Behind Barz

Album: Top Boy (A Selection of Music Inspired by the Series) (2018)
Charted: 49 75
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Drake dropped this freestyle on July 7, 2018 while in London. He performed the tune on the British rap platform Link Up TV during which he made a number of allusions to UK culture. They include:

    Referencing an affluent area of London ("we got ties in West End too").

    Using the name of a traditional English drink in a reference to a piece of sensitive information he knows about ("Got all the tea and I'm hottin' it up. I need a shade mansion, a room's not enough.").

    Shouting out UK grime rapper Giggs, who appeared on the More Life tracks "KMT" and "No Long Talk."
  • Drake criticizes in the second verse those rappers (Kanye, cough) who appear to be more focused on fashion than music.

    They wanna link when they got no chunes
    They too worried about sellin' out shoes
    I don't give a f--- about jeans or crep
    Or going to Milan or going to the Met


    Some have interpreted this as a jab at Kanye West's Yeezy line. Though the Chicago rapper wasn't present at the 2018 Met Gala, he was spotted in Milan in late 2017.
  • The freestyle was included on the soundtrack to season three of the Drake executive-produced Top Boy. A big fan of the London crime drama, Drake played an integral role in reviving Top Boy six years after the previous series and securing a Netflix deal for the show.

Comments: 1

  • Kelvin from Lagos,nigeriaTrying to understand it is hard
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.