Drake has spoken about his past relationship with Serena Williams in newly released and never-before-seen footage from a studio session.
The Canadian rapper, now 37, hinted that his 2016 hit “Too Good” was inspired by the famous tennis player. He revealed this in a previously unreleased video in which he talks to his mother Sandi Graham about the song’s inspiration.
“I’ll take a lot when I smoke a few joints, but this is more about me and Serena,” Drake said of the track, which features Rihanna and is part of his fourth studio album, “Views.”
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Drake says “Too Good” was inspired by Serena Williams
Drake’s fans have been eagerly exploring his recently launched website, “100 Gigs,” which features archival footage and unreleased songs.
One particular clip making the rounds on social media shows Drake in a studio session, talking to his mother, Sandi Graham, who is off-camera.
During their conversation, one of the Grammy winner’s crew plays his 2016 collaboration with Rihanna, “Too Good.” Mother and son then discuss the song.
Graham comments that Drake’s music is “very light” and points out that he doesn’t “get deep into things,” but Drake disagrees.
“No, I’m smoking a few joints, but this is more about me and Serena,” he says. “I guess so!” replies Graham, who doesn’t seem surprised that her son is expressing his feelings in the song.
“I’m too good to you / I’m way too good to you / You take my love for granted / I just don’t understand,” the chorus repeats.
They start talking over each other, and a moment later “Too Good” starts playing again. The studio engineer turns the music off so they can continue talking.
“It’s funny because when I write songs about women, I also write songs for them, so I know what kind of song to write. If I’m talking about them, at least I’m doing them justice by writing them a song that they like,” Drake explains in the video. “I know Serena very well and I know she’s going to hear it loud and clear but she’s not going to hate me for it because it’s lighthearted.”
Then Graham asks a critical question: “And she’s seeing someone else?”
“I don’t know, mom,” the rapper replies.
It’s unclear when the video was recorded, but the tennis star, now 42, is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. They married in November 2017 and have two daughters, Alexis Olympia, 6, and Adira, who is due in August 2023.
In the past, rumors circulated that the hip-hop star and the former professional athlete had a relationship and were possibly even engaged.
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Rumors about a relationship between Serena Williams and Drake
Details about the alleged romance between Serena and Drake are scarce, and neither has discussed it publicly. They were known to be friends, and Drake supported Serena at tennis matches since 2011. Relationship rumors first surfaced in August 2015, when they were spotted kissing at a Cincinnati restaurant.
“Too Good” – featuring vocals by Rihanna, another of Drake’s ex-girlfriends – depicts a somewhat dysfunctional relationship in which both partners feel that their love is not appreciated enough.
Drake’s first verse addresses communication problems and growing distance. In contrast, in the third verse, he seems determined to make the romance work, even if it’s just casual.
“Views” was released in April 2016 and “Too Good” peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September of the same year.
As Drake’s mother notes in the video, Serena was dating Alexis when “Too Good” came out, and the couple got engaged in late 2016.
In the song, Drake subtly hints at a conflict with Alexis by calling him a “groupie.” “By the way, Serena, your man is a groupie / He claims we ain’t got a problem, but / Nah, boo, it’s like you came for sushi,” he raps.
Just last month, Serena jokingly mentioned Drake while speaking at the 2024 ESPYs. In reference to his feud with Kendrick LamarThe tennis star said: “If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us, not one of us, not even me, should ever start a fight with Kendrick Lamar.”
