First Person Shooter (song)
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"First Person Shooter" 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 ...
featuring American rapper
J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born in a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his d ...
. It was released through
OVO Sound OVO Sound (short for October's Very Own) is a Canadian independent record label, founded in 2012 by rapper Drake, producer 40, and manager Oliver El-Khatib. The label operated as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group until 2022, after which it ...
and
Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...
on Drake's eighth studio album, ''
For All the Dogs ''For All the Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released by OVO Sound and Republic Records on October 6, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, Par ...
''. Drake and Cole wrote the song with producers
Boi-1da Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da (a play on Boy Wonder) is a Canadian record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. He is an in-house producer for Drake's OVO Sound label and has prod ...
,
Vinylz Anderson Hernandez (born September 2, 1989),Rys, Dan (July 11, 2013)"‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Behind The Scenes: Five Producers Who Helped Craft The Album". '' XXL''. Accessed on July 11, 2013. professionally known as Vinylz, is an American ...
,
Tay Keith Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, known professionally as Tay Keith, is an American record producer. He is best known for co-producing Travis Scott's 2018 single "Sicko Mode", which peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, as well as Drake's " Nonsto ...
,
FnZ FNZ (also known as Finatik N Zac) are an Australian record production duo composed of Michael "Finatik" Mulé and Isaac "Zac" De Boni. The group was formed in 2009, signing to fellow producer Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment the following ...
(Michael Mulé and Isaac De Boni), Oz, and Coleman, alongside Snorre Tidemand. It is notable for reigniting Drake's decade-long feud with fellow rapper
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
. "First Person Shooter" debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Drake's thirteenth and Cole's first number-one song. It later impacted US
rhythmic radio Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hits ...
on October 24, 2023, as the album's fourth single. Its music video was released on November 15, 2023.


Background

During a ''Table for One'' special episode on October 6, 2023, a few hours before ''For All the Dogs'' was released, Drake confirmed that J. Cole would appear on the sixth track of the album, calling it "fourth quarter magic", and also revealed that he and Cole had "just got out from the studio", making it the final song to be recorded for the album.


Composition

"First Person Shooter" features a "subtle-yet-triumphant" yet "high-octane" production that starts out with a "warped" vocal sample of Joe Washington's "Look Me in the Eyes" while both artists exchange a few bars. The second half of the song features a down-pitched looped sample from Snorre Tidemand's orchestral "Redemption." The "hard" and "playful" track was especially noted for its "futuristic and energetic" production that enabled Drake and Cole to showcase their skills. The track sees Cole reflecting on his continuous success, arguing that him, Drake, and fellow American rapper
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
are the "big three" in rap music whereas he himself feels like
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
. Another reference includes a comparison of both artists to a
meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...
of two
Spider-Men ''Spider-Men'' is a five-issue, 2012 superhero comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics, featuring Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, and Miles Morales, the second and current Ultimate Marvel version of Spider-Man, who appear togethe ...
pointing at each other. Cole also says that he wishes to collaborate with fellow American rapper
YoungBoy Never Broke Again Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From Louisiana, United States, Gaulden released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional foll ...
later on the song, seemingly dismissing rumors of him dissing the rapper on his collaboration with rapper and album producer
Lil Yachty Miles Parks McCollum (born August 23, 1997), known professionally as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper. He first gained recognition in August 2015 for his viral hit "One Night (Lil Yachty song), One Night", the lead single from his debut extend ...
on " The Secret Recipe", while he also confirms that his upcoming album, ''The Fall Off'', is on the way. In reference to his fame and commercial success, Drake later shouts out
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
and Michael Jackson, notably referencing how he was one song away from eventually tying the latter's record for most number-one US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles by a solo male artist.


Response from Kendrick Lamar

After hearing of J. Cole's "big three" lyrical claim, rapper
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
appeared on
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...
and
Metro Boomin Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...
's single, " Like That", which was released in late-March 2024. On his verse, he responds to Cole and Drake, rapping "Motherfuck the big three, nigga, it's just big me."


Critical reception

In a first assessment of the album, Kyle Denis of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' ranked "First Person Shooter" as the ninth best track of the album, writing that the duo had adopted an "elder statesmen" mentality while still presenting their "skin in the game", but while their attitude was seen as "braggadocious", both were holding back a little. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''s Mosi Reeves stated that on the song, Drake is "thoroughly outclassed by J Cole" and that his lyrics are basic, several of them being "desultory lyrics where he discusses women like he’s stocking a meat freezer." Writing for '' Clash'', Shahzaib Hussain notes that "First Person Shooter" sees Drake "all shit-talking pomp and posturing."


Commercial performance

The song debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Drake's thirteenth and Cole's first number-one song on the chart, the former tying the record for most solo number-one songs by a solo male artist with
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
. In its second week, the song remained in the top ten in the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and fell to number eight. The song debuted at number-one on the ''Billboards Streaming Songs, marking Drake's 19th number-one on the chart.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{J. Cole 2023 songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Drake (musician) songs J. Cole songs Song recordings produced by Boi-1da Song recordings produced by Tay Keith Song recordings produced by Vinylz Songs written by Drake (musician) Songs written by J. Cole Songs written by Boi-1da Songs written by Tay Keith Songs written by Vinylz Songs written by Oz (record producer) Song recordings produced by Oz (record producer) Songs involved in the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud