Drake knows how to dominate a news cycle. He may not be as beloved as he once was, but anything he does is guaranteed to spark conversation. Outlets are still debating whether his "Fighting Irish" freestyle was hard or a weak attempt to diss LeBron James. It's difficult to determine if Drake has a master plan for these unpredictable leaks, or if he's merely scrambling in the wake of the Kendrick Lamar battle. He decided to address this confusion via social media on Tuesday, January 7.
The 6 God took to Instagram to post multiple photos of himself in the studio. Drake is rocking a knitted bucket hat in the photos, one of which features his infamous duck face. The rapper also debuted new painted nails, which are brandished with white dollar signs. Then, in a seeming attempt to address the wave of leaks and confusion surrounding his next project, Drake added a brief caption. "I thought this through...," he wrote. He doesn't clarify, but these ominous words do appear to be in reference to what comes next. He wants fans to know, or at least give the impression, that he has a game plan for 2025.
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Drake Told Fans He's "Thought It Through"
The dollar sign nails are worth doubling back on. Drake has used a dollar sign logo multiple times over the last few months. Each time has been in reference to his joint album with PARTYNEXTDOOR. The R&B veteran took to IG in November to confirm a new musical chapter is on its way. He wrote "reloading," and Drake responded in the comments. "$$$ It's time," he wrote back, stoking the excitement for the collab album. The specificity of it being three dollar signs cannot be a coincidence. Drake is showing fans that he's in the studio, and he's subtly confirming that the sessions are tied to the PND album.
Drake's decision to tease new music makes sense, given the drama that broke out hours prior. The rapper was the victim of a leaked DM in which his allegedly referenced LeBron James cheating rumors. DJ Akademiks quickly shot down the validity of the DM, however. He spoke on Drake's behalf, and said that Chris Blake Griffith made up the Instagram interaction. "Drake called buddy a Rat," Ak tweeted. "He got mad and made up some fake DM to try to make the blogs and go viral. end of story."