On the Radar Freestyle
2023 single by Drake and Central Cee
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"On the Radar Freestyle" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake and British rapper Central Cee. It premiered on On the Radar Radio as a freestyle rap for the radio show on July 21, 2023, and was released as a single on streaming services through OVO Sound four days later. The two artists wrote the song alongside DeVante Swing and with producers Harley Arsenault and Kid Masterpiece.[1] It was recorded in New York when Drake was there for the It's All a Blur Tour, his co-headlining tour with Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage.[2]
| "On the Radar Freestyle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Drake and Central Cee | ||||
| Released | July 21, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | July 2023 | |||
| Genre | UK drill | |||
| Length | 4:35 | |||
| Label | OVO | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Drake singles chronology | ||||
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| Central Cee singles chronology | ||||
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| Performance video | ||||
| "On the Radar Freestyle" on YouTube | ||||
Composition and lyrics
On the song, Drake references love, acting in Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001), and fellow Canadian singer Justin Bieber and his hometown of Stratford in Ontario, Canada as he raps: "If I take flicks with the guys, I gotta put emojis over like three faces / 'Cause the feds can’t see those eyes / People I shouldn't be beside / When I was an actor, they would go to Stratford just to sell food on Bieber's side / Plenty reasons why I'm this way / My girl, that's just one reason why". He also references Julius Caesar and Jesus: "If Chubbs has on a Chanel side bag, you don't wanna see him reach inside / 'Cause we know some demon guys with jealous and evil eyes / You know that's how Jesus died, you know that's how Julius Caesar died / I bet they were decent guys; I swear they remind me of me sometimes".[3] Central Cee references Opium Records and label signees Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely and sports teams Spartans W.F.C. and the Charlotte Hornets.[4]
Charts
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[5] | 89 |
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[6] | 45 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[7] | 106 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[8] | 9 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[9] | 42 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 87 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 74 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[12] | 26 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (Official Charts)[13] | 11 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 80 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] | 33 |