Drake’s Producer Explains The R. Kelly Credit

Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy was released on Sept. 3, and according to Billboard holds the title for the most-streamed LP on Apple Music in a single day this year. However, there is one songwriting credit that has some people scratching their heads — R. Kelly.

The disgraced singer, who is currently on trial for sexually was credited on the song “TSU,” which borrows the intro from his 1998 track “Half on a Baby.”

After writer and trans activist Ravyn Wngz shared a story on Instagram about R. Kelly being credited on the Drake song, Noah “40” Shebib, producer and engineer for the Toronto rapper, responded in the comments of the post. 

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He wrote, “On a song called tsu at the beginning is a sample of OG Ron c talking. Behind that faintly which you can’t even hear is an r Kelly song playing in the background. It has no significance no lyrics are present, r Kelly’s voice isn’t even present but if we wanted to use Ron c talking we were forced to license it.”

40 continued, “Doesn’t sit well with me let me just say that. And I’m not here to defend drakes lyrics, but I thought I would clear up that there is no actual r Kelly present and it’s a bit misleading to call him a co lyricist. It’s kinda wild cause I was just reading ‘Baby Girl’ by Kathy Iandoli and the recounts of some of that stuff is horrific and disgusting. Then I saw this post and just had to say something because to think we would stand beside that guy or write with him is just incredibly disgusting.”

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