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Drake · S4 E2
The Weeknd
A mysterious voice from Scarborough. Drake discovers Abel Tesfaye and introduces him to the world
Late 2010. Three songs appear on YouTube from a faceless account called "xoxxxoooxo." Within weeks, every music blog in Toronto is treating the links like contraband.
The Weeknd performing "Belong to the World" from Kiss Land (2013). Two years after Drake pulled him out of anonymity, Abel released his debut studio album. This track samples Portishead's "Machine Gun" and sounds nothing like Take Care. The kid from Scarborough did not borrow Drake's world. He built his own.
The Ride (2011)
The deeper, quieter Drake and Weeknd collaboration that most fans skip past. Abel co-wrote the track and his influence lives in every note: the atmosphere, the restraint, the feeling of driving through a city at 4 AM with nothing resolved. Where "Crew Love" is the obvious showcase, "The Ride" is where you hear Drake and Abel blending most naturally.
TAP TO REVEAL: Who is the voice behind "xoxxxoooxo"?
Oliver Makes the Call
Drake goes to Oliver El-Khatib, his manager and OVO co-founder. Oliver has connections deep enough to find a ghost in Toronto. By mid-2011, Abel is in the studio with Drake and 40, and the album that becomes Take Care starts taking shape around his voice.
House of Balloons: The File
The Ride
From Take Care (2011). Abel co-wrote and sang on this track, and his fingerprints are everywhere: the nocturnal atmosphere, the restraint, the feeling of a city at 4 AM. While "Crew Love" gets all the attention, "The Ride" is where Drake and The Weeknd truly merge.
The Ride, Drake (2011)
Read the lyrics while you listen. Abel co-wrote and sang on this track, and his fingerprints are everywhere: the nocturnal atmosphere, the restraint, the feeling of a city at 4 AM with nothing resolved.
What was The Weeknd's YouTube username before House of Balloons?
Abel gives Drake a sound. Now Drake needs a song to make it personal. Next: a bottle of liquor, a phone he should not have picked up, and the voicemail that becomes the most talked-about song of 2011.
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