It's been made very clear over the years that there's little Drake holds closer to his heart than his devotion to his city. From the rapper's role as the Raptors' official Global Ambassador to the numerous hometown references inked on his frame, the Grammy-winner's appreciation for "the 6" knows no bounds.
And, in a move that's become par for the course since 2011's Take Care, Drake's latest studio release If You're Reading This It's Too Late features several Toronto shout outs peppered throughout, including a few easy-to-miss references likely unfamiliar to the city's non-natives.
Going backwards from present-to-past, here are 11 of Drake's favourite GTA locales as told by, well, Drake lyrics.
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late:
1. "Energy": I got real ones livin' past Kennedy Road/I got real ones with me everywhere that I go
Kennedy Road is a street in Scarborough, ON. The borough is home to several OVO crew members, and Drake is known to frequent Habibiz hookah restaurant (fittingly on Kennedy Road) during his trips home.
2. "Know Yourself": This that Oliver, 40, Niko shit, man/ 15 Fort York shit, you know
15 Fort York Blvd is an apartment complex in downtown Toronto where Drake briefly lived with his right-hand man, producer Noah '40' Shebib.
3. "Used To": I'll tell 'em link up the valet at the Hazy
The "Hazy" refers to the five-star Hazelton Hotel located in the heart of Yorkville.
4. "You & the 6": Do you remember back to Weston Road, Scarlett Road?
Before Drake and his mother relocated to their Forest Hill address, the two lived in the city's hard-up West End area on Weston Road.
5. "Jungle": She from the Jungle/ I take somebody else's car, drive there undercover
The Jungle is the nickname for Toronto's Lawrence Heights area known for their high crime rate.
Nothing Was the Same
6. "Tuscan Leather": This for shorty up on Glengrove who love when I catch my tempo
Glengrove Avenue is a street in Toronto's York region just a 10 minute drive from Forest Hill.
7. "Worst Behavior": This ain't the son you raised who used to take the Acura/ At 5 am to go and shoot Degrassi up on Morningside
Morningside Avenue is located in Scarborough's east end and is home to Centennial College's Story Arts Centre where Degrassi High was filmed between 1989-1991.
8. "Connect": I take Eglinton to 401 east/ And exit at Markham Road in the east end
Drake's preferred route from Forest Hill to Scarborough.
9. "Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2": After hours at Il Mulino or Sotto Sotto/ Just talkin' women and vino
Il Mulino and Sotto Sotto are both award-winning Italian restaurants in Toronto. Though Sotto Sotto suffered a devastating fire last December, it reopened at a new location on Avenue Road in February.
Take Care
10. "The Ride" I haven't been inside Terminal 1 and 3 in so long/ I'm driving right up to it now, make sure you got your coat on
Drake raps about one of the country's largest airports, the Toronto Pearson International.
11. "The Ride" Apartment 1503, some couches and paintings/ When you record with two others that want the same things
Drake lived with producer Noah '40' Shebib in apartment 1503 of 15 York Blvd where they wrote and recorded the mixtape So Far Gone in just six hours.
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