Rich Flex

"Rich Flex"
Single by Drake and 21 Savage
from the album Her Loss
ReleasedNovember 11, 2022[1]
Genre
Length3:59
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Drake singles chronology
"Jimmy Cooks"
(2022) 		"Rich Flex"
(2022) 		"Circo Loco"
(2022)
21 Savage singles chronology
"Jimmy Cooks"
(2022) 		"Rich Flex"
(2022) 		"Circo Loco"
(2022)
Audio
"Rich Flex" on YouTube

"Rich Flex" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage from their collaborative studio album Her Loss (2022). It was sent to US rhythmic radio on November 11, 2022, as the lead single from the album. The song interpolates "Savage" (2020) by Megan Thee Stallion, "24's" (2003) by T.I., and 21 Savage's own "Red Opps" (2016), as well as sampling "I Want You, Girl" (1973) by Sugar and "Nora's Transformation" (1973) by Charles Bernstein. The song spent its first three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number two (tying "My Life" as 21 Savage's highest-charting song as a lead artist), blocked from reaching the top spot by Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" and peaked at number one on the Canadian Hot 100 chart where it became Drake's eleventh number one single.[2][3] The song also topped the Billboard Global 200, becoming Drake's second and 21 Savage's first song to do so.

Background

[edit]

On November 3, 2022, the song was announced as part of the tracklist reveal for Her Loss.[4] Shortly after release, the track garnered attention and went viral due to the chorus's lyrical content.[5] The track in particular was widely picked out since it features an interpolation of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage", including writing credits, while another song on the album titled "Circo Loco" sparked controversy as Drake allegedly accused Stallion of lying about the 2020 shooting incident, involving her and rapper Tory Lanez.[6][7][8] However, Lil Yachty, who contributed to numerous tracks on Her Loss, confirmed on behalf of Drake that the lyric was in fact about women who lie about getting butt injections (hence the words 'shot' and 'stallion', which is slang for a woman with large buttocks).[9]

Composition

[edit]

Serving as the "tough, bass-driven"[10] opener for the album, "Rich Flex" sees the two rappers "going back and forth" after a spoken intro performed by rapper Young Nudy.[5] The track starts out with Drake repeatedly asking Savage to do him a favor over a "typically spare Tay Keith beat", while the latter "raps about strip club exploits at Magic City and pistol-whipping an enemy", occasionally imitating the flow of Stallion's "Savage".[11] Similar to their previous collaboration on "Jimmy Cooks", the song makes use of a beat switch over halfway through the track, with Drake riding "a crashing piano beat".[11] The song was seen as a return to "rap-mode" for Drake after having ventured into house music with Honestly, Nevermind (2022).[12]

Critical reception

[edit]

21 Savage in particular was praised for his appearance on the song.[5] In a track review for the song, Matthew Ritchie at Pitchfork opined that the presence of Savage "makes Drake confront the idea of his own rap mortality" and lets him realize that he cannot "coast on vibe alone" when met with "real skill" alongside his appearance.[11] Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves pointed out the track for letting the album start out "promisingly", stating that it serves as a "decent introduction that allows [21 Savage] to skate around impropriety".[13] Marcus Shorter of Consequence noted that, by taking turns, the rappers "mirror each other's cadences and rhyme patterns while attacking the same subject matter from slightly different angles".[14]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Rich Flex"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[59] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[60] Gold 20,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[61] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[62] Gold 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[63] Gold 15,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[64] Platinum 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[65] Gold 400,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[66] Platinum 2,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Crossover – YOUR RADIO CHART PREVIEWS". Hits. November 18, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  2. ^ Trust, Gary (2022-12-05). "Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero' Atop Hot 100 for Sixth Week, Six Holiday Classics Scale Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  3. ^ "Drake". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  4. ^ Disalvo, Tom (November 4, 2022). "Drake & 21 Savage share collaborative album "Her Loss" featuring 'Rich Flex' and 'Major Distribution'". NME. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Hynes, Hayley (November 5, 2022). "Drake Goes Viral For His "Zesty" Lyrics On "Rich Flex" From "Her Loss" Album". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  6. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (November 5, 2022). "Megan Thee Stallion Receives Writing Credit on Drake and 21 Savage's 'Her Loss'". Complex. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Curto, Justin (November 4, 2022). "Megan Thee Stallion Bodies Drake for Questioning Her Shooting". Vulture. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  8. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (November 4, 2022). "Drake's Controversial 'Circo Loco' Lyric Actually Isn't The Only Megan Thee Stallion Reference On 'Her Loss'". Uproxx. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  9. ^ Geraghty, Hollie (November 7, 2022). "Lil Yachty says Drake's 'Circo Loco' line is not about Megan Thee Stallion". NME. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  10. ^ Garratt-Stanley, Fred (November 7, 2022). "Drake and 21 Savage – 'Her Loss' review: exciting prospect marred by lazy songwriting". NME. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Ritchie, Matthew (November 4, 2022). "Drake / 21 Savage: "Rich Flex" Track Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  12. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 4, 2022). "Premature Evaluation: Drake & 21 Savage Her Loss". Stereogum. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  13. ^ Reeves, Mosi (November 6, 2022). "'Her Loss' Is A Misfire That Drake Will Hopefully Learn From". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  14. ^ Shorter, Marcus (November 4, 2022). "Her Loss Delivers on the Musical Promise of Drake and 21 Savage's Personal Relationship". Consequence. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  15. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  17. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  18. ^ "Drake Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  19. ^ "Drake Chart History (Croatia Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  20. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 45. týden 2022 in the date selector. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  21. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". Tracklisten. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  22. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  23. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  24. ^ "Drake Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  25. ^ "Digital Singles Chart (International)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  26. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  27. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  28. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  29. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". Top Digital Download. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  30. ^ "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 01. nedēļa" (in English and Latvian). LAIPA. January 4, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  31. ^ "2022 45-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  32. ^ "Drake Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  33. ^ Bayley, Jack (29 November 2022). "The Official MENA Chart launches – Calm Down by Rema region's first-ever #1". ifpi.org. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  34. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  35. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  36. ^ "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100". TurnTable. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  37. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". VG-lista. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  38. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 06.01.2023–12.01.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  39. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  40. ^ "Drake Chart History (Romania Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  41. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 45 (4-10 Nov 2022)". RIAS. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  42. ^ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202245 into search. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  43. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 45-2022". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  44. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  45. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  46. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  47. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  48. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  49. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  50. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  51. ^ "Drake Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  52. ^ "Drake Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  53. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart for 2023". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  54. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  55. ^ "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  56. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  57. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  58. ^ "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  59. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  60. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2023". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  61. ^ "Danish single certifications – Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  62. ^ "Italian single certifications – Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  63. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  64. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 20, 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Rich Flex in the search box.
  65. ^ "British single certifications – Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  66. ^ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 08/2023" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rich_Flex&oldid=1242266599"