Drake began teasing his ninth album in August 2024, which was rumored to be titled Iceman, by releasing the EP 100 Gigs (2024) and cryptic messages on his social media accounts. This was followed by OVO artist Smiley claiming Drake was doing "hard work" for the album in a June 2025 interview discussing the release of their collaboration "2 Mazza". [2]
On July 4, nearly five months after the release of his collaborative studio album Some Sexy Songs 4 U with PartyNextDoor, Drake began teasing solo material: the single "What Did I Miss?" was released a day later, following a livestream titled "Iceman: Episode 1". On the livestream, Drake drives an Iceman-branded truck around Toronto, drawing a crowd of fans, [3] and eventually arrives to an Iceman-branded warehouse, where he eats food and watches old videos of himself. It then transitions to a performance of the song. [4]
Another song from the album, rumored to be titled "Supermax", was also previewed during the livestream. On the song, Drake mentions reporter Taylor Rooks, rapping, "Losin' all these friends really got to me/ I was talking to Taylor over drinks, and it was getting deep/ 'Not everyone can handle this pressure and, in thе city, you're the national treasurе', that's what she said to me". According to Michael Saponara of Billboard , this depicts Drake "looking inward and vulnerably [opening] up about fractured relationships and keeping his focus." [1] Possible collaborations with British-American rapper 21 Savage and American rapper Playboi Carti were also previewed during the livestream: 21 Savage previously collaborated with Drake on numerous songs and a joint-album in 2022, while Carti previously collaborated with Drake on 2020's "Pain 1993" and 2024's "No Face", however he was ultimately removed from the latter upon its streaming release. DJ Swamp Izzo, who provided ad-libs on Carti's 2025 album Music, also previewed the collaboration on social media.
A second livestream, titled "Iceman: Episode 2", aired on July 24. [5] Three tracks were previewed during the livestream: "Which One" with British rapper Central Cee, which had been previewed at Drake's Wireless Festival set and during the first livestream, in addition to two untitled songs that are expected to feature on the album. "Which One" was released as a single a day later, marking Drake's second collaboration with Central Cee following 2023's "On the Radar Freestyle". [6] The second episode depicted Drake being chased by Pinocchio throughout Manchester until he eventually escapes into Manchester Piccadilly station. The livestream concluded with a graphic that read "COMING SOON", with Pinocchio's head in place of the letter "I". [7] According to Srosh Khan of the BBC, the character's presence in the livestream was interpreted to represent the "lies" following Drake around in the aftermath of his feud with Lamar. [8]
Drake brought Gordo to work on the album's production by August 2025, [9] and, in the same month, a possible U.S. tour for the album was teased on social media. [10]
A third livestream, "Iceman: Episode 3", aired on September 4. [11] Following the livestream, "Somebody Loves Me Pt. 2" was released as a single. The track is a remix of "Somebody Loves Me" from Some Sexy Songs 4 U and features American rapper Cash Cobain.
Themes
In "What Did I Miss?", Drake addresses the aftermath of his feud with Kendrick Lamar, calling out those who attempted to "play both sides" rather than support him. The song includes direct references to Lamar's Pop Out concert in 2024, among other nods to their conflict. [12] The song features Drake's blend of "slick melodies and razor-sharp raps", as he addresses people he believes betrayed him and questions the authenticity of past friendships by rapping, "I saw bro went to Pop Out with them, but been dick riding gang since 'Headlines'". This lyric was interpreted to be a reference to NBA players DeMar DeRozan and LeBron James. [13]
"Which One" features an Afrobeat and dancehall inspired instrumental, [14] with Paul Bryson of HotNewHipHop stating its "pulsating" beat carries a "subdued menace". [15] Narratively, it depicts Drake and Central Cee addressing respective love interests, with Drake noting how she stands out from her friends ("You're not like the tings you're around / You're a real good girl") and enemies ("Fuck anyone that's bringing you down / Sweetheart, you're doing your thing right now") and Central Cee noting her physical appearance and sexuality. [16] Bryson also noted that the song's lack of a prominent chorus and its structure as a back-and-forth exchange enabled both artists to share differing perspectives to their love interests, with distinct styles. [17]
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