Started From the Bottom

The first official single from Drake's third album was leaked on his October's Very Own blog on February 1, 2013. He said at the time: "I feel sometimes that people don't have enough information about my beginnings and therefore they make up a life story for me that isn't consistent with actual events. My family and my second family (consisting of the best friends anybody could ever have) all struggled and worked extremely hard to make all this happen. I did not buy my way into this spot and it was the furthest thing from easy to achieve. I am proud of every part of my past and I'm excited for this song to find a place in your life as well." Drake added, "I didn't feel I needed any interviews or radio or press to launch this song. It felt right to come back to the site that I started on and release it to the people that started here with me."

Drake reveals on the song a frustration that because he didn't come out of the ghetto like some other rappers, he is portrayed as never having struggled. "Boys tell stories 'bout the man," he spits. "Say I never struggled, wasn't hungry, yeah I doubt it n---a."

Producer Mike Zombie created the sinister-sounding soundscape, over which Drake raps in a more menacing tone than usual presumably to highlight his early struggles.