Drake has a strong affinity for promoting HBCUs in his music, and his collaboration with Benny The Butcher on the new track, “Buffalo Freestyle,” certainly lived up to expectations. In this latest release, Drake gives a shout-out to Jackson State, reflecting on a memorable moment that influenced his career.
In the song, Drake raps, “My résumé is thicker than Nicki, I’m busy-busy/I remember doing halftime at Jackson, Mississippi.” This line recalls his performance during a halftime show at a Jackson State University football game, underscoring his longstanding appreciation for HBCUs.
This isn’t Drake’s first tribute to Jackson State or HBCUs in general. Just this past February, alumni from Jackson State’s famous marching band, the Sonic Boom of the South, joined him on stage during his “It’s All A Blur – Big as the What?” tour with J. Cole in Tampa, Florida.
Drake’s road manager, Christopher “CJ” Gibson, elaborated on the decision to feature the Sonic Boom, as detailed in a quote from the Jackson State Newsroom.
“The first leg of the ‘It’s All a Blur Tour’ featured 21 Savage as the co-headliner. When we were organizing the second leg, we switched the artist, and this time J. Cole is headlining. They wanted to bring a fresh element compared to the previous tour,” Gibson explained. “Drake suggested incorporating a sports theme for the show and wanted a marching band. Everyone we work with knows that I was in a marching band.”
The Toronto-born artist also made headlines during the joint homecoming of Morehouse and Spelman in 2022, where he surprised fans by joining 21 Savage on stage. His appreciation for HBCU culture extends further; he has honored events like the Southern Heritage Classic, where Jackson State and Tennessee State have competed for years, as well as Howard University and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated in various songs. He even gave a shoutout to Texas Southern University in the track “TSU.”
This song is part of Benny The Butcher’s three-track EP, Buffalo Butch Vol. 1. In addition to “Buffalo Freestyle,” the EP features “Penny & Shaq Freestyle” with 38 Spesh and “Hard Way Freestyle” featuring Fabolous. The collaboration had been rumored and previously circulated online as an unreleased track, but it’s now officially available, just in time for the football season, making it likely to appear on the playlists of HBCU fans, especially those of Jackson State, this Fall.
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