Drake and Baby Keem were rumored to be collaborators back in the day, but nothing ever materialized. It's safe to say a collaboration between these two will never happen given Keem's relation to Kendrick Lamar. That said, it's one of those "what-ifs" that hip-hop fans will be left contemplating.
During an appearance on New Rory & Mal, former TDE artist Reason spoke about this alleged collaboration. He acknowledges there was a rumor that the collaboration existed, although it was eventually scrapped by TDE because they didn't want Keem's rollout to be dominated by Drake discourse.
This story was used as an example of TDE's philosophy when it comes to developing artists. Reason compared it to what just happened between AZ Chike and Kendrick Lamar. Lamar was reportedly set to be featured on the album. In the end, there was no Kendrick feature to be heard.
Reason believes this is because Kendrick learned from TDE and figured it would be best to let Chike have his moment. Had he been on the record, it's all people would have wanted to talk about.
Reason Offers Insight On Drake & Baby Keem
It is certainly an interesting theory, and we can completely understand the logic behind it. Ultimately, when an artist is on the rise, the worst thing that can happen is the discourse being consumed by another artist. We've seen it time and time again with up-and-comers who secure big features early on.
While some have rushed to criticize Kendrick Lamar for not appearing on the AZ Chike album, it is clear that it was all intentional. In the long run, the lack of Kendrick discourse may prove beneficial.
TDE has done wonders for young artists, and you have to trust their strategy given the track record.
