Drake’s latest chart takeover is being powered by more than blockbuster streaming numbers. Behind ICEMAN’s historic opening week lies a dense web of samples, callbacks, and deep-cut interpolations that reveal just how carefully constructed the project is.
Released May 15 alongside companion albums HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR, ICEMAN has quickly become the centerpiece of one of the most ambitious surprise drops of Drake’s career. The Toronto superstar is on track to debut all three projects simultaneously inside the Billboard 200’s top three, a feat no artist has ever accomplished. Leading the charge, ICEMAN is expected to launch at No. 1 with 460,000 equivalent album units, while HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR are forecast to arrive at Nos. 2 and 3 with 114,000 and 109,000 units, respectively.
Commercially, the impact has been immediate. ICEMAN opened with 140.2 million first-day global Spotify streams, marking the biggest album debut of 2026 so far.
Yet beyond the numbers, ICEMAN stands out for its layered production choices. The album leans heavily into sample-based storytelling, blending soul classics, internet-era audio clips, nostalgic rap references, and even self-referential nods to Drake’s own catalog.
Full list of samples on ICEMAN
“Free” by Brown Sugar (1978)
Sampled on “Make Them Pay”
“Back to Back (Freestyle)” by Drake (2015)
Sampled on “Burning Bridges”
“Okay” by J-Sweet (2012)
Sampled on “National Treasures”
“This Is What I Believe” by Gregory Hines (1988)
Sampled on “National Treasures”
“Too Hard for the F—kin’ Radio” by Mac Dree (1989)
Sampled on “2 Hard 4 the Radio”
“That’s What I Need” by SWV (1992)
Sampled on “2 Hard 4 the Radio”
“Rack City” by Tyga (2011)
Sampled on “2 Hard 4 the Radio”
“I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li (2011)
Sampled on “Janice STFU”
“San Andreas Theme Song” by Michael Hunter (2004)
Sampled on “Make Them Know”
“Main Character Vubes” by Hanz (2025)
Sampled on “Dust”
“Oh My God He in Xgames Mode” by MrGalaxy (2015)
Sampled on “Dust”
“Are You in Drakes Best Friend Group” by BenDaDonnn (2026)
Sampled on “Plot Twist”
“What I Am” by Roger Ridley (1979)
Sampled on “Make Them Cry”
“Energy” by Drake (2015)
Sampled on “Firm Friends”
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