How Drake’s “Hotline Bling” Became His Peak Emo Ballad

Drake has always been a magnet for attention. His strange journey has taken him from teen fame on Degrassi to blockbuster rap stardom. In 2024, his beef with Kendrick Lamar has blown up into one of the all-time biggest hip-hop beefs. They went from zero to 100 real quick, sending deadly insults and accusations back and forth. Yet he’s also still Drake, the pop icon and the certified loverboy who sings emo ballads like the 2015 classic “Hotline Bling.”

When “Hotline Bling” dropped, it felt like a victory lap—after a year of hip-hop flexes, he felt confident enough to sing his most vulnerable soul ballad, pining over an ex who’s doing fine without him. Obviously, in 2024 Drake is in a totally different place. He hasn’t been in his feelings over his exes’ vacation photos lately. Instead, he’s caught up in a rap beef of historic proportions.

On this week’s episode hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss Drake’s career, “Hotline Bling,” and the Kendrick beef. They’re joined by their brilliant colleague Jeff Ihaza to talk about “Hotline Bling” and its place in the Drake story. Jeff also helps us break down the context of Drake’s hip-hop status in 2015, and how that influenced how the world heard “Hotline Bling.

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