critic’s Take

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Few halftime shows had as much at stake while simultaneously having nothing really to lose than Bad Bunny‘s halftime performance at Super Bowl LX on Sunday (Feb. 8). On the one hand, the gig comes with all eyes on it — minus the likely comparatively small amount of those who tuned in to the alternate Turning Point USA halftime show — after the Puerto Rican superstar’s halftime selection was loudly decried by a select few reactionary pundits who probably couldn’t tell Karol G from Kenny G anyway. On the other hand, Bad Bunny has been on such a winning streak in just about every way possible over the past 13 months — including most literally at the Grammys last Sunday — that his gig on the world’s biggest stage came at a time when it really couldn’t do anything but further confirm his status as one of the world’s most globally dominating and beloved superstars.

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