Nice For What

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Lore & Background

The journey of 'Nice For What' began with a leak; on March 14, 2018, Lauryn Hill's son, Joshua Omaru Marley, posted a snippet on Snapchat. Drake later confirmed the Murda Beatz-produced single during an Instagram Live session before making a surprise appearance at a Majid Jordan concert in Toronto on April 5. He told the crowd, 'The reason I'm here tonight is because I'm back in the city finishing my album,' adding, 'I've got a new single dropping tomorrow night, too.' The song's composition weaves together samples from Hill's 'Ex-Factor' (1998), Showboys' 'Drag Rap' (1986), and Big Tymers' 'Get Your Roll On' (2000). Lyrically, it focuses on the hook where Hill sings about 'cutting loose in the midst of a relationship.' The music video, directed by Karena Evans, features women swimming, dancing, modeling, playing with children, horse-riding, and holding business meetings. It includes guest appearances from Olivia Wilde, Misty Copeland, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Jourdan Dunn, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tiffany Haddish, Yara Shahidi, Zoe Saldaña, Elizabeth and Victoria Lejonhjärta, Letitia Wright, Bria Vinaite, Emma Roberts, Syd, Michelle Rodriguez, and Drake himself. Evans described the project on Instagram as 'a privilege and a blessing to have told this story with every single one of you revolutionary women.'

In Their Own Story

On April 6, 2018, 'Nice For What' debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, replacing Drake's own 'God's Plan' to become his fifth US number-one song. It also topped the UK Singles Chart and ARIA Singles Chart, marking his second number-one of 2018 in those countries. The track achieved Diamond certification from the RIAA. In its first week, it debuted with 88,000 downloads sold and 60.4 million streams, becoming the 30th song in Billboard history to enter at number one. It topped the Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks before being replaced on May 14, 2018, by Childish Gambino's 'This Is America.' The song returned for a fifth non-consecutive week on June 2, 2018, and became the first song to reach number one in four nonconsecutive runs, totaling eight weeks at the top. It was eventually replaced on July 21, 2018, by another Drake track, 'In My Feelings,' though it remained in the top ten for 17 weeks.

Reader's Guide

Critics widely praised 'Nice For What' for its promotion of female empowerment. Hugh McIntyre of Forbes called it a 'perfectly-pitched' delivery where the vocal sample helps the track stand out. Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork awarded it 'Best New Track,' lauding Drake for handling 'impeccable production from Murda Beatz' and calling it 'a fantastic piece of hip-hop machinery.' Chris DeVille of Stereogum described it as a 'big, brash, almost obnoxiously loud New Orleans bounce-inspired production' that sounds like a bid for commercial dominance. The song received a nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards and won two ASCAP Awards, including Top Rap Song. In terms of legacy, Rolling Stone ranked it 54th on their list of the '100 Best Songs of the 2010s' and named it the fifth-best song of 2018. The Guardian placed it at number one on their 2021 list of 'Drake's 30 Greatest songs,' while Billboard staff later ranked it as the number one Drake Hot 100 hit in their 2024 ranking of all 321 of his charting songs.

Did You Know?

• It was the first song in Billboard history to reach number one in four nonconsecutive runs.
• The music video features guest appearances from Olivia Wilde, Issa Rae, Tiffany Haddish, and Zoe Saldaña among others.
• Lauryn Hill's son, Joshua Omaru Marley, posted a snippet of the song on Snapchat before its official release.
• Drake replaced his own previous number-one single, 'God's Plan,' with this track upon its debut.
• The song samples not only Lauryn Hill but also tracks by the Showboys and Big Tymers.