Lexie Kendzlic is a 14-year-old Pittsburgh native who last month made arguably the greatest reaction video to a Drake song. On episode 14 of OVO Sound Radio that aired on Jan. 30, Drizzy debuted his latest single, “Summer Sixteen.” Kendzlic heard an Instagram snippet of the song, and immediately wanted to make a reaction video, which she shared on her YouTube account, Lexie Kendz. “I was actually at a trampoline park and left early to go home and react!” she told us.
Nearly two months later and Kendzlic’s reaction to "Summer Sixteen" is all over the Internet. Someone discovered her original video and edited it down to a 30-second clip of her getting amped up to certain lines from the song. The full video is just as great as she shouts out Chubbs and DJ Khaled while giving us her honest review. After the clip went viral, we spoke to Kendzlic about why she loves Drake’s music, the “Summer Sixteen” line she stans for the most, and what’s next on her reaction video list.
How long have you been a Drake fan?
I've been a Drake fan since early 2012! Not since "Hotline Bling" like most!
Describe why you love Drake's music so much.
I love Drizzy's music so much because it is so relatable, it feels as if he's writing it in your perspective! I love his confident tone and his sometimes slower, sad sound.
"Summer Sixteen" dropped at the end of January. Like a true supporter, you bought it right away. Did you hear "Summer Sixteen" on OVO Sound Radio before?
No, I did not hear it on OVO Sound Radio before I reacted. I only saw a 15-second snippet of the chorus on Instagram. I was actually at a trampoline park and left early to go home and react!
What are you most excited for when Views From the 6 finally comes out next month?
I'm really excited to hear what Drake has to offer. We have been waiting for this album for what feels like forever, and now the time is finally approaching! I'm excited to see Noah "40" Shebib's work on the album as well.
In your reaction video, you shout out Chubbs. Is he your favorite member out of OVO?
I really do love Chubbs, he's always with Aubrey, but my favorite OVO member has to be 40! He's dope, he also produces for many different artists I love, which makes him even more special to me.
Out of these lines, pick which one you stan for the most:
"I let the diss record drop, you was staying right below me, nigga/We must have played it a hundred times, you was going to bed/Why would I put on a vest? I expect you to aim for the head"
"All summer sixteen/Playing dirty not clean/Out in front of Four Seasons/Looking like a damn football team"
"All you boys in the new Toronto want to be me a little/All your exes know I like my O’s with a V in the middle"
“'Oh it’s your time now,' yeah, that’s what everybody say/I used to wanna be on Roc-A-Fella then I turned into Jay/Now I got a house in LA, Now I got a bigger pool than 'Ye/And look man, Ye’s pool is nice, mine's just bigger's what I’m saying"
The "Summer Sixteen" line that I stan for the most would have to be "All summer sixteen/Playing dirty not clean/Out in front of Four Seasons/Looking like a damn football team." The reasoning being I have a good friend that goes by the name Chris Rethz—he does YouTube as well—and we have a lot of the same "enemies" and we're always looking for revenge, but not in a violent way. We think the best kind of revenge is success. So we'll be looking for success all summer '16.
Most people forget that DJ Khaled is on the song too. What do you think of his Snapchat account? Any motivational quotes that you live by on the daily?
I think that DJ Khaled is super funny and smart. His Snapchat stories crack me up! He really does know the "keys to success" So yeah mad respect for Khaled!
Do you record and edit your own videos?
Yes, I do edit and record every single video I post, no matter how long it takes. I do it all by myself, and I'm self-taught! It is sometimes hard to post because school comes first! I intend to post at least once a week!
When did you see your video clip go viral? Was it from this tweet or elsewhere?
I saw that the video was going viral when someone who recognized me tagged me in the Instagram post. I then saw it on Facebook and Twitter. It felt surreal.
What's the next song to make a reaction video on your list?
The next reaction people can look forward to seeing is a full Views From the 6 reaction! I'm super excited to hear what Drake has to offer and I'm beyond ready to react to it for the first time.
Lastly, what's your all-time favorite Drake song?
Picking a favorite Drake song is really hard for me considering that it changes according to my mood. If I had to pick right now at this very moment it would have to be "Shot for Me." I'm digging that song at the moment.
