For Free

Album: Major Key (2016)
Charted: 25 13
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Songfacts®:

  • The lead single from Major Key, this also serves as the first release under DJ Khaled's joint venture between Epic Records and his own imprint, We the Best Music Group.
  • The track features two verses and a hook sung by Drake. He praises the lovely women who have given him sex, which is so good that he wonders if it shouldn't be for free. It is the fifth time DJ Khaled and Drake have worked together, following "Fed Up," "I'm On One," "No New Friends" and "Summer Sixteen."
  • The song shares its title with the Kendrick Lamar cut "For Free?." Drake references a line from the To Pimp A Butterfly track when he sings, "And like your boy from Compton said, you know this d--k ain't free?"
  • The track starts with a direct sample taken from 1990's hip-hop artist Akinyele's tune, "F--k Me For Free." Drake then spits a flow similar to Too $hort's "Blow the Whistle."
  • The smooth instrumental backdrop was supplied by the OVO team of Nineteen85, the dude behind "Hotline Bling" and "One Dance," and Jordan Ullman of Majid Jordan.
  • Drake starts his verse by interpolating Too $hort's opening bars on "Blow The Whistle." He raps:

    I go on and on
    Can't understand how I lasted so long
    I must have the superpowers
    Last 223,000 hours


    Too $hort told Genius that he's honored Drizzy saluted his rhymes on the song. "I don't see it as any different than when I'm in the studio with my producers trying to catch a vibe off of a Motown song or George Clinton. It's the music that you grew up on," he said. "It's basically saying 'F--k me for free,' but if you check the catalog, I also have a song called 'Don't F--k For Free.'"

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