Nickelus F, whose real name is Daniel W. Jones, is an American rapper from Richmond, Virginia. He is best known for his work with Canadian rapperDrake during his earlier career phases. They collaborated on Drake’s debut mixtape “Room for Improvement” (2006) and its follow-up, “Comeback Season” (2007).
Drake has described Nickelus F as
“one of the most gifted people I know at finding flows“.
In fact, Drake has even referred to Nickelus F as “forever one of my idols” in a comment under an interview clip Nickelus F posted with The Floaters.
These two individuals have connected through their mutual love for rap. Nickelus F said in an interview,
“Drake was really into the raps, just like we were. That’s why we connected and how he connected. We were into the same sort of raps”.
They met after Drake reached out to Nickelus F on MySpace, expressing his admiration for Nickelus F’s music. They ended up doing a couple of joints back-and-forth through email and put them on the net, and people really took to them.
Regarding the song “I’m Goin In”, it was written by Nickelus F, Drake, Jeezy & Lil Wayne. The song appears on Drake’s EP “So Far Gone” (2009) and features fellow rappers Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy. It was sent to urban contemporary radio as the EP’s third and final single on October 27, 2009. The song has become somewhat infamous because of Drake’s use of a ghostwriter, something which he has long been accused of. It was revealed that Nickelus F wrote Drake’s verse on the song.
Drake and Nickelus F have had different paths in their careers. Drake, with 13 songs topping the Billboard Hot 100 List, has achieved mainstream success and amassed a considerable fortune of approximately $250 million. He earns an estimated $50 million annually from music and has made millions from successful albums, concert tours, and business ventures. In 2021, he became the first artist to get more than 50 billion total streams on Spotify.
On the other hand, Nickelus F, best known for his work with Drake during Drake’s early career phases, has had a prolific career with over 20 mixtapes and 11 studio projects. His impact and legacy in the music industry are significant measures of his success. Despite the differences in their career trajectories and wealth, both artists have made important contributions to the music industry.
Nickelus F played a significant role in Drake’s early career, influencing his flow and style, and even ghostwriting for him. Their relationship was built on mutual respect and a shared passion for rap. Nickelus F’s influence on Drake is evident in their collaborations and Drake’s own acknowledgment of Nickelus F as one of his idols.
