The Arab world is a major inspiration for Drake, with the rapper back with a trio of albums released on Friday: Iceman, Maid of Honour and Habibti.
Across 43 tracks, the projects are full of Drake melodrama: rap feuds, confessionals, club records and late-night brooding. But running through them are lyrical references to the region’s culture, as well as a dig at Palestinian-American producer DJ Khaled for silence on the Israel-Gaza war.
It would be easy to dismiss these terms as throwaway bits of mostly playful wordplay. But Drake has long had visible links to the region and its diaspora, from performing in Dubai to working closely with figures in his inner circle, including Lebanese-Canadian album executive producers Noah “40” Shebib and Oliver El-Khatib, who is also his manager.
Below are nine regional references to know.
1. Black white red and green from Make Them Pay (Iceman)
Sampling the 1979 track Wahdon by Lebanese chanteuse Fairuz, the colours mentioned are those of the Palestinian flag. In Make Them Pay, Drake uses them in his criticism of Palestinian producer DJ Khaled for not addressing the Gaza war.
2. Halal and deen from Make Them Pay (Iceman)
Halal and deen are part of Muslim vocabulary. Halal broadly refers to what is permissible under Islamic practice, while deen means religion or way of life.
3. Ramadan from Whisper My Name (Iceman)
Ramadan is the holy month when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. In Whisper My Name, Drake uses it to explain restraint rather than retaliation, suggesting his associates hold back because they are fasting at the time of the conflict.
4. Astaghfirullah from Ran To Atlanta (Iceman)
Astaghfirullah means “I seek forgiveness from God” and is commonly used by Muslims to express shock or repentance. In Ran To Atlanta, Drake uses it around his renewed link with Future, the friend-turned-foe-turned-friend associated with hip-hop crew Freeband Taliban.
5. Giza from Outside Tweaking (Maid of Honour)
Giza is the Egyptian city beside Cairo associated with the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. In Outside Tweaking, guest rapper Stunna Sandy uses Giza and the pyramids as shorthand for Egypt, scale and ancient spectacle.
6. Habibti from album title (Habibti)
The title Habibti means “my beloved” or “my dear” when addressed to a woman.
7. Mashallah from High Fives (Habibti)
Translated as “what God has willed”, mashallah is a form of praise as well as protection against envy. In High Fives, Drake uses it to express admiration for a friend’s Lamborghini.
8. Dubai from White Bone (Habibti)
Dubai is the UAE emirate often used in hip-hop as a flex for wealth, nightlife and luxury travel.
9. Nadia from 2 Hard 4 The Radio (Ice Man)
The commonly used Arabic name refers to Nadia Ntuli, a Tanzania-born, UK-based model and friend of the rapper who died in a motorcycle accident in Dubai in 2021.
Drake previously dedicated his 2021 album Certified Lover Boy to her and the late influencer Mercedes Morr. In 2 Hard 4 The Radio, he raps: “When I lost big Nadia, I took it hard.”
