This one is complicated. On the surface, “Only” is Nicki’s song about female empowerment and sexual freedom. But Drake’s verse feels deeply personal: “You know we got that chemistry, the lab just called / You know I’m pussy-whipped, the cat just called / A real ni**a, that’s the only thing I never been / Let me be the only thing you never let him.” Many fans believe he’s speaking directly to Nicki—referencing their real-life chemistry and hinting at unspoken boundaries.
Before the speculation went viral, there was this Thank Me Later deep cut. The line is now infamous in Drake lore: “Always promised that I’d take ‘em to the top / I guess that Nicki Minaj is the only thing I got.” At the time, fans saw it as a label shoutout. But in hindsight, given their undeniable closeness, it reads like a young artist admitting who his real anchor was. drake song about nicki minaj
On For All the Dogs , Drake drops a line that reignited the rumor mill: “I had a crush on Nicki Minaj / But that was back in the day.” For years, he deflected and hinted. Here, he finally says the quiet part out loud. It’s casual, almost throwaway, but it confirms what fans always suspected: at some point, the Young Money duo had a real, albeit unresolved, spark. This one is complicated
While not a love song, the music video for HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right) is a time capsule. Drake and Nicki share a charged, playful energy during their scenes together. The song itself isn’t about her, but Drake’s body language and the way he looks at her in the visual cemented the “shippers” theory for good. Before the speculation went viral, there was this
One of Drake’s most direct nods came years later on Her Loss . He raps: “Shorty said she feelin’ my aura / I said, ‘That’s just Nicki Minaj’s perfume.’” It’s a subtle callback—implying that even now, his scent or presence is tied to her. It’s less about a current romance and more about lingering nostalgia and an unbreakable bond.