Drake dropped a new song earlier than expected Friday night (February 1), following reports that he would hold it for Grammys night. Under three minutes and produced by Mike Zombie “Started From the Bottom” retreads the Young Money MC’s not-so-easy coming up.
Sinister piano and soft, spare drum fill out the back as Drizzy lets on that his childhood wasn’t all teen dramas and hip-hop bar mitzvahs. “Boys tell stories about the man / Say I never struggled, wasn’t hungry, yeah, I doubt it, nigga.” His delivery is flat, frustrated, a shift from the energetic, even optimistic flow on his last round of singles “Take Care” and “Make Me Proud.”
“Started From the Bottom” posted to SoundCloud around 8:30 p.m. EST (at press time, it had already passed 341,000 streams). A note on Drakes’s Octobers Very Own Blog put the song in context:
My good friends,
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KEEPING IT REAL — ROUND TWO!
It has truly been too long. I assume you’re all keeping well and making the most of this year that has been given to us. Today is the day to begin sharing my newest work with you. This is the first single off of my upcoming album. I feel sometimes that people don’t have enough information about my beginnings and therefore they make up a life story for me that isn’t consistent with actual events. My family and my second family (consisting of the best friends anybody could ever have) all struggled and worked extremely hard to make all this happen. I did not buy my way into this spot and it was the furthest thing from easy to achieve. I am proud of every part of my past and I’m excited for this song to find a place in your life as well. I didn’t feel I needed any interviews or radio or press to launch this song. It felt right to come back to the site that I started on and release it to the people that started here with me. Judging by this post, the tour that we’ve been planning, the conversations about new songs and album artwork…I think it’s safe to say we’re back together again. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
“You don’t have to ask me how I’m doing…just listen to the music” – K.Samir
