People are confused by Drake’s new album name
On Tuesday, Billboard revealed that the name of Drake’s still-unrecorded next album will be Views From the 6—and then confusion set in. Unlike the rapper’s previous album titles, which have been intelligible if slightly cryptic (Take Care, Nothing Was the Same), this one is so open to interpretation that even Billboard didn’t know quite what to make of it. And that’s despite a preponderance of evidence that it’s just a sly reference to the last digit in Toronto’s area code.
Even so, not everyone is convinced.
In its article, Billboard says only “it’s not entirely clear” what “the 6” is supposed to mean, a sentiment echoed by Rolling Stone and other music-news sources. On Twitter this morning, CBC Metro Morning host Matt Galloway wondered if this is Drake’s attempt to coin a new nickname for Toronto:
Drake announces the title of a new album, Views From The 6. Is The 6 the new Toronto nickname we've been waiting for? http://t.co/tsMw94F47u
— Metro Morning (@metromorning) July 16, 2014
Which is probably the case. (“The 6” would certainly be more flattering than “Hogtown,” and less tragic than “El Toro”.)
Star Queen’s Park reporter Robert Benzie thinks Drake may actually be a scholar of municipal amalgamation, which seems unlikely:
@metromorning Does the 6 refer to the amalgamation of Toronto, North York, Scarborough, East York, York, and Etobicoke? @Drake a Metro man.
— Robert Benzie (@robertbenzie) July 16, 2014
Now Magazine’s Jonathan Goldsbie has an alternative theory that actually makes sense, sort of:
@metromorning Pretty close to On the 6, Jennifer Lopez's breakthrough album named after the NYC subway connecting the Bronx to Manhattan.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 16, 2014
Meanwhile, if this collection of tweets on Hiphopwired.com is anything to go by, ordinary fans are just as perplexed as everyone else, but also angry.
If this is, indeed, a subtle attempt at rebranding the city, it’s a promising one. Drake can make news by lint-rolling his pants. He can make a nickname stick.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/culture/people-who-are-confused-by-drakes-new-album-name/&title=People are confused by Drake’s new album name&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/drake-small.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_282580" align="alignright" width="200"] (Image: musicisentropy/Flickr)[/caption]
On Tuesday, Billboard revealed that the name of Drake's still-unrecorded next album will be Views From the 6—and then confusion set in. Unlike the rapper's previous album titles, which have been intelligible if slightly cryptic (Take Care, Nothing Was the Same), this one is so open to interpretation that even Billboard didn't know quite what to make of it. And that's despite a preponderance of evidence that it's just a sly reference to the last digit in Toronto's area code.
Even so, not everyone is convinced.
In its article, Billboard says only "it's not entirely clear" what "the 6” is supposed to mean, a sentiment echoed by Rolling Stone and other music-news sources. On Twitter this morning, CBC Metro Morning host Matt Galloway wondered if this is Drake's attempt to coin a new nickname for Toronto:
https://twitter.com/metromorning/status/489361230919114752
Which is probably the case. ("The 6” would certainly be more flattering than "Hogtown," and less tragic than "El Toro".)
Star Queen's Park reporter Robert Benzie thinks Drake may actually be a scholar of municipal amalgamation, which seems unlikely:
https://twitter.com/robertbenzie/status/489362817661681664
Now Magazine’s Jonathan Goldsbie has an alternative theory that actually makes sense, sort of:
https://twitter.com/goldsbie/status/489363030527180800
Meanwhile, if this collection of tweets on Hiphopwired.com is anything to go by, ordinary fans are just as perplexed as everyone else, but also angry.
If this is, indeed, a subtle attempt at rebranding the city, it's a promising one. Drake can make news by lint-rolling his pants. He can make a nickname stick.){kind=link}
I’m kinda surprised that even Toronto Life seems a little confused. The 6 is definitely a new slang term for Toronto… Drake lifted it from Toronto rapper and OVO affiliate Jimmy Johnson. How has no one done any research about this? I’m shocked that Billboard and Rolling Stone are so lazy.
I can’t believe Toronto Life wasted time doing this write up. Obviously the 6 is short for 416 which represents Toronto. What a joke Toronto Life is
P.S Steve Kupferman should be fired
Hmmm, I thought “The 6” was a reference to the municipalities that made up Metro before amalgamation. You know, North York, Scarborough, East York, York, Etobicoke and Toronto.
everyone is a hater… looking for something to argue/make fun of Drake when it is quite clear what The 6 means… and they call themselves “music-news source”.
It’s a play on words. Views from the 6, directly means Toronto. But in his album he also uses it from the past as Views from the back, talking about the times he wasn’t number 1 in the rap game.