"Toosie Slide" 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 ...

from his 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 ...

'' (2020). Written alongside producer OZ, it was released as the lead single on April 3, 2020, through

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

and OVO. The song is titled after social media influencer, Toosie, who had previously helped the song go viral. A video was released alongside the song, showing Drake quarantined, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. He also demonstrates the Toosie Slide dance in his

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

mansion. The song debuted at number eighteen on the US

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

before debuting at number one on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart the next week, making Drake the first male artist to accomplish three number-one debuts.

Background and promotion

On March 29, 2020, social media influencer Toosie uploaded a clip showing him and his friends doing a dance challenge called the "Toosie Slide" while parts of the song are playing in the background. The dance was described as a "modern day '

Cha Cha Slide "Cha-Cha Slide" (or "Casper Slide Part 2") is a line dance song by American musician Mr. C the Slide Man (also known as DJ Casper). The song was released as a single in August 2000 and spent five weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking ...

' by

DJ Casper William Perry Jr. (May 31, 1965 – August 7, 2023), better known as DJ Casper (also known as Mr. C the Slide Man), was an American disc jockey. Born and raised in Chicago, he was known as "Casper the Friendly Ghost, Casper" due to frequently be ...

" and went viral after it was introduced to the app

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

by Toosie, Hiii Key and Michigan duo

Ayo & Teo Ayleo Bowles and Mateo Bowles, better known as Ayo & Teo, are an American rap and dance brother duo from Ann Arbor, Michigan, that started in 2011. They are best known for their 2017 viral hit single "Rolex", which peaked at number 20 on the US ...

. When it was subsequently shared on other social media pages, people considered possible involvement by Drake. He hinted at an impending release, saying "I'mma drop soon since ya'll got it going insane". Drake then took to his social media on March 31, 2020, to declare the song as his and revealed that it would be released the following Thursday at midnight, on Friday, April 3, 2020. American rapper

Lil Baby Dominique Armani Jones (born December 3, 1994), known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapes ''Harder than Hard'' and ''Too Hard'' — the for ...

revealed via Instagram that Drake wanted him on the song, calling himself a "dumbass" for not sending his verse back.

Production

The song was produced by Turkish-Swiss producer Ozan Yildirim, professionally known as OZ, who previously collaborated with

Travis Scott Jacques Bermon Webster III (born April 30, 1991), known professionally as Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott has had five number-one hits on the U.S. ''Bil ...

on 2018's "

Sicko Mode "Sicko Mode" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring Canadian rapper Drake, with additional vocals from fellow American rappers Swae Lee and the late Big Hawk. It was originally released by Epic Records on Aug ...

", featuring Drake. In 2019, he again worked with Drake on the songs "Omertà" and " Gold Roses", the latter being a

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

single, featuring Drake. Just prior to "Toosie Slide", OZ produced another Drake-featured track,

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 ...

's "Life Is Good". As with most of his productions, OZ makes extensive use of

hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock music, rock, popular music, pop, jazz, an ...

s and a

snare drum The snare drum (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often u ...

on "Toosie Slide". The song also contains

bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The head ...

kicks paired with Drake's "melodic" chorus.

Composition and lyrics

A trap song, "Toosie Slide" is a "seductive confection engineered to cause an Internet stir", containing "stuttering

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...

s, a couple

kicks" and "elliptical set of beats", leaving room for Drake's lyrics to take the spotlight, which he delivers with "melodic bars". Lyrically, Drake reflects on his "inner pressure", shouting out his friends, flirting with his many admirers and promising "a hot summer of music". He also gives dance directions for the song's titular dance, rapping "It go right foot up, left foot slide/Left foot up, right foot slide/Basically I'm saying, either way we 'bout to slide, aye". Drake makes numerous references to

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 ...

throughout the song. Drake said, "When I first made that song, I was only talking about the moonwalk. But Toosie made a dance to that shit, I didn't know it was gonna be a dance song like that". The song has been compared to " Cupid Shuffle" by

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

, the

Electric Slide The Electric (better known as The Electric Slide) is a four wall line dance. Choreographer and dancer Richard L. "Ric" Silver claims to have created the dance in 1976. Dance popularity is sometimes attributed to its setting to Marcia Griffiths a ...

dance by Richard L. "Ric" Silver, and "

" by

, which has similar dance instructions. ''Billboard'' called it the "'Cha Cha Slide' of the

generation".

Critical reception

"Toosie Slide" generally polarized critics. Alphonse Pierre of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' noted that despite Drake's ability of never needing "to chase a hit", for the first time it "feels like he's a step behind" and went on calling the track "strictly a business decision". Micah Peters of The Ringer was highly critical of the song as well as Drake's marketing ploys, comparing him to the

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

supervillain

Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first made a cameo appearance in ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' #134 (December 1970), before being fully in ...

. Peters further called producer OZ's production "airy, barely there", the

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

"awkward syllabic balance" and said "Toosie Slide" feels marginal in the same way " God's Plan" did, "and doubtlessly, it'll also walk to no. 1".

Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and popular music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also written for other publicat ...

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

had a similar notion, labelling the song "a bit of trivial fun that will probably become an inescapable hit on the strength of its marketing and its catchy chorus". Conversely, Jason Lipshutz of ''Billboard'' named it among the most essential releases of the week, and said "Drake is smart to launch a self-fashioned dance craze in this era, but 'Toosie Slide' also showcases his skill of conjuring hooks and catchphrases out of thin air, which helped make him who he is today". Jessica McKinney of ''Complex'' also listed it as part of the "Best New Music of the Week", saying the song is not all gimmick and referenced the

, stating "it is worth listening to when you're riding around in the car or heading out for a quick walk around the block. Maybe someday we'll actually get to hear it in a club".

