Having spent ten weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, Views is Drake’s most commercially successful album yet, even though a lot of it seems like a parody of the artist recorded for a “Saturday Night Live” hosting gig. One of the most shining examples of that is the track “Child’s Play,” which the artist recorded a music video for in Houston last week. The location was convenient, as Drake will be kicking off his summer tour in Austin on July 20.
“Child’s Play,” features lyrics that are almost too on brand to be comfortable: “Why you gotta fight with me at Cheesecake/You know I love to go there/Say I’m actin’ lightskin, I can’t take you nowhere/This a place for families that drive Camrys and go to Disney/They don’t need to know all of our business.”
The mention of the Cheesecake Factory became a point of Internet obsession. And then, lo and behold, Drake was seen at a Houston-area Cheesecake Factory either filming a scene for the video or just grabbing a bite to eat at his beloved restaurant. Or both!
He was also spotted filming at VLive, a popular strip club has hosted Drake, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and many others. In one of the clips captured, Drake can be seen wearing a powder blue throwback jersey with the number one, paying tribute to Oilers great and hall of famer Warren Moon.
Drake has always had a special place for Houston in his heart. The rapper/singer/former child star created a magical stripper town in the song “Houstalantavegas,” recorded his own version of DJ Screw’s regional classic “June 27th,” and has worked with the city’s unofficial mayor, Bun B, several times. Drake owes some of his success to Houston’s Jas Prince, the son of Rap-a-Lot Records’ founder, J. Prince. And he has also held multiple “Houston Appreciation” weekends, in which tickets to concerts were earned through volunteering.
Drake’s unabashed love for Houston is contentious to some locals though. The Sauce Twinz believe Drake is a cultural vampire who steals lingo and swagger without caring too deeply about the city or its blue collar rappers. But if Drake found himself confronted by any of his detractors, it seemed that he didn’t engage. Cheesecake Factory is a place for families that drive Camrys, after all.
