It’s high time for another installment of ‘What the Kids are Listening To,’ an occasional series in which I feature the songs currently topping Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
The current #1 is an unlikely title holder, and a song I featured on the blog just last week. Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America,’ propelled by its provocative video, earned the singer/actor his first whiff of the top ten, let alone the top spot. Previously, Gambino’s highest charter was ‘Redbone,’ which peaked at #12.
Moving into second place this week is Drake with ‘Nice for What,’ a single from his upcoming album Scorpion. This song debuted at #1 four weeks ago and stayed there until it was dethroned by ‘This is America.’ Billboard stats are about as byzantine as sports stats, but here’s a pretty cool one: Drake is the first artist to have a #1 debut replace his previous #1 debut. We’ll get to the previous one tomorrow, but clearly we are living in Peak Drake.
‘Nice for What’ samples (and speeds up) Lauryn Hill’s hit ‘Ex-Factor’ and its video is a celebration of women. Directed by Karena Evans, it features a laundry list of hip female performers, from Black Panther‘s Letitia Wright to Olivia Wilde, Tiffany Haddish and Emma Roberts (and oh so many more).
I wanna know who mothafuckin’ representin’ in here tonight
Hold on, hold on
[Pre-Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
I keep lettin’ you back in (you back in)
How can I, explain myself?
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Drake]
Care for me, care for me, you said you’d care for me
There for me, there for me, said you’d be there for me
(Lil Weezyana shit)
Cry for me, cry for me, you said you’d die for me
(Murda on the beat)
Give to me, give to me, why won’t you live for me?
Care for me, care for me, I know you care for me
(A song for y’all to cut up to, you know?)
There for me, there for me, said you’d be there for me (yeah)
Cry for me, cry for me, you said you’d die for me
Give to me, give to me, why won’t you live for me?
[Verse 1: Drake]
Everybody get your mothafuckin’ roll on
I know shorty and she doesn’t want no slow song
Had a man last year, life goes on
Haven’t let that thing loose, girl, in so long
You’ve been inside, know you like to lay low
I’ve been peepin’ what you bringin’ to the table
Workin’ hard, girl, everything paid for
First-last, phone bill, car note, cable
With your phone out, gotta hit them angles
With your phone out, snappin’ like you Fabo
And you showin’ off, but it’s alright
And you showin’ off, but it’s alright (alright!)
It’s a short life, yeah
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Care for me, care for me, you said you’d care for me
There for me, there for me, said you’d be there for me
Cry for me, cry for me, you said you’d die for me
Give to me, give to me, why won’t you live for me?
[Refrain: Drake]
That’s a real one in your reflection
Without a follow, without a mention
You really pipin’ up on these niggas
You gotta be nice for what to these niggas?
[Verse 2: Drake]
I understand, you got a hunnid bands
You got a baby Benz, you got some bad friends
High school pics, you was even bad then
You ain’t stressin’ off no lover in the past tense
You already had them
Work at 8 A.M., finish ’round five
Hoes talk down, you don’t see ’em outside
Yeah, they don’t really be the same offline
You know dark days, you know hard times
Doin’ overtime for the last month
Saturday, call the girls, get ’em gassed up
Gotta hit the club, gotta make that ass jump
Gotta hit the club like you hit them mothafuckin’ angles
With your phone out, snappin’ like you Fabo
And you showin’ off, but it’s alright
And you showin’ off, but it’s alright
It’s a short life
[Bridge: Big Freedia & Letitia Wright]
Uh-huh! (Oh yeah!)
These hoes! (They mad!)
Your boy! (I had!)
I made! (Watch the breakdown)
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Care for me, care for me, you said you’d care for me
There for me, there for me, said you’d be there for me
Cry for me, cry for me, you said you’d die for me
Give to me, give to me, why won’t you live for me?
[Breakdown: Drake]
Gotta make that jump, gotta make that, gotta, gotta make that
Gotta make that jump, gotta make that, gotta, gotta make that
Gotta, gotta, gotta g-g-gotta, g-g-gotta, gotta
Gotta, g-g-gotta, gotta, gotta make that jump, jump (let’s go)
Bend it over, lift it up, bend it over, lift it up
Make that jump, jump
Bend it over, lift it up, bend it over, lift it up
Make that jump, jump
Bend it over, over, over, over, over, lift it up
Make that jump, jump
Bend it over, lift it up (make that jump, jump)
Bend it over, lift it up (make that jump, jump)
[Refrain: Drake]
That’s a real one in your reflection
Without a follow, without a mention
You really pipin’ up on these niggas
You gotta be nice for what to these niggas?
I understand
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Care for me, care for me, you said you’d care for me
There for me, there for me, said you’d be there for me
Give to me, give to me, why won’t you live for me?
Cry for me, cry for me, you said you’d cry for me
[Outro: Drake & Lauryn Hill]
Gotta hit the club like you hit them, hit them, hit them angles
It’s a short life, yeah
Cry for me, cry for me, you said you’d die for me
Give to me, give to me, why won’t you live for me?
Meet Me In Montauk 
I heard that “This is America” was the 32nd song in the history of Billboard to debut at number one, which, if true, must mean that Drake holds the 30th and 31st position.
This is a cool video, but Drake generally annoys me and this song isn’t doing much to change my feelings about him.