Drake is inching closer to making history with his latest single, “Slime You Out.” His duet with SZA debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, the 12th number-one record of Drake’s career.
“Slime You Out” puts Drake in a three-way tie with Madonna and The Supremes for the fifth most No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. He is only one song away from tying with Michael Jackson for the most No. 1 singles by a Black male solo artist. “Smile You Out” is also Drake’s eighth single to debut at the chart’s summit, the most in history.
Besides Jackson, Drake now trails only The Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (19), and Rihanna (14) in Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers. He has a comfortable lead as the rapper with the most Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, with Ludacris, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Eminem, and Cardi B each tied for second place with five.
Drake has also contributed to 70 songs that have ranked in the top 10 – the most for any artist. He collaborated on many of those songs through guest verses like on the No. 1 single “Wait For U” by Future, along with Tems, and Rihanna’s “Work.”
The release for “Smile You Out” came with some controversy over the single’s cover art: a photo of Halle Berry getting slimed at the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards. The Academy Award-winning actress criticized Drake for using the photograph, saying that after asking for her blessing to use it, he did it despite her saying no, according to CBS News. Getty Images owns the photo, and Berry had no rights over its use. However, she still expressed anger over the request.
“Why ask if you intend to do what you want to do,” Berry said on Instagram. “That was the f**k you to me. Not cool You get it?” The song is the lead single of Drake’s forthcoming solo album, “For All the Dogs,” slated for an Oct. 6 release.
“Smile You Out” is SZA’s second No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. She reached the chart’s peak for the first time with “Kill Bill” earlier this year. Her latest single, “Snooze,” reached No. 3 on the chart this week, the ninth top 10 of her career.
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