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Drake’s long-awaited album, “Iceman,” the ninth of his illustrious career, drops Friday, but fans got an apparent sneak peek late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Overnight, an apparent song from the album was leaked on social media, rumored to be titled “1AM in Albany,” a series of songs by Drake storytelling during specific hours in certain cities, beginning with 2009’s “9AM in Dallas.”
The song features some thinly veiled hits from Kendrick Lamar following their feud from 2024 to last year, but fans were surprised by some apparent shots at LeBron James.
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Drake and LeBron James talk after the NBA game between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on March 18, 2022. (Cole Burston/Getty Images)
James and Drake were once very good friends, and James even took the stage during one of Drake’s concerts years ago. However, James began to show some loyalty to Lamar during the famous rap beef that found its way into Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance.
“I shouldn’t even be shocked to see you in that arena because you’ve always made your career out of switching teams,” Drake rapped. James went from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat, back to the Cavs to the Los Angeles Lakers and is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Singer Drake talks with LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers during an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Center in Toronto on November 25, 2015. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
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In a double standard, Drake also implored his fans to “stop asking what’s up with 23 and me. I’m a real n—- and he’s not, it’s in my DNA,” a pun from the website “23andMe.”
Drake and James have linked up numerous times, but if this song is legit and the bars are aimed at James, those times may be long gone.
LeBron James and Drake attend the Drake and LeBron James Pool Party in Toronto for Caribana on August 5, 2017. (Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Remy Martin)
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“Iceman” will be Drake’s first solo album since releasing “For All The Dogs” in October 2023. His first album was “Thank Me Later” back in 2010, and he followed up with classics in 2011’s “Take Care” and “Nothing Was The Same” two years later.
