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There isn’t a name with more spotlight shined upon it right now than Drake. As one side of the most notorious rap beef in decades, opposite Kendrick Lamar, the Canadian has continued to be the most talked about rapper on the planet. His position has rarely faltered, but while now it is because of the countless allegations Kendrick has thrown his way, Drake was previously on everybody’s lips because of his music.

Usually not regarded by hip-hop heads as the pinnacle of rapping, but one of the more pop-orientated acts to succeed in recent years. With a ream of number one hits and a plethora of platinum discs, many have used this success as a way of bringing Drake down, citing him as a pop star before an MC.

There are more than a few songs which can be pointed to to confirm the theory, though. Drake has never been shy to embrace his natural R&B side with songs like ‘Passionfruit’ displaying his affection for slow rhyming and hip-swaying. however, it would appear one of the tracks many would call a pop hit was actually written for Drake’s “dawgs”.

Sitting in on a class at Florida International University with hospitality guru David Grutman, Drake revealed that ‘God’s Plan’ was far more than its uplifting video. The clip saw Drake moving around a deprived area and giving cash away to those in need. It was a positive message that seemed to align with the title of the track. However, Drake revealed during the hour-long conversation that to think of ‘God’s Plan’ as purely uplifting is to ignore the song’s true sentiment.

“Sometimes you forget what seems like the easiest ones really weren’t that easy,” he said when explaining his creative techniques. “Even ‘God’s Plan’ is another example of a song that I still feel has great integrity. It’s not like a corny song.”

The track would top the charts in 2018, but Drake recoiled at the idea that the tune was purely for the pop charts. “Obviously, a lot of people associate it with the video, and it’s assumed that it’s this positive, uplifting song,” he said. “But I remember I wrote that song for my dawgs.”

Continuing, he explained: “That was for the guys. We were turning up. I felt like I was talking crazy on there and then all of a sudden, it became this motivational record. I was like, ‘Alright, I don’t know if they read the lyrics.’”

The song has since been listed as one of Drake’s favourites from his own catalogue, perhaps owing to the somewhat ambiguous messaging centred within it. Listen to Drake’s tune ‘God’s Plan’ below and see if you can hear the message to his “dawgs”.