When 21 Savage emerged as a fresh face on the ever-changing rap scene in 2016, Drake crowned the tattooed, gold-toothed rapper "a young October king with all the juice right now." Seven years later, they're co-headlining one of the summer's hottest tours.

The rappers' friendship has resulted in a number of collaborations over the years, culminating in the blockbuster release of their frisky joint project, Her Loss, in November 2022. The pair will bring the album — as well as their respective hits — on the road with the It's All a Blur Tour, which kicks off July 5 in Chicago and runs through Oct. 9. 

The 21-Drizzy partnership is more mutually beneficial than it might seem on the surface; even 21 Savage himself has compared their bond to that of Los Angeles Lakers legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. While Drake has long been rap's never-aging chameleon, he always challenges himself to keep up with the genre's new faces. And combining 21's street cred with Drake's commercial appeal, they've created a unique partnership that's hard to duplicate. 

Whether or not you'll be catching Drake and 21 Savage on their 2023 tour, find out more about the history of their friendship and musical connection below. 

2016: Drake Rents 21 Savage A Ferrari For His 24th Birthday

All 21 Savage wanted for his 24th birthday was to be in the driver's seat of a Ferrari while cruising the streets of Beverly Hills — and Drake made it happen.

Many thought Drizzy purchased the candy-red sports car for 21, but the gift ended up being a loaner for the weekend to help the Atlanta rapper move around L.A. in style. Savage loved it so much that he went and actually bought a Ferrari for himself.  

"Nah, he ain't buy me no car," 21 later cleared up in an interview with Real 92.3. "He did some real s—. We was just talking, and I was like 'Man, I want a Ferrari or some s—.' 

"So, he just got me one for the whole time I was in L.A. for my birthday. But I fell in love with the car, so I just went and bought one. He looked out. Shout-out to Drake. N—s ain't doing s— like that. N—s barely even tell n—s 'Happy birthday.'"

21 even told GQ that was the only gift he received altogether for his birthday that year.

2016: Drake & 21 Savage Drop First Collab With "Sneakin'"

"Sneakin" arrived in a care package shortly after Drake's 30th birthday, alongside "Fake Love" and "Two Birds, One Stone." The bristling track served as the first offering from the 6 God and 21, which drew rave reviews.

Floating over London On Da Track production, Drake crowns himself "The GOAT," and revels in his various rap feuds while riding high coming off of his dismantling of Meek Mill a year prior. 

21 dishes out menacing rhymes and gives himself the fitting nickname of The Reaper while letting the world know "Baby, I'm a savage, I ain't a romantic."

2017: "Issa" Leaks Early & Doesn't Make 21's Issa Album

"Issa" was widely expected to land on 21 Savage's July 2017 album of the same name, but the Drake and Young Thug-assisted potential banger didn't end up making the cut. According to engineer Alex Tumay, 21's label didn't believe the tune would receive the proper love from the public since it was leaked in the months leading up to the LP.

Perhaps "Issa" will most widely be remembered for 21 reigniting his brief feud with Tyga and name-dropping his former boo Kylie Jenner. "Issa Kylie, might be Jenner — hold up," he raps. 

While it's not on streaming services, "Issa" — the catchphrase 21 made popular from his 2016 VladTV interview — is available on platforms such as SoundCloud and YouTube for fans to enjoy nonetheless. 

2018: 21 Savage Says Drake Doesn't Get Enough Respect For Helping Emerging Artists

Drake makes dishing out assists look as easy as NBA legend (and fellow Canadian) Steve Nash did on the basketball court. Drizzy has laid out the tarmac for countless rappers to take off into stardom, from Migos ("Versace") to BlocBoy JB ("Look Alive")  — and 21 is appreciative of the opportunity.

"Drake just a genuine-ass good-hearted person," Savage told GQ in 2018. "He did a lot of s— he didn't have to do. He do a lot of s— for up-and-coming rappers, period. I don't think he get his respect for that. Every f—ing year, he pull a new artist up. Ain't no other artist on his level do that s—."  

