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Canadian rapper Drake releases surprise mixtape album on iTunes

[tweet https://twitter.com/Drake/status/566085353400852480/]

Canadian rapper Drake has released an unexpected new mixtape album on iTunes, announcing it on Twitter as it went live. The album, entitled If you’re reading this it’s too late, was added to iTunes shortly before midnight ET … 

The album, tagged as hip-hop/rap, has 17 tracks–and it will come as no surprise to anyone that every one of them is flagged as having explicit lyrics. The album includes collaborations with hip-hop artist Travi$ Scott, R&B singer PartyNextDoor and fellow rapper Lil Wayne, as well as the hit song 6 God.

The Washington Post notes that fans had been expecting a free mixtape, and speculates that Drake released If you’re reading this as a paid album to fulfill a contractual commitment to his label, Cash Money Records, in order to allow him to leave the label.

Drake hinted at the release of a new album with a short film this week. If you’re reading this costs $12.99 on iTunes.

Beyoncé took the same unannounced iTunes exclusive back in 2013 with her “visual album.”

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Comments

  1. philboogie - 9 years ago

    I wonder is this album will outsell that visual one from Beyoncé

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      I won’t be buying it. I kind of buy music where actual musicians are playing musical instruments and if there are vocals, that the vocals are people that know how to actually sing.

      Based on the handwriting, it looks like a 2nd grader learning how to write did his album cover art.

      • jaylay14 - 9 years ago

        That’s funny because Drake is actually known for being quite the R&B singer despite his rapping side.. And so what about the album cover? That’s a rather silly remark.

  2. Sumocat (@SumocatS) - 9 years ago

    “…it will come as no surprise to anyone that every one of them is flagged as having explicit lyrics.” — Not counting the clean version that is also for sale.

  3. lellis2k - 9 years ago

    I couldn’t have this album, the omission of the apostrophes would frustrate me.

  4. Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

    This is also on Spotify, so I can ignore it in two places instead of just one.

  5. sircheese69 - 9 years ago

    Another “artist” no one will care about in 5 years….

    • Eric Warrell (@EricWBS) - 9 years ago

      They’ve been caring about him since 2008 and hes only gotten bigger as the years have passed. He’s also one of two (the other being 50 Cent) to simultaneously occupie the top three spots of Billboards Hip-Hop charts.

      • sircheese69 - 9 years ago

        And many people “care” about Justin Bieber too….

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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