Drake's new highly anticipated album Certified Lover Boy dropped on September 3, and here's every reference to Toronto we could spot.
Drake has been promoting his album all over Yonge and Dundas Square this past week with lyrics appearing on billboards, so it's no surprise that he paid major respect to the city with some subtle and not-so-subtle shoutouts for his hometown.
Bridle Path, Vito Rizzuto & Justin Trudeau
On the Track "7 AM On Bridle Path" Drake shouts out the North York neighbourhood, home to his $6.7 million home in Bridle Path in the track's title (which Kanye West recently leaked the address to amid their ongoing feud).
In the lyrics, Drake shouts out infamous Canadian mobster Vito Rizzuto, singing, "I made north of the border like Vito Rizzuto," who has been connected to Ontario and Montreal.
According to Maclean's, the notorious Rizzuto was known for fleeing to the Caribbean during Canada's harsh winters. So, it's possible Drake was referencing his migrating patterns when saying, "I made north of the border like Vito Rizzuto."
Later in the song, he also possibly shouts out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with the playful line "You tell 'em I run the country, they'll say, 'True, though,"' which if you say "true though" out loud it sounds an awful lot like the leader of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
COVID-19 Lockdowns
In the song "Papi's Home," Drake references Toronto coming out of COVID-19 lockdown — which the city was under for a good portion of the last year saying, "City coming off of lockdown."
While he doesn't mention Toronto by name, the allusion to COVID-19 lockdowns and the fact that Drake loves his hometown leads us to believe he may be talking about Ontario opening up in step three this past summer.
Toronto Comunity Housing
In "Way 2 Sexy," Drake's seventh track, he says, "I'ma f*ck her friends and send her back to Metro housing,'" potentially referencing Toronto Community Housing, which fused with Metropolitan Toronto Housing Corporation in 2002.
Degrassi & his mama
Certified Lover Boy's last track, "The Remorse," takes Drake fans all the way back to his Degrassi days when he was a young actor on the Canadian teen drama TV series.
The line "Look, me and Lil Sandra bagging CDs in the bubble wrap People recognize me from the TV but I'm done with that" references how Drake's career started from the bottom on TV and shouted out his mom Sandi Graham.
Kawhi Leonard
Finally, perhaps the most loaded and fanboy mention on Drakes's album is his shout to former Toronto Raptor Kawhi Leonard.
On "The Remorse," he says, "Can't picture bein' a hubby, finger too stubby to fit a ring on Unless Kawhi wanna run it back," Drake seems to rebuke the idea of getting married while leaving the door open for Kawhi to secure him another championship ring.
Drake is a major supporter of the Toronto Raptors and even made himself a custom championship ring in 2019 after the Raptors won the NBA championship.
Leonard was a vital player on the team in 2019 and well-beloved by the city but unfortunately left the Raptors for the Los Angeles Clippers.
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