Drake And Quality Control: A Complete History

Drake has never been one to shy away from his love of Atlanta. Second only to his love of Toronto, he initially shouted out Atlanta on "Housatlantavegas," a standout off his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone. Not only has Drizzy collaborated with a bevvy of artists from the city, but he also possesses a long and checkered history with one of the more important labels currently working out of there - Quality Control.

The Atlanta-based label started by Coach K (Kevin Lee) and Pee (Pierre Thomas) has a deep roster of artists, with the likes of Lil Yachty, Stefflon Don, and OG Maco spearheading their campaign; they also happen to manage Cardi B, currently one of the biggest artists in the game. Of course, it’s truly the Grammy-award winning Migos that make up QC's most overt success story. 

In honor of the recently announced “Aubrey & The Three Amigos” tour taking place this summer, we decided to piece together a history and timeline of Drake’s relationship with Quality Control.

It all started with a song.

Outside of the insular hip-hop world, Migos were an unknown entity. Having released the irresistible "Versace" in 2013, it wasn’t until Drake hopped on the remix that the song went viral. Copying Migos’ triplet flow, Drake introduced the larger world to the Atlanta trio and their unique rhyming style. Though Migos might found their stature on the song diminished, Drake proved a major helping hand in propelling them to the level of success they currently have. Still, when Drake performed the track without Migos at the 2013 IHeart Radio Music Festival, it left a few purists feeling some type of way.

After releasing his 2015 mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, rumors began to swirl about Quentin Miller ghostwriting Drake's raps, a claim Miller later went on to deny. Inserting himself in to the rift, Quality Control signee OG Maco began openly fueling the Quentin Miller ghostwriting narrative, leading to a heated Twitter exchange between Maco and Boi 1da. It went so far that Quentin Miller seemed to blame Maco for giving added life to the rumors, a claim Maco later disputed on Vlad TV. Naturally, a whirlwind of drama and since-deleted Tweets had already ensued, opening the door for a rift between Quality Control and Drake.

It wasn’t until Drake and Gucci Mane’s 2016 track "Both" that any damage ostensibly caused by Maco's ghostwriting claims seemed to be mended. Drake shouted out QC-signee Lil Yachty with the bars “Open water, my location remote/ Shout Yachty but this ain’t a lil boat.” At a time when Yachty was still in the process of making a splash with Lil Boat, Drake discussing him - on a Gucci Mane track no less - instantly elevated his status. Despite the tumultuous past, it appeared Quality Control and Drake were headed towards a reconciliation.

Arguably Migos’ breakout star, Quavo appeared on Drake’s 2017 More Life playlist alongside Travis Scott on "Portland." The timing couldn't have been better, as Migos had recently released "Bad and Boujee," saw the single reach chart-topping heights, and earned an Emmy shout out from Donald Glover. It only made sense for Drake to reach out to another cultural icon.

"No Complaints" by Metro Boomin dropped in June 2017, bringing together the combined forces of Offset and Drake, during the former's emergence as a viable solo artist. The release also happened to arrive one day shy of 2013’s "Versace" anniversary. Coincidence?

In August 2017, during his annual OVO Festival performance, Drake furthered the Drake-Migos/Quality Control collaborative train by bringing out the Atlanta trio for a surprise performance, where they proceeded to bless attendees with a rendition of "Bad & Boujee" and "T-Shirt."

One year removed from releasing Culture, Migos dropped Culture II with the Drake assisted "Walk It Talk It" on the track list. Times had truly changed since "Versace," where Drake had twice the amount of bars than any Migos member. No longer dependent on Drizzy's fame, the collaboration between the two cultural giants makes sense from a marketing and financial point of view. 

Unfortunately, sharing the spotlight with Quavo, Takeoff and Offset only served to bury Drake’s forgettable verse. It was only after Drake appeared in the video, a distinctive take on Soul Train, that you remember he’s actually on the track. His Jheri curls, awkward dancing, and goofy smile made for instantaneous viral fame.

Stefflon Don, the UK rapper steadily making a name for herself, recently opened up about her experience with Drake. In an interview with British ES magazine, she told them how she previously received advice from Drake, who told her "Make sure that whatever you do your opponent is scared of you.” Seeing as she's signed to Quality Control, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a Drake and Stefflon Don collaboration in the future.

Lil Baby might have talent and potential, but he currently remains unknown outside of a niche circle. Now, Drake’s lead verse on "Yes Indeed" sets the stage for audiences to pay attention when Lil Baby’s debut album Harder Than Ever drops this Friday. Though Lil Baby didn't capitalize on his big chance as well as he probably should have, "Yes Indeed" will almost certainly have listeners intrigued about the QC rapper.

A few days after Drake and Lil Baby’s collaboration was previewed on OVO Sound Radio, the Toronto rapper announced his tour with Migos. The cultural giants will embark on the “Aubrey and The Three Amigos” tour from July 26th to November 17th, before coming to a stop in Migos' homeland Atlanta. 

Speaking with Billboard, Coach K opened up about the tour, reflecting on how it was a logical step for both parties:

"It was a good fit because Quavo and Drake are really good friends. They've worked on a lot of projects. They really have a lot of music together, you know what I'm saying? And, I mean, shit, but who else [would have taken their place?] I mean, Migos had such a good year. The last two years they really put the work in and I think it's a really good fit. I personally think it's a really good fit. It's going to be a monstrous tour."