Drake’s longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib is notoriously reclusive, preferring to stay behind the boards and out of the public eye. Interviews and insights into the life of the Toronto producer have been rare, which makes his recent 20-minute sit-down with B-Real (of Cypress Hill) for the web series “The Smokebox” especially interesting. A handful of joints and conversation with a legendary emcee were enough incentive for 40 to step in front of a camera and open up a bit.
As smoke fills the car, 40 reveals that DJ Premier was his first major influence, talks about how marijuana has helped his multiple sclerosis, and lets us in on the status of Drake’s next album, Views From The 6.
“We’re getting very, very close. The time will come when Drake’s ready to pull the trigger,” he says. After B-Real asks him about bouncing back and forth between Toronto and California, he responds, “For us it’s just a balance of finding that space to make a project that’s based around our city and then also coming out here to the West Coast to escape some of the harsh winter and find a good creative space. There has to be a balance of both those locations for the type of album we’re making.”
