Drake Joins 4batz On Remix To Viral Hit “act ii: date @ 8”

Drake Joins 4batz On Remix To Viral Hit “act ii: date @ 8”

It’s an old story, one that’s happened over and over again. An unknown act comes out of nowhere with a song that catches on in a huge way. And then boom: Before you know it, Drake jumps on a remix. The effect tends to be symbiotic. The artist gets a big boost from the Drake cosign, and Drake gets to turn the whole thing into a story about himself. Everyone rides everyone else’s wave. The latest beneficiary of the Migos Effect is 4batz, a 20-year-old singer from Dallas with a three-song discography.

The 4batz things is happening so quickly that people are already throwing around industry-plant accusations. 4batz presents himself like a rapper, but he sings spacey, minimal R&B tracks that fit comfortably into the 6LACK/Brent Faiyaz zone. He released his debut single last June, and he followed it with the two-minute track “act ii: date @ 8” in December. The track went viral, largely thanks to a video where he performs it outdoors, surrounded by friends — a tough presentation for an almost defiantly soft song.

4batz doesn’t have a major-label deal yet, but Rolling Stone reports that he does have a manager who also works at RCA. “act ii” took off on TikTok and landed on the Hot 100. It’s drawn endorsements from stars like SZA and Kanye West. In January, Timbaland praised the track on Instagram, and he suggested that Drake should jump on a remix — sharp, but not exactly revolutionary, since “act ii,” like so many R&B tracks from the past decade, carries an obvious Drake influence. 4batz released his third single “act iii: on god?” last week, and he started teasing the Drake remix of “act ii” earlier this week. Now, it’s here.

The original “act ii” sounded more like a sketch than a completed song. Now, with Drake on board, it’s got a beat switch, and it feels more like a full track. Drake sing-raps his verse, and he brings the song fully into the Drake zone. Listen below.

more from New Music