LOTS AT STAKE FOR DRAKE

Speculation continues to surround the record-breaking “mixtape” that Drake has unleashed on the world.

Conjecture around what the new project actually means for the contractual relationship between Drake and Cash Money is still nonstop. At the core of all this speculation: Drake is a Young Money Entertainment artist signed to Lil Wayne, not Cash Money.

The latest analysis from Business Insider elaborates upon the theory that Drake released this album to fulfill his final contractual obligation to Cash Money with some interesting observations, which we reprint for entertainment purposes only:

1. Lil Wayne signed a four-album deal when he resigned to CM in 2012; if Drake’s album deal is structured the same, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late would be his fourth and final obligation.
   
   
2. This album is not on YME/CM as previous releases have been. It's listed as just Cash Money.
   
   
3. Drake goes in about money troubles with the label on the track "Star67", and goes off on Cash Money artist Tyga on "6pm In New York". The struggle is real.
   
   
4. His list of thank-yous on the album credits didn’t include anyone from the company. It did, however, include every player on the Toronto Raptors.
   
   
5. Drake has built up enough respect and goodwill that he’s currently in the rare position of being able to drop a record, not promote it, not tour behind it, have it sell 500K + and keep it moving. Not a businessman, a business, man.
   
6. Drake has his own label, OVO Sound, so putting out the already announced Views From The 6 through his own situation is the underlying motivation for all the power moves.