Daylight

Album: For All the Dogs (2023)
Charted: 8
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Songfacts®:

  • "Daylight" is a lyrical battleground where Drake weaves themes of power plays and amorous relationships with a swagger that's borderline vengeful. With nods to clingy ex-partners, brutal showdowns, and a nonchalant stance on drama, the track paints a picture of Drake's cool, unbothered confidence in the face of all kinds of heat and rivalry.
  • My doggy got booked for actin' like Book
    He shot him in... (What?)
    Shot him in daylight


    Drake mentions his "doggy" (a friend who carries out his requests) landing in jail for a shooting incident, drawing a parallel with Devin Booker, the famed NBA player known for his precise shots. The chorus, "He shot in him daylight," likely alludes to the tragic killing of XXXTENTACION on the afternoon of June 18, 2018.

    For those not in the know, Drake and XXXTENTACION had a long-standing feud before the young artist's untimely passing. It ignited when Drake borrowed the rhythmic pattern and heavy 808 bass sound from XXXTENTACION's "Look At Me!" for his More Life track "KMT."

    Later, Drake confronts the rumors regarding his alleged connection to XXXTENTACION's murder.

    I wasn't there when they caught the body
    TPS think that I bought the body
    Internet swear that I bought the body
    Take more than that to go pop somebody


    Drizzy proclaims his innocence but admits to being subject to an inquiry by the TPS (Toronto Police Services) regarding his potential involvement.
  • The track kicks off with a classic monologue from the iconic character Tony Montana (Al Pacino) in the 1983 crime drama Scarface. Before Drake dropped For All the Dogs, he teased a collaboration with Nicki Minaj for the album. The collaboration didn't materialize but perhaps the clip is intended as a consolation, as Minaj also referenced the same Scarface speech in the bridge of her "Chun-Li."
  • Drake's son, Adonis Graham, makes his recording debut on the outro. The 5-year-old's voice is like a drop of pure innocence in the middle of all the street chaos. It's a peek behind the curtain, showing Drake's personal side amid the toughness he portrays on this track.

    Adonis also drew the For All The Dogs album cover and appears in the "8AM In Charlotte" music video.
  • Southside created the heavy-hitting instrumental along with Smatt Sertified. Atlanta producer Southside's other productions for Drake include "Grammys," "D4L Freestyle," and his collaborations with Future, "Digital Dash" and "Jersey."

    Smatt Sertified is a producer from Jamaica, Queens, who came under the wing of Southside and joined his production and songwriting team 808 Mafia in 2021.

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