Even 15 years into his decorated career, Drake is still willing to share lucrative real estate on various tracks with emerging artists and lend co-signs that lead to millions of dollars. (Most recently, Drake hopped on rising UK rapper J Hus' "Who Told You.") 

2020: Drake Joins 21 Savage & Metro Boomin' For "Mr. Right Now"

After spending 2018 cementing his one-of-a-kind hitmaking ability with Scorpion, Drake joined forces with 21 once again in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic for "Mr. Right Now."

The bawdy track — from 21 Savage and Metro Boomin's Savage Mode II — sees Drizzy and 21 trade places, with the Slaughter Gang honcho handling hook duties this time around. They ruminate about their love for classic R&B over titillating Metro Boomin production. 

"Mr. Right Now" has arguably become most memorable for Drake's revelation about dating SZA when she was just a teenager. "Yeah, said she wanna f— to some SZA, wait/' Cause I used to date SZA back in '08/ If you cool with it, baby, she can still play," he raps. 

2021: "Knife Talk" Lands On Drake's Certified Lover Boy

Initially intended for Savage Mode II, Drake and 21 Savage completed "Knife Talk" in a race against the buzzer to make the cut for Drake's 2021 LP, Certified Lover Boy. It became an ominous album standout — and though it never became a single, "Knife Talk" is a prime example of the kind of commercial appeal this duo serves.

Built around Metro Boomin's icy piano keys and a cinematic Plain Pat-sampling backdrop, 21 repeats "gang s—hit that's all I'm on" in a sinister, almost hypnotic flow. Meanwhile, Drake raps with slight paranoia, while sending more subliminal shots in Kanye West's direction — but ultimately retreats to his mafioso persona.

2021: 21 Savage Admits He Wouldn't Listen To Drake If He Wasn't A Rapper

In Atlanta, there's a contingent of rap fans who believe Future is a bigger artist than Drake. In explaining this hot take to DJ Akademiks in 2021, Savage admitted that before they became friends, he didn't listen to Drake much.

"N—s don't be listenin' to Drake like that where we are," he said. "If I wasn't a rapper, I don't feel like I still would listen to Drake, for real. It's just I'm a rapper so I understand the work he puts in and how hard he goes. When you ain't no rapper, all them statistics don't mean s—."

21 went on to detail how his circle paired hip-hop culture relevance with who was getting played in the night clubs rather than using Billboard chart hits or streaming statistics to support their beliefs. 

"A regular street n— don't give a f— about how many times you went No. 1, how many white people listen to your s— because them n-—s, the furthest they think is the club," Savage added. "Who's selling this club out? That's who they think is the biggest n—."

2022: 21 Savage's Manager Reveals His Drake Features Are Free Of Charge

The 6 God and Slaughter Gang bond organically grew to the point they don't even charge each other for features. And they actually never did in the past either, according to 21's manager Justin "Meezy" Williams.

"A lot of the artists, they are low-key peers," Meezy explained during a Clubhouse chat with Druski in early 2022. "So s— just be happening naturally. A n— might be in the studio, somebody ask, 'Ay, can you do this song?' And it happens, because n— f— with each other, so you ain't gonna talk about money." 

21 added that considers Drake family at this point, as Meezy compared the rappers' relationship to what Savage has with Young Nudy, who is his cousin.

"Most of the time, when you bring up Drake or Nudy...if Nudy got a song, ain't nobody even thinking about no paperwork if Savage get on something," Meezy continued. "We know that's going to get handled whatever. It's relationship-based, a lot of times it's like that.

"N— ain't paying each other for verses. I think where [Drake's] at he's just choosing who he f—s with. I know anything we've ever done with him, there's never been money involved, ever."

2022: "Jimmy Cooks" Closes Out Drake's Honestly, Nevermind

Drake took his fans to a musical destination they'd never been with his dance-leaning album Honestly, Nevermind. But before haters could react, he brought them to a comfort zone to prove he was still at the top of the rap food chain — and of course, it involved 21.

