Wikipedia

Rich Flex

"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.

"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

Background

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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

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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

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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

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Certifications

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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

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  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.
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  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.
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  7. ^ Curto, Justin (November 4, 2022). "Megan Thee Stallion Bodies Drake for Questioning Her Shooting". Vulture. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
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  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.
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