As a songwriter, Tiffany Fred has penned hits for the likes of Zendaya and Jason Derulo and won a Grammy for her work with Jennifer Hudson, so it makes sense that the industry veteran's solo debut is quite ambitious. Fred's EP Drake is a collection of seven covers that recast some of Aubrey Graham's best known tracks as lush, atmospheric jazz and serve as compelling responses to Drizzy's singular and at times grating sense of romance.
While there are plenty of Drake covers across the internet, the meaningful changes and distinct musical choices of Fred's project make it noteworthy. Particular highlights include "10 Bands," which takes one of Drake's sparsest tracks and remakes into swirling trap-soul. "Find My Love" blends both his early hit "Find Your Love" and More Life's Jorja Smith collaboration "Get It Together," stringing a gorgeous melodic thread (and a killer trumpet solo) between two radically different phases of the Toronto rapper's career.
Fred draws cues from Drake's original lyrics and melodies but also wrote new lyrics to the tracks, meaning that her versions of songs like "Own It" and "Come Through" flip the gender perspective of Drizzy's tracks and work incredibly well in conversation with the originals.
“The concept for Drake came about accidentally, while writing a song for another artist. I began playing with the melodies and decided to just vibe and see where it took me, and 'Best I Ever Had' came out," Fred said of the project. "I honestly thought it was a stoner idea at first, but a friend told me to finish it because it was dope and I did.”
Never one to shy away from embracing new artists, we'll be staying on top of whether Drake responds to Fred's release. He recently appeared on Memphis rapper BlocBoy JB's single "Look Alive" and made headlines for giving away the nearly $1 million budget for his "God's Plan" music video. Drake also recently passed Jay-Z to become the rapper with the most Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 songs.
As for Fred, she's clearly a talent worth watching, and has her first full-length album already written. Given how much of her own singular spin she was able to put on Drake's tracks it'll be fascinating to hear her original music in the near future.
Stream Drake above and watch Pigeons & Planes' video on the worth of a Drake co-sign below.
