The Motto (Drake song)

"The Motto"
Single by Drake featuring Lil Wayne
from the album Take Care
ReleasedNovember 29, 2011 (2011-11-29)
Recorded2011
Genre
Length3:02 (Album version)
3:54 (Remix version featuring Tyga)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)T-Minus
Drake singles chronology
"Mr. Wrong"
(2011) 		"The Motto"
(2011) 		"Take Care"
(2012)
Lil Wayne singles chronology
"IMA BO$ (remix)"
(2011) 		"The Motto"
(2011) 		"Faded"
(2012)
Music video
"The Motto" on YouTube

"The Motto" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake featuring American rapper Lil Wayne. It is a digital iTunes Store bonus track from Drake's second studio album Take Care. "The Motto" premiered on Power 106 on October 31, 2011.[1] Drake released the song on his OVO blog a day later.[2] It was first played on rhythmic top 40 radio stations on November 29, 2011 as the album's fourth single.[3]

The track has sold over three million copies in the United States.[4] It peaked atop both the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and US Rap Songs charts, and was ranked 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-end Chart. "The Motto" was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 55th Grammy Awards.[5] Peaking at number 14, the song is one of the few songs to rank within the top 20 in the year-end chart without reaching the top ten. A music video directed by Lamar Taylor and Hyghly Alleyne was released on YouTube on February 10, 2012 and features cameos from E-40 and Mistah F.A.B.[6]

"The Motto" is best known for popularizing the phrase YOLO, an acronym for You Only Live Once, which is uttered during the song's hook.[7]

  1. ^ "Drake Debuts 'The Motto,' T.I.'s 'Headlines' Remix & Talks Kendrick Lamar Feature". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  2. ^ "Drake Feat. Lil Wayne – The Motto". October's Very Own. November 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Motto airplay was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference chartwatch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Vasquez, Andres (2012-12-06). "Grammy Nominees Revealed; Frank Ocean, Drake & 2 Chainz Among Those Nominated | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  6. ^ "The Motto (Explicit) – Drake ft. Lil Wayne, Tyga". VEVO.
  7. ^ "#YOLO: The newest acronym you'll love to hate". The Washington Post. April 6, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2016.