Drake’s “Started From The Bottom” is the first single from his 2013 album, Nothing Was The Same. He co-wrote the single with Noah Shebib and Michael Coleman about his early life. Coleman also produced “Started From The Bottom” under his production name, Mike Zombie. Drake was on his third album and had already become a worldwide rap star but he wanted to get into the mindset of his younger self before he became successful. He cited Marvin Gaye’s Here, My Dear as an influence because he never intended to make a straight rap album, wanting instead to “make songs for the people.” Rapper Future was in the studio with Drake and kept telling the engineer to start the song from the bottom and Drake used it as the song’s title.
“Started From The Bottom”‘s shuffling snare drum and melodramatic piano grabbed ears and, with Drake’s words, became one of the biggest aspirational rap hits since Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem).” Director X was at the helm of the video that had appearances from Drake’s mother, Noah Shebib, and Boi-1da. The song was one of seven singles that made Nothing Was The Same the seventh best-selling album of 2013 in the United States.
Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Papoose, Wyclef Jean, Chris Brown, Meek Mill, Ice Cube, Warren G, Chino XL, and Soulja Boy have recorded remixes of the single. Drake released his eighth studio album, For All The Dogs, in 2023. Drake had a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar in 2024 that started when Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole on the song “Like That.” Drake released the singles “Push Ups,” “Taylor Made Freestyle,” “Family Matters,” and “The Heart Part 6.” Lamar fired back with “Euphoria,” “Meet the Grahams,” and “Not Like Us.” Rap fans agreed that Lamar won the battle and “Not Like Us” became the biggest pop song of 2024. Drake celebrated his 38th birthday (Oct. 24) by giving away free chicken slider sandwiches from Dave’s Hot Chicken.
