advertisement
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.”

advertisement

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.

advertisement
Shhenseea, MOLIY, Skillibeng and Silent Addy
ACEPXL

Shhenseea, MOLIY, Skillibeng and Silent Addy

Awards

Here’s Why ‘Shake It to the Max’ Was Deemed Ineligible at the 2026 Grammys — And Why Its Label Calls the Decision ‘Devoid of Any Common Sense’

Representatives from the Recording Academy and gamma. CEO Larry Jackson comment on one of this year's most shocking Grammy snubs.

Few phrases define the year in music and culture like Moliy’s scintillating directive to “shake it to the max.” The Ghanaian singer’s sultry voice reverberated across the globe, blending her own Afropop inclinations with Jamaican dancehall-informed production, courtesy of Miami-based duo Silent Addy and Disco Neil. Originally released in December 2024, Moliy’s breakthrough global crossover hit ascended to world domination, peaking at No. 6 on the Global 200, thanks to a remix featuring dancehall superstars Shenseea and Skillibeng. Simply put, “Max” soundtracked a seismic moment in African and Caribbean music in 2025.

Given its blockbuster success, “Shake It to the Max” was widely expected to be a frontrunner in several categories at the 2026 Grammys. In fact, had the song earned a nomination for either best African music performance or best global music performance, many forecasters anticipated a victory. So, when “Shake It to the Max” failed to appear on the final list of 2026 Grammy nominees in any category earlier this month (Nov. 7), listeners across the world were left scratching their heads — none more than gamma. CEO Larry Jackson.

keep readingShow less
advertisement