Drake knows how to put on a show. After assembling a giant ice sculpture in downtown Toronto as an homage to Olafur Eliasson to build hype for his upcoming album ICEMAN, the Canadian rapper announced that the release date for the project was hidden in the ice. As you might imagine, clipfarming ensued.
Here’s what we know about ICEMAN, Drake’s ninth studio album.
What is the release date for ICEMAN?
Drake has confirmed ICEMAN will release on May 15 via his Instagram.
Why did Drake put an ice sculpture in Toronto?
Drake is a stunt queen and knows a big spectacle will get people talking about his album. Toronto has always been a critical component of his iconography and narrative, but you could also take his focus on the city as a strategic retreat following the fallout from his 2024 rap battle with Kendrick Lamar.
Who made Drake’s giant ice sculpture?
The concept came from Drake’s long-time creative director and co-manager Matte Babel. The production and architecture work was done by MAWG Design.
What songs will be on ICEMAN?
While it’s possible that the album will be entirely new music, Drake dropped a few singles last year that could be on the record. Those include “What Did I Miss?,” “Which One” with Central Cee, and “Dog House” featuring Yeat and Julia Wolf, as well as the YouTube-exclusive "Thats How I Feel."
What features will be on ICEMAN?
Besides Central Cee and Yeat, likely features on ICEMAN include Young Thug, 21 Savage, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and Cash Cobain. Strong possibilities would include Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, and Sexyy Red. There’s also a rumor that Morgan Wallen could feature on the record, which would be bizarre but not unprecedented clout chasing.
Based on his current trajectory, I’d also expect Drake to try and tap some smaller artists for cred; that could involve another track with Pimmie, or a feature from an emerging rapper like diamond* or Fakemink (though I wouldn’t bet money on the 6ix God remixing “RIP Follies” or “Easter Pink”). My dark horse nominees include Latto and Loe Shimmy, rappers with highly compatible styles who Drake has shown a lot of love.
What producers will be on ICEMAN?
On his 2025 singles, Drake has been working with some of his tried and true producers like Boi1da and Tay Keith. Other key returning names are OZ (“Sicko Mode,” “Life Is Good”) and Fierce (“Family Matters,” “Push Ups”). Newer producers include Smash Daddy (“Location” by Khalid, “Bounce Back” by Big Sean) and Bosley (Trippie Redd). It also seems likely that Drake will do another song with Elkan, the producer behind “NOKIA.”
The most noteworthy co-production credit on “What Did I Miss?” and “Which One” is O Lil Angel, the producer alias of British rapper Octavian, who was accused of domestic violence in 2020. He was subsequently dropped by his label, management, and publicists.
In a 2021 interview with BBC, his ex-girlfriend said Octavian’s label attempted to buy her silence for £20,000. Later that year, Octavian said he was quitting music. Following a three year investigation, U.K. police declined to take the case to trial in 2024.
Under the name O Lil Angel, Octavian co-produced six songs on last year’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, as well as the loosie single “No Face.” Drake was an early proponent of Octavian's music when he first broke out in the U.K. around 2018.
