The songwriting process in rap can sometimes be hard to follow. With the use of sampling, and the genre's increasingly collaborative production methods, breaking down the construction of songs can become convoluted. Unless you're in the studio, a close reading of the liner notes is the most accurate representation of what went into the music presented on record.
We've gone through the NWTS credits to give you a better understanding of who was involved in the songs, as well as the samples incorporated in them. You may be surprised with how much you can learn.
cover
tuscan leather
Tuscan Leather finds 40 flipping a Whitney Houston sample 3 different ways, and also contains an excerpt of a recorded live performance from Curtis Mayfield. On top of name-dropping Cappadonna, Drake had the unofficial Wu-Tang member call in to record an ad-lib for the track.
Sample begins at 4:01
Sample begins at 57:23
Detail had said in an early interview that the track was going to be 12 minutes long. When the final product arrived, it was only half the length, but rumor has it we'll hear the second half soon.
pound cake
Pound Cake contains 2 samples and one interpolation. It borrows a monologue from legendary jazz musician Jimmy Smith for it's intro, incorporates the haunting vocals from Ellie Goulding's "Don't Say A Word," and contains a recreation of The Wu-Tang's "C.R.E.A.M." hook, as performed by Timbaland.
Boi-1da produces the first half, while Detail does the "Paris Morton Music" outro.
Sample at 0:24
Sample at 0:00
Interpolation from 0:21
wu tang
Wu-Tang Forever's more obvious sample is a Wu-Tang track from their album of the same name, "It's Yourz". While the vocal from said track is present throughout, the more important sample comes from Jeremy Rose, otherwise known as Zodiac.
This sample is notable as Rose was involved in a controversy regarding his work with The Weeknd about a year ago, in which he claimed that he was responsible for creating the persona and sound of the project, and felt he was not properly credited for his production work on "What You Need," Loft Music," and "The Morning (Original Version)".
Sample begins at 0:27
Sample begins at 0:44
started
Started From The Bottom's intro is made up of a few chopped up excerpts from an ambient piano piece.
Cut up from 0:45, 0:47, 0:55, 1:00
too much
While it seems as though Too Much features Sampha, it is actually a sample of an unreleased song of the same name from the singer, rather than a live take. Sampha also produced "The Motion," and is best known for his work with UK electronic act SBTRKT, who Drake has also collaborated with.
Drake has been known to take notes from regional rap, and the influences can be seen in his flow throughout NWTS. Along with the obvious reappropriation of Migos' "Versace" flow on "The Language," Drizzy pulls from rising Chicago rappers Lil Herb and Lil Bibby, who he has been vocal in his appreciation of. Some of the flows used on "Too Much" bear the influence of the duo.
MOB I don't love a ho I'mma be this way till I'm 46 - Lil Herb
drake
All Me begins with an intro from Aziz Ansari's "Randy" character, before breaking into a sample of Abby Lincoln's "My Man," which is pitched down and cut to unrecognizable results. The most interesting sample was actually axed from the official version of the album, which we can assume to be due to clearance issues. Drizzy's final verse was underscored by a sample of the Toronto anthem, "Ol' Time Killin'" by Kardinal Offishall and Jully Black. The song may be relatively unknown to many, but is a staple in Drake's hometown.
RAAAAAAAANDY:
Sample begins at 0:19
Ol' Time Killin'
Honorable Mention
One name that consistently shows up in the liner notes in A. Palman. This name was also a mainstay on the Take Care credits, and since he's not mentioned amongst the production or samples, it is safe to assume that he helped with either the lyrics or melodies on the project.
It's been suggested and generally agreed upon that A. Palman is Drake's close friend Hush. Drizzy has spoken of how Hush is somewhat of a rap guru that he goes to with ideas. Read an excerpt of what Drake had to say about Hush below.
"Probably the most important person in the equation is Hush, who is a friend of mine who grew up rapping in Toronto and he’s present every night. If anyone knows what I’m capable of, it’s Hush. We love rap the same way and we have the same exact ear. So I know he’s hearing what I’m hearing. I never take criticism personally from anyone. I love feedback, but especially when it comes to Hush. He understands rap probably better than anyone else I mentioned. And he’s a close friend of mine."
It's impossible to know how much Hush actually contributed to the lyrics of each song-- whether it was just ideas, a line or two, or a big chunk of the verses --but his contribution is not to be overlooked, as he has songwriting credits on the following tracks:
Tuscan Leather
Furthest Thing
Wu-Tang Forever
Own It
Worst Behaviour
Connect
The Language
Pound Cake
Come Thru
All Me