Smiley has been quiet for the past few years, but he’s back. The OVO rapper confirmed that he will be bringing fans new music in 2025, including a collaboration with his label boss Drake. Smiley recently went live to promote his upcoming album. Crucially, he confirmed to fans that he would be collaborating with 6 God for the first time since their 2021 single Over the Top. Yes, before you ask, the OVO signees have confirmed that their new song will be a “slapper.”
“Drake too, we have a new beater coming out,” Smiley explained to fans. He assured those watching the live broadcast that the collaborative song will be released as the lead single. This will also be included on his upcoming album. Smiley and Drake don’t have a lot of music in their history. However, the two have remained close over the years. Drizzy gave a shout out to Smiley during a 2023 interview with Bobbi Althoff. The cry went viral, and Smiley discussed it in a BET interview. “[Drake] Kill me,” he told the media. “This is a good one I got. Just two days before this, I went [Toronto Chinese Restaurant] Kang Sheng and I had General Tso’s Chicken.
Smiley also wants to collaborate with Cardi B
Smiley also praised Drake for his impersonation. “This guy is very accurate. [with his impression of me]he added. “He’s never seen me order this or knew I ordered this. Life, this is my only big dog,” the rapper said. “Drake has been my big dog ever since. He was teasing me and we both tried [meet each other] Then I saw his lifestyle and the lifestyle of a rapper, and it became more attractive to me.
Smiley may have landed a second collaboration with Drake, but he wants to work with another superstar rapper. He told the photographer that his dream collaboration would be Cardi B. “I need to make a Cardi B song. But, Cardi B is another artist who’s taken a long time to release new music. She’s one of the few artists who’s taken longer than Smiley to release a new album.
About the author
Elias Andrews is the music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as chief night writer, which means he covers new releases every week. In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest, most tumultuous stories in music. He’s been covering Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s battle on the fly, especially with the release of topics like “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams.” He also detailed a list of ongoing allegations and criminal charges against Diddy. Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He likes L.A. hip-hop, but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he bought was Will Smith’s “Big Willie Style,” which he thinks still sounds great.
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