Forever (Drake song)

## Single by Drake featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem

### **Songwriter(s)**

Aubrey Graham \ Kanye West \ Dwayne Carter Jr. \ Marshall Mathers III \ Matthew Samuels

### **Producer(s)**

Boi-1da

"**Forever**" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake featuring American rappers Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. Written alongside producer Boi-1da, the song was originally released as the third single from the soundtrack to LeBron James's *More than a Game* documentary and was placed on the *Refill* re-release of Eminem's album *Relapse*. Drake performed the song with Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Travis Barker at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. A demo version of the song was leaked in mid-2008.

## Background

The track was produced by Boi-1da and originally used by Kardinal Offishall featuring Rock City in early 2008, as "Bring It Back". Kardinal did not use the song for his album and it was later re-sold to Drake, who released it in late 2008 as "I Want This Forever" featuring Lil Wayne and Kidd Kidd. In an interview, Kardinal stated that his version was a leaked demo which was supposed to appear on his album *Not 4 Sale*, as well as a soundtrack.

The 2009 version of "Forever" features Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. Rapper Jay-Z called it the best posse cut of the decade. The song title is derived from the last line of the chorus; 'I want this shit forever man.' The song gained a lot of attention from Eminem fans, especially due to the story behind the song. According to an interview with West talking about the song, he said, "When I heard Eminem's verse on the Drake shit, I went back and rewrote my shit for two days. I cancelled appointments to rewrite!" Similarly, Lil Wayne rewrote his verse after hearing Eminem's. In response to this, Eminem told *Complex*, "Everybody approached the beat different […] For some reason, I felt the beat was a double-time beat, so I rapped faster."

## Music video

The music video, directed by Hype Williams, was shot in Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida, in early September 2009. However, Eminem's part in the video was shot in Detroit due to scheduling conflicts and not being able to be in Miami. It premiered on September 22, 2009 on BET's music program *106 & Park*. LeBron James appears in the opening of the music video in the back seat of a Maybach playing online poker on PokerStars on his customized Beats by Dr. Dre's laptop. Throughout the video, there are clips and pictures from the documentary about James, *More than a Game*, and of him as a child playing basketball. Also The Alchemist, Trick-Trick, Mr. Porter, Swifty McVay, Kuniva, Bizarre and Slaughterhouse all make cameo appearances in Eminem's verse of the video behind him as he raps his verse. Birdman makes a cameo appearances in the video on Lil Wayne's verse, sitting next to him in the VIP section of the club. The music video was produced alongside the video for "Money to Blow."

## Personnel

* Aubrey "Drake" Graham – vocals, writer
* Brian Gardner – masterer
* Joe Strange – assistant engineer
* Kanye West – vocals, writer
* Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter Jr. – vocals, writer
* Marshall "Eminem" Mathers III – vocals, writer
* Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels – writer, producer

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Chorus: Drake]

It may not mean nothin' to y'all

But understand, nothin' was done for me

So I don't plan on stoppin' at all

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

I'm shuttin' shit down in the mall

And tellin' every girl she the one for me

And I ain't even plannin' to call

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

[Verse 1: Drake]

Last name Ever, first name Greatest

Like a sprained ankle, boy, I ain't nothin' to play with

Started off local, but thanks to all the haters

I know G-IV pilots on a first name basis

In your city, faded off the brown, Nino

She insist she got more class, we know

Swimmin' in the money, come and find me, Nemo

If I was at the club, you know I balled, chemo

Dropped the mixtape, that shit sounded like an album

Who'd have thought a countrywide tour'd be the outcome?

