Drake drops new songs 'When to Say When' and 'Chicago Freestyle', pays tribute to Jay-Z and Eminem
Canadian rapper, singer-songwriter Drake has surprised fans with two new solo songs 'When to Say When' and 'Chicago Freestyle', combining them in a single music video, which he released on March 1. In the Theo Skudra-directed 'When to Say When' music video, Drake takes viewers through Brooklyn streets in a cold and somewhat comforting borough.
Drake brings up how his fans question his wealth saying, "People wanna know what's in my pockets, they don't understand" and how he reflects on both his support and backlash for his career, but 'When to Say When' covers many topics in its own right. Drake makes one of his motives clear, bringing up his son Adonis Graham, with lyrics, "I decide what to see next like it's on demand. I decide what to be next like I'm switchin' plans. I'ma tell you what you feel next like the weatherman. I will split heads and break necks for my little man".
The second half of the video, 'Chicago Freestyle', reveals the rapper's Toronto mansion dubbed "The Embassy". Both songs pay tribute to fellow rappers Jay-Z and Eminem. 'When to Say When' features a sample of Jay-Z's 'Song Cry' and Drake visits the rapper's stomping ground Marcy Projects in the video. A verse from Eminem's track 'Superman' from the rapper's 2002 LP 'The Eminem Show' is used in 'Chicago Freestyle' which speaks of a similar subject matter to the fellow rapper.
Both songs are abridged in the four-minute music video, but the full-length songs can be found on Soundcloud and they mark Drake's first solo songs of this year.
According to NME, Drake revealed he'd release a new album in 2020, but it is not clear whether the two new tracks 'When to Say When' and 'Chicago Freestyle' will be featured on it or whether they are only one-off singles.