Drake is showing some new Canadian cities some love – at least lyrically.
The rapper and singer often references his hometown, the Greater Toronto Area, in his songs, albums and merchandise. He also helped popularize “The 6ix” as a nickname for Toronto.
Drake’s latest track, however, references a city a little further south on Highway 401.
The song, titled “2 Mazza,” is by Toronto rapper Smiley and features Drake. “2 Mazza” means “too crazy” in Toronto slang.
The lyric goes: “Yeah, lil’ Waterloo road trip, shorty see me and said, ‘Oh shit, girl, that’s Mr. 2 Mazza.”
“Too crazy” may also described the reaction of Dorothy McCabe, mayor for the City of Waterloo.
“Well, you know, ABBA did it first,” she joked, referencing the Swedish group’s song “Waterloo,” which was not about the Ontario city. “Now that Drake is picking it up, I think it’s really catching on.”
The city would welcome the rapper with open arms.
“Drake, I’d be happy to give him a tour of our city, or even on the LRT,” McCabe said. “If Drake and his family want to come, I’d be happy to give them a tour of our neighbourhoods.”
The mayor also touted Waterloo’s upcoming events.
“We have a phenomenal summer lineup and a year-long lineup of festivals and events,” she teased.
“Drake-toberfest” is also an option, but getting the music megastar to don lederhosen for the Bavarian-inspired festival could take some convincing.
Alexandra Boutros taught a course called ‘Hip Hop Publics’ at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, which focused on Drake and hip hop music in Canada.
The associate professor said, to date, she has taught the class five or six times.
“I keep wondering if that’ll be the last time I teach it,” Boutros told CTV News. “Then something else happens that makes me think I should reprise the course.”
Three other Ontario cities – Barrie, Muskoka and Brampton – also got shoutouts in “2 Mazza.”
“I think this is some sort of return to celebrating Canadian-ness,” said Boutros.
Drake’s new track comes amid his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar, and the American rapper’s recent Toronto concert where he received a two minute ovation following his Drake diss track “Not Like Us.”
Boutros thinks this is a perfect time for Drake to reclaim his roots and fans.
“I think all of this is part of a larger move by Drake to recapture and retool his reputation, and particularly his reputation in relation to Canada,” she explained. “Drake is appealing to an audience who is already familiar with those locales and is shouting them out in a particular way that that resonates with that audience.”
Then there’s the rapper’s recent spat with the former leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
In a social media message, Drake called Jagmeet Singh a “goof” for attending the Kendrick Lamar concert.
“For a politician who very recently ran to be prime minister of our country, to be called out by Drake, using Canadian and Toronto specific language like ‘goof,’ and to have that made public and have Singh himself respond in the form of an apology is a very interesting moment,” Boutros said. “We don’t usually see politicians apologizing to celebrities for attending another celebrity event.”
