FBG X OVO: A Brief History Of Drake And Future

An Angela Yee slip-up on air earlier this week opened the floodgates for speculation regarding a possible Drake/Future mixtape, and there is substantial evidence supporting the theory that this tape is not only happening, it's dropping today.

Though this mixtape is an unexpected development, Drake and Future actually have a history, their friendship forged during long nights together putting in work in the studio.

Let's trace their collaborative relationship over the years that has led to this moment.

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Humble beginnings: "Tony Montana"

FBG X OVO: A Brief History Of Drake And Future

It was June 2011 when Drake dropped the "Marvin's Room" video, which depicts him looking depressed and getting wasted by himself in the club. Two weeks later he bounced back by delivering a fire guest verse on the remix to Future's "Tony Montana," which originally appeared on Fewtch's True Story mixtape.

"Tony Montana" was the first Drizzy-Future collab, and though the version with Drake would go on to make it onto Future's debut album Pluto, Drake didn't appear in the song's music video, which Future called a "slap in the face."

Drake wasn't too miffed about it. I’ve got no issues with him," he said in response. “I’m happy I got on the song." Based on subsequent events, their relationship clearly suffered no serious damage...

Studio chemistry

FBG X OVO: A Brief History Of Drake And Future

Drake and Future increasingly hit the studio together after "Tony Montana." Two studio hounds with natural studio chemistry. It appears that they especially got a lot of studio time together at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013.

“Future is probably one of my favorite people to come to the studio with just based off of his work ethic," said Drake in November 2012. "[He] inspires me, it makes me want to go home and cook up some new stuff."

Future concurred: "[With] the chemistry that we have we just feed off each other. We’ll come up with it by the second. We come up with hits easy. We ain’t been around each other that many times. We probably been in the studio three, four times but every time we go in the studio we come out with magic, easy.”

Karen Civil actually asked Future about the possibility of a joint mixtape with Drake in January 2013, to which Future simply sang Drake's praises and hoped that they could put something together. "When we in the studio we be in the zone," he said. "Like me and dude be in a super zone, we be on the same page. He could turn on the beat and be like damn I was thinkin that. We find ways to build from it. It's just finding the time to try to make it happen, to squeeze it in there.”

Also of note, Future inadvertently inspired the hook for Drake's "Started From the Bottom" during one of their studio sessions.

"Would You Like a Tour?" Rocky start, strong finish

FBG X OVO: A Brief History Of Drake And Future

After releasing Nothing Was the Same in September 2013, Drake set out on his "Would You Like a Tour?" for which Future was scheduled to be the opening act. Right before the tour -- Future's first -- was set to begin, the ATL rapper made some controversial comments about NWTS in an interview with Billboard. “Drake made an album that is full of hits but it doesn’t grab you," he said. "They’re not possessive; they don’t make you feel the way I do. I want to make you want to fall in love.”

Future immediately denounced the article. "Respect to Billboard, disappointed on being misquoted," he wrote. "Always love for my fam Drizzy Drake."

A wave of rumors followed, first that Drake, unhappy with Mr. Hendrix's comments, kicked him off the tour, followed by Future reportedly suing Drizzy for $1.5 million in lost wages. Ultimately it was all water under the bridge as Future ended up joining his buddy Champagne Papi on tour, and in April 2014 they would go on to team up for Honest single "Never Satisfied."

Back in Atl getting ready for tour..1st stop Pittsburgh

— FUTURE/FREEBANDZ (@1future) October 17, 2013

JUNGLE Tour & "Where Ya At"

FBG X OVO: A Brief History Of Drake And Future

Though Drake has long solidified his spot in the top of the rap game, Future really only made the leap to that first tier in 2015. Now on somewhat equal footing, Future Hendrix and Aubrey Graham have been getting together more than ever.

Future joined Drake on his "JUNGLE" mini-tour in May, and Future returned the favor by bringing Drizzy out at Atlanta 107.9 Birthday Bash 20 in June. They dropped "Where Ya At" in July and were last seen together in August, partying at Magic City, two days before the release of the "Where Ya At" video.