Toronto rapper Smiley is about to get a lot more recognition after becoming the latest signing to Drake’s OVO Sound label.
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The 24-year-old signaled his next chapter by dropping a new single called “Over the Top” on Friday (July 23), which features a brand new verse from Drake. Not only that, but Drizzy also handles the chorus on the Tay Keith-produced track.
“Anyone else would retire, but I’m not content,” Drake raps. “I wanna bury these n-ggas like twenty feet down so no one can find them again/It’s gotta be scary to witness me carry these n-ggas around in both of my hands/They stay inviting me over, they say they got bitches/I get there and then it’s just them.”
“Over the Top” was released through OVO Sound/Warner Records, with Smiley also appearing on the artist page on the label’s website. He joins a roster that includes PARTYNEXTDOOR, dvsn, Majid Jordan, Roy Woods, Popcaan and Baka Not Nice.
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Drake posted about the song on Instagram with the caption, “Buy or bye we really live this @thareal_smiley.”
During a May interview with Complex, Smiley explained how his relationship with Drake began around seven years ago.
“So like, he heard my songs from when I had my first wave,” he explained. “A long time ago, it was 2014 or something like that. He heard those songs and I guess he paid close attention. And then when I took a break and I came back, I dropped this one song called ‘Hit’ with my other guys on the song. That was the first time I’d ever seen that Drake knew who I was or anything; one of his boys posted my song, and he commented under it and said, ‘Smiley = G.O.A.T.’ And then that’s when I was like, ‘Oh fuck, this guy knows who I am and shit.’ So then, probably a couple of days later, he follow me on Insta.”
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He continued, “Probably a couple months later I got sentenced for a gun charge and stuff. And then while I was in jail, he messaged my Instagram account and just gave me a long message saying he fucks with the movement, he likes my music and stuff. And then a couple weeks later while I was still in jail he dropped the Scorpion album. The day after he dropped it, he wrote his inspirations for the album and he put my album Buy. or. Bye on there. And then from there, we just built our relationship.”
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In April, Drake took to his Instagram Stories to share a video of himsellf in the gym with Smiley, who he took a moment to hype up.
“You can’t even call this guy Bob no more, this is Bobby Valentino right there, you know what I’m saying?” he joked. “Young Bobby Valentino in the cut. Slim Smiley, we’re here getting the work in.”
