OVO 40 has been in Drake's corner since day one. He codified the rapper's signature sound on So Far Gone, and has since become known as the architect of what's been dubbed the "Toronto Sound." There is no 2010s without 40. This venerated status is partially why the producer feels so protective of Drake. More protective than fans would expect, if recent allegations are to be believed. DJ Cipha Sounds said that 40 threatened him with violence due to his connection to the song "Not Like Us."
DJ Cipha Sounds went on the Juan Epstein podcast and recounted the run-in he had with OVO 40. He claimed that the producer cornered him after clips of him performing stand-up comedy were set to the song "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar. Cipha Sounds claimed that the song selection was not his choice, but it didn't make a difference to 40. "How about I go to your city and play a song where someone calls you a ped*phile," OVO 40 allegedly told the DJ. "It's on sight, when I see you, I'm gonna smack you in the mouth." Cipha Sounds was completely taken aback by the interaction. The thing that bothered him the most, however, was the statement OVO 40 made afterwards.
OVO 40 Allegedly Told The DJ "It's On Sight"
"He goes, 'I know you never liked us,'" Cipha Sounds recounts. The DJ took particular umbrage with this claim. "How, why?" he responded. "I'm only, only supportive and play everything you put out. What are you talking about." OVO 40's frustration is not surprising, given the producer's passion for Toronto and the OVO legacy as a whole. He appeared in a 2022 documentary titled Toronto Rising, in which detailed his desire to leave an impact on the city. It's a desire that's allowed him to combat the complications of an MS diagnosis and oversee some of the most impactful albums of his generations.
"As long as I had like one finger that still worked, no matter what the world took from me," OVO 40 said in the documentary. "I could play the keyboard and I could make music. All the things in my life just kind of pointed me in one direction. I’m here to play my part and to leave my impact." 40's concern regarding Drake also makes sense. The "Family Matters" rapper has been forced to deal with some dangerous situations since his battle with Kendrick Lamar. There was a shooting outside of the rapper's Toronto mansion that injured a bodyguard, as well as numerous trespassers.