Commercial performance

The song debuted atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the chart dated April 18, 2020, becoming his eighth number one single on the chart and making Drake the first male solo artist in US chart history to debut three songs at number one. In the United Kingdom, "Toosie Slide" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart on April 10, 2020 – for the week ending date April 16, 2020 – behind "

Blinding Lights "Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was released through XO and Republic Records on November 29, 2019, as the album's second single. It is a synt ...

" by

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

. After five consecutive weeks in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, "Toosie Slide" peaked at the top of the chart on May 8, 2020 – for the week ending date May 14, 2020 – dethroning " Times Like These" by Live Lounge Allstars from the top and beating "

Say So "Say So" is a song by American rapper Doja Cat from her second studio album, ''Hot Pink (album), Hot Pink'' (2019). The song was written by Doja Cat with her manager Lydia Asrat, Yeti Beats, and Dr. Luke, who handled production for the song un ...

" by

Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCl ...

to the top of the chart. Internationally, the song became an immediate success, debuting atop in many countries and reached top ten in others. In Denmark, it debuted at number two before reaching the top spot the next week, becoming Drake's fifth number one in the country and the first rapper with the most chart-toppers.. It reached also the summit on the New Zealandese Singles Chart, becoming Drake sixth number one, as well in Portugal, Ireland, Singapore and Greece. Alongside with these nations, the song reached the top five in Finland, Slovakia, Australia, Malaysia, Norway, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, Austria, France, Lithuania and Switzerland then the top ten and top twenty in Italy, Hungary, Israel and Belgium.

Music video

The accompanying music video was released on April 3, 2020, at a length of 5 minutes and 12 seconds. It was directed by Theo Skudra. The visuals prominently feature Drake dancing around in his

mansion, nicknamed "The Embassy", with a mask and gloves on while being in quarantine, due to the

. He simultaneously demonstrates the song's titular dance. At the end, the rapper is seen outside of his home with a firework show on his property. The video also features a tribute to the late

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

. The choreography in the video was created by Toosii, Hiii Key and

who sent the footage to Drake. Originally, the dancers were supposed to appear in the video. However, plans were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Synopsis

The music video begins by showing quiet and almost deserted streets of the city, with no sign of cars, nor people moving around. The empty streets signify the quietness of the cities in the light of the lockdowns that have been enforced by governments globally to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus among citizens. The video then shows Drake in an antechamber, showcasing his many awards sitting in trophy cases; through the door, a painting of China's

Chairman Mao Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

is seen hanging on the wall. Drake then passes by a table covered with the basketball jerseys he is usually seen wearing courtside, including one emblazoned with the name "Bryant", honoring the late American basketball star, Kobe Bryant, who had died earlier in the year from a

helicopter crash A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

, on January 26, 2020. The scene then cuts to a foyer, as the rapper passes two blinking "Four Foot Dissected Companion" sculptures by American artist and designer

Kaws Brian Donnelly (born November 4, 1974), known professionally as Kaws (stylized as KAWS), is an American artist and designer. His work includes repeated use of a cast of figurative characters and motifs, some dating back to the beginning of his ...

. The rapper is then seen sitting on "the biggest kitchen island .. and the camera pans toward the long dining room table. Drake continues moving through darkened rooms where portraits of "lost and distanced" heroes, including

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

, hang on the wall. He dances through a door to the pool area, which features "neon lighting and cabana-like décor". The video concludes with Drake in total darkness, "only his white sneakers visible against the eerily black

sky". Fireworks erupt afterward, and the camera pans back to show the entirety of Drake's 35,000-square-foot, $100 million Toronto estate. In the video, Drake is seen wearing a hoodie and a "super rare" Fall/Winter 2001

Raf Simons Raf Jan Simons (; born 12 January 1968) is a Belgian fashion designer. Beginning in furniture design, Simons launched his own menswear label in 1995. He was creative director at Jil Sander (2005–2012), Christian Dior (2012–2015), and Calvin Kl ...

Riot Riot Riot Camo

Bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

, an item

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

wore regularly during 2014 and 2015. A

Bösendorfer Bösendorfer (L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH) is an Austrian piano manufacturer and, since 2008, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation. Bösendorfer is unusual in that it produces Imperial Bösendorfer, 97- and 92-Key (instrument) ...

piano is seen, which has a violet "Flowers and Skulls" print cover by Japanese artist

Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial media (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between High art, high and low arts. His wo ...

. There is also a shot of what appears to be a recording contract, ready to be signed on Drake's dining-room table.

TikTok dance challenge

Over 4.5 million videos have been made on

using the song, with a combined 7.6 billion views as of July 2021. These videos usually consist of users dancing to a snippet of the song. The hashtag #toosieslide garnered over 5.7 billion views. It was the fourth biggest TikTok song for April 2020. The song peaked on April 20, 2020, garnering over 250 million views on videos made to the song that day.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. *

Aubrey Graham Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip-hop music. Drake first gained recognition ...

– vocals, songwriter * Ozan Yildirim – songwriter, production *

Noah "40" Shebib Noah James Shebib (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name 40, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, record executive, and former child actor from Toronto, Ontario. He is best known for his production work with fellow Toronto n ...

– mixer * Noel Cadastre – assistant mixer, recording engineer * Chris Athens – mastering engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Drake songs 2020 singles 2020 songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Drake (musician) songs Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Denmark Number-one singles in Greece Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Portugal Number-one singles in Singapore Republic Records singles Songs written by Drake (musician) Songs written by Oz (record producer) OVO Sound singles UK singles chart number-one singles Song recordings produced by Oz (record producer) Trap music songs

Background and promotion

Production

Composition and lyrics

Critical reception

Commercial performance

Music video

Synopsis

TikTok dance challenge

Credits and personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

See also

References