Beginning with an old-school beat before moving into a more contemporary sound as 21 Savage takes over, “Jimmy Cooks” invites listeners on a journey through the times. Drake’s times, that is.
As noted by Genius, “Jimmy Cooks” delves into Drake’s professional journey, and makes reference to the rapper’s beginnings as an actor on Canadian TV show, “Degrassi.” As longtime fans will recall, Drake played Jimmy Brooks on the show for close to a decade. However, as MTV reported in 2015, the “Worst Behavior” rapper told W Magazine that his tenure was cut short when he chose to channel all his energy into his then-fledgling music career. “I’d spend a full day on set and then go to the studio to make music until 4 or 5 a.m. … I’d sleep in my dressing room and then be in front of the cameras again by 9 a.m. Eventually, they realized I was juggling two professions and told me I had to choose. I chose this life.” Drake’s opening lyrics in the first verse, “F*** a pigeonhole,” seem like a stark reminder of that very choice.
As for where the “cooks” comes in, it’s more than a name to rhyme along with Drake’s ex-character. “I’m cookin’ up ambition on a kitchen stove,” Drake raps, speaking to his constant desire to keep pushing for more, from his early days as an aspiring rapper up ’til now.
Nicki
