TORONTO — Canadian rap star Drake surprised fans late Thursday by releasing a new digital album.
The Toronto-born artist tweeted a link overnight to If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, a collection of 17 tracks, available on iTunes.
There are collaborations with Lil’ Wayne, PartyNextDoor and Travi$ Scott.
Drake raps about his hometown and, in “You & The 6,” about his mother Sandi in Toronto and his father Dennis in Memphis.
If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, which is Drake’s fourth studio album since 2010, came only hours after Drake posted a dramatic short film called Jungle.
The 14-minute video includes scenes of Drake walking around Toronto as well as clips of home video of him as a boy performing rap.
The idea of releasing an album without advance warning or marketing paid off for Beyonce in 2013. Her self-titled Dec. 13 surprise “visual album” debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and sold a million digital copies in its first week.
BELOW: Watch Drake’s short film Jungle. Warning: Contains language that some might find offensive.
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