Labels want my name beside a X, like Malcolm

Everybody got a deal, I did it without one

Yeah, n\*\*\*a, I'm about my business

Killin' all these rappers, you would swear I had a hit list

Everyone who doubted me is askin' for forgiveness

If you ain't been a part of it, at least you got to witness, bitches

[Chorus: Drake]

It may not mean nothin' to y'all

But understand, nothin' was done for me

So I don't plan on stoppin' at all

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

I'm shuttin' shit down in the mall

And tellin' every girl she the one for me

And I ain't even plannin' to call

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

[Verse 2: Kanye West]

Ever-ever, Mr. West is in the buildin'

Ain't no question who about to kill 'em

I used to have hood dreams, big fame, big chains

I stuck my dick inside this life until that bitch came

And went hard all fall like the ball teams

Just so I can make it rain all spring

Y'all seen my story, my glory

I had raped the game young, you can call it statutory

When a n\*\*\*a blow up they gonna build statues for me

Old money, Benjamin Button, "What?" nothin'

Now it's super bad chicks givin' me McLovin

You would think I ran the world like Michelle's husband

You would think these n\*\*\*as know me when they really doesn't

Like they was down with the old me, no you fuckin' wasn't

Um, you're such a fuckin' loser

He ain't even go to class, Bueller

Trade the Grammy plaques just to have my granny back

Remember she had that bad hip like a fanny pack?

Chasin' the stardom will turn you to a maniac

All the way in Hollywood and I can't even act

They pull the cameras out and goddamn, he snap

I used to want this thing forever, y'all can have it back

[Chorus: Drake]

It may not mean nothin' to y'all

But understand, nothin' was done for me

So I don't plan on stoppin' at all

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

I'm shuttin' shit down in the mall

And tellin' every girl she the one for me

And I ain't even plannin' to call

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

[Verse 3: Lil Wayne]

Okay, hello, it's the Martian, Space Jam Jordans

I want this shit forever, wake up and smell the garden

Fresher than the harvest, step up to the target

If I had one guess, then I guess I'm just New Orleans

And I will never stop like I'm runnin' from the cops

Hop up in my car and told my chauffeur, "To the top"

Life is such a fuckin' roller coaster, then it drops

But what should I scream for? This is my theme park

My mind shine even when my thoughts seem dark

Pistol on my side, you don't wanna hear that thing talk

Let the king talk, check the price and pay attention

Lil Wayne, that's what they gotta say or mention

I'm like Nevada in the middle of the summer

I'm restin' in the lead, I need a pillow and a cover

Shh, my foot's sleepin' on the gas

No brake pads, no such thing as last, uh

[Chorus: Drake]

It may not mean nothin' to y'all

But understand, nothin' was done for me

So I don't plan on stoppin' at all

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

I'm shuttin' shit down in the mall

And tellin' every girl she the one for me

And I ain't even plannin' to call

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

[Verse 4: Eminem]

There they go, packin' stadiums as Shady spits his flow

Nuts they go, Macadamian, they go so ballistic, whoa

He can make them look like bozos

He's wonderin' if he should spit this slow, fuck no

Go for broke, his cup just runneth over, oh no

He ain't had him a buzz like this

Since the last time that he overdosed

They been waitin' patiently for Pinocchio to poke his nose

Back into the game and they know

Rap will never be the same as befo'

Bashin' in the brains of these hoes

And establishin' a name as he goes

The passion in the flame is ignited

You can't put it out once we light it

This shit is exactly what the fuck

That I'm talkin' about when we riot

You dealin' with a few true villains

Who stand inside of a booth, truth-spillin'

And spit true feelings until our tooth fillings

Come flyin' up out of our mouths, now, rewind it

Payback, motherfucker

For the way that you doubted me, how's it taste?

When I slap the taste outta your mouth

With the bass so loud that it shakes the place

I'm Hannibal Lecter, so just in case you're thinkin' of savin' face

You ain't gonna have no face to save

By the time I'm through with this place, so Drake

[Chorus: Drake]

It may not mean nothin' to y'all

But understand, nothin' was done for me

So I don't plan on stoppin' at all

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

I'm shuttin' shit down in the mall

And tellin' every girl she the one for me

And I ain't even plannin' to call

I want this shit forever, mane, ever, mane, ever, mane

## References

1. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (August 27, 2009). "Lil Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West and Drake Team Up for "Forever"". *Rolling Stone*.
2. ↑ Callahan-Bever (December 1, 2009). "Eminem: The Day After (2009 Cover Story)". *Complex*.

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