Drake is taking heat for a songwriting credit on his new album Certified Lover Boy for R. Kelly, the R&B singer currently on trial for alleged sex crimes against underaged girls and boys.
Kelly is among eight songwriters listed, in addition to Drake, on "TSU." The others include Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and '80s hitmaker Christopher Cross.
Also earning songwriter credits on CLB are Fred Fairbrass, Richard Fairbrass and Robert Manzoli of Right Said Fred. They are listed along with five others on “Way 2 Sexy” ft. Future and Young Thug – a play on Right Said Fred’s 1992 hit “I’m Too Sexy.” (In 2017, the trio was credited on Taylor Swift's “Look What You Made Me Do," which interpolates the song.)
Richard Fairbrass, an outspoken critic of lockdown measures who was hospitalized last month for COVID-19, reportedly told the Daily Mail: "This vaccine is only for experimental use, it's on trial until 2023, there is no long-term data on it – anyone who takes it is foolish. Come 2023 and everything is fine, I'll do it then. I'm absolutely not going to have one now."
(Via Twitter on Friday, Right Said Fred insisted: "We have never said we’re anti-vaxx that’s because we aren’t anti-vaxx ... you should know better than to believe everything you read.")
Less controversial are credits on CLB for two of the world’s most iconic songwriters. John Lennon and Paul McCartney are among eight songwriters on the album’s opening track “Champagne Poetry” because it interpolates the 1965 Beatles classic “Michelle.”
In 2019, Drake – who boasted that he’s “got more slaps than The Beatles” on Meek Mill’s “Goin’ Bad” – added a tattoo on his left forearm that depicts him holding up his hand to the Fab Four, who appear in formation à la Abbey Road.
Other singers who got songwriting credits on CLB include Montell Jordan and Nicki Minaj on “Papi’s Home,” Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds on “Fair Trade” ft. Travis Scott and Sean Love Combs (aka Diddy) on “Love All” ft. Jay-Z.
The highly-anticipated Certified Lover Boy, which clocks in at nearly 90 minutes, features Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Giveon, Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Future, Young Thug, Yebba, 21 Savage, Project Pat, Tems, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Kid Cudi.
Drake’s fellow hometown stars The Weeknd and PartyNextDoor contributed backing vocals on “N 2 Deep” and “F**king Fans” respectively. Others lending backing vocals include Nicki Minaj, Juice WRLD and Anthony Hamilton.