"Chicago Freestyle" is a song by Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

and American singer-songwriter

Giveon Giveon Dezmann Evans ( born February 21, 1995), mononymously known as Giveon (stylized as GIVĒON), is an American R&B singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2020 song " Chicago Freestyle" (with Drake), which peaked at number 14 o ...

. It was released as the third track from Drake's commercial mixtape ''

Dark Lane Demo Tapes ''Dark Lane Demo Tapes'' is the sixth mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake. The mixtape is a compilation of songs that were released on SoundCloud or Music leak, leaked on the internet, as well as new songs, and is considered a "war ...

'', on May 1, 2020. Drake interpolates

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

's flow from his 2002 single "

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" on the pre-chorus. When it was unofficially released on February 29, 2020, it was released concurrently with another song, "When to Say When".

Background

On February 29, 2020, Drake released "When To Say When" and "Chicago Freestyle" on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

. He also released a music video for both songs. The video stars Drake walking around New York City with scenes filmed in

Marcy Projects The Marcy Houses, or The Marcy Projects, is a public housing complex built and operated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and located in Bedford–Stuyvesant and is bordered by Flushing, Marcy, Nostrand and Myrtle avenues. The co ...

in Brooklyn. The song is set to a "romantic" piano and a "hushed" chorus performed by Giveon. Lyrically, Drake "unpacks the run-of-the-mill anxieties and flexes" associated with his nightlife, while portraying "an underrated antagonist", as described by a ''

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'' article.

Critical reception

Grant Rindner of ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' felt that the lyrics reflected "Drake's first time being hurt in a long time", acknowledging "his heartbreak makes for great songs." Kevin Montes of

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deemed the song "one of the original standouts with its subtle melancholy vibe to Drake's reflection of celebrity life in his verses." In a mixed review of both "Chicago Freestyle" and "When To Say When", Sheldon Pearce of ''

'' felt Drake "doesn't play the heel nearly as well as '02 Em used to." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

''s Luke Morgan Britton found the song "cheesy."

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2020 songs Drake (musician) songs Giveon songs Songs written by Drake (musician) Songs written by Giveon Songs written by Eminem Songs written by Sevn Thomas Songs written by Jeff Bass