"Jimmy Cooks" is an instant turn-up anthem, an opposite vibe to their sinister "Knife Talk" collab. The change was effective: "Jimmy Cooks" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, scoring Drake his 11th chart-topper and another win on the scoreboard alongside Savage.

The official music video arrived on 21's 30th birthday that October — the same day a release date for their surprise Her Loss album was revealed — though the joint project was delayed a week due to Drizzy's right-hand producer Noah "40" Shebib contracting COVID-19. 

2022: 21 Savage Compares Himself And Drake To Shaquille O'Neal And Kobe Bryant

On the heels of "Jimmy Cooks" being crowned the standout moment of Honestly, Nevermind, the Atlanta-bred rapper took a victory lap on Twitter. He confidently compared himself and Drizzy to one of the best duos the NBA has ever seen: Laker legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

No words were even needed for the declaration, as Savage tweeted out a still from the "Sneakin'" music video alongside a photo of Shaq and Kobe celebrating their first NBA championship in 2000.

2022: An Album Rollout Filled With Spoofs

America was collectively trolled by the Her Loss rollout, as even some of the most nuanced of fans and news stations across the country were fooled by their fake press run. Not only did they spoof a Vogue cover, but they also pulled off a faux Tiny Desk concert, Saturday Night Live performance, and Howard Stern interview with headline-making "admissions" of Drake's porn fetishes.

It was mission accomplished for Drizzy and 21, who arguably made as big of a splash with the media tour that never was than if they actually did any of that. While Howard Stern saluted the shrewd spoofs, Vogue's parent company Condé Nast wasn't as thrilled — they filed a lawsuit over trademark infringement against the rappers. (More on that later.)

2022: Her Loss Arrives After A Short Delay

Her Loss arrived on Nov. 4, filled with 16 tracks that served up a little bit of everything. Drake stars front and center, with the OVO boss returning to his braggadocious rap post-Honestly, Nevermind; though 21 Savage takes more of a backseat, the two pick up where they left off on "Jimmy Cooks" as one of hip-hop's premier tag-teams.

Travis Scott is the lone credited feature on the track list ("Pussy & Millions") while collaborators like Lil Yachty played an integral role in the album's formation as he earned a handful of production credits.

Her Loss debuted atop the Billboard 200, earning Drake his second No. 1 album in less than five months. The album also held plenty of valuable real estate on the Billboard Hot 100, occupying the No. 2 through No. 9 spots on the chart's Top 10 — only for "Rich Flex" to be boxed out by Taylor Swift's "Anti-hero" for the top slot. (Never shying away from his pettiness, Drake blocked out Swift's name on the Hot 100 when celebrating his chart dominance in an Instagram Story post.) 

2022: Drake And 21 Savage Helped Push Each Other's Pen Game

Any co-writing discussion is a touchy subject for Drake fans ever since Meek Mill's ghostwriting allegations in 2015. But that isn't the case with Drizzy and 21, as they admitted they helped each other with their verses for Her Loss during an interview on SiriusXM's Sound42 channel last year. 

"I ain't gon cap, Drake wrote some of my verses on this album," the Atlanta rapper candidly revealed. "These facts. I don't give a f— what a n— say, Drake helped me with some of my verses on this album."

Drake returned the favor and gave 21 credit for helping push his pen on the joint project as well, adding, "By the way, you also helped me with s— too.

2023: Drake And 21 Savage Settle Lawsuit Over Fake Vogue Cover

After demanding $4 million in damages, Condé Nast and Drake's high-powered legal teams reached a settlement in February for an undisclosed sum, according to Variety.

The hefty check will allegedly go toward bolstering the company's "ongoing creative output, including Vogue editorial," per a memo sent out by Condé Nast's counsel.

Condé Nast's attorneys claimed that Vogue attempted to "resolve the matter amicably" but their efforts "were repeatedly ignored" by OVO and Slaughter Gang enterprises. 

Drizzy and 21's fake Vogue cover duped fans across the globe as the magazine was posted to social media, and a limited number of copies were actually distributed to lucky fans in select U.S. cities. Who knows, it may just make another appearance on the It's All a Blur Tour.

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