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Drake performs during Wicked (Spelhouse Homecoming Concert) Featuring 21 Savage at Forbes Arena at Morehouse College
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Key Takeaways:
- Drake says fans are underestimating the complexity and creative intent behind his ‘Iceman’ livestreams.
- Matte Babel revealed that each episode involves massive production, with over 100 crew and multiple locations.
- Drake’s approach signals a shift in how artists use livestreams to tell immersive, album-connected stories.
People underestimate how much work goes into Drake’s Iceman livestreams, at least in his opinion. On Tuesday (Nov. 18), the Canadian rapper and longtime collaborator Matte Babel broke down everything behind the broadcasts leading up to his ninth studio album, which is slated to arrive soon.
Since debuting the first installment in July, fans have had mixed opinions, particularly around how long the livestreams run and the overall purpose behind them. “I think the biggest misconception is how simple people think this is,” Drake told Complex. “When you try to do something new or different, people can be overly critical before really understanding what it takes.”
He added, “The goal with this project was to be creative and innovative — to experiment in a way that might spark others to think differently about how music can be released or experienced.” Babel later emphasized that there are “so many moving parts” involved in making each livestream happen.
Speaking on the third broadcast, which premiered “DOG HOUSE” in September, Babel explained that it required “20 cameras, over 100 crew, [and] over 10 locations” to pull off. Although there’s understandably a “certain level of forgiveness” with livestreaming, Drake is obviously one of the biggest artists in the world, so the pressure to deliver is high.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Drake addressed people making “two, three-hour videos on their thoughts and building conspiracies” after watching the livestreams. “It’s crazy,” he said, revealing that the pacing was partly inspired by murder docs: “You start to try and solve things before you even know where it’s headed or what the answers are.”
Luckily for fans who’ve enjoyed the Iceman streams, the “Hotline Bling” artist confirmed there’s at least one more coming. “The finale will be our best work,” he promised.
Iceman will be Drake’s first solo album since 2023’s For All The Dogs. In the interim, he’s gone head-to-head with Kendrick Lamar and, just this past February, dropped $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR.
