Drake Just Gave Bitcoin Its Biggest Pop Culture Moment Yet
In a surprise drop on the night of July 4th, the hip-hop titan unleashed his latest track, 'What Did I Miss.' More than just another reflective banger, the Canadian superstar's new song injects Bitcoin, the world's most famous cryptocurrency, directly into the mainstream cultural conversation, sixteen years after its inception.
The track, which premiered during a YouTube stream titled 'ICEMAN EPISODE ONE' where Drake plays a worker on his lunch break, delves into the raw emotions of betrayal. In the aftermath of his seismic 2024 feud with Kendrick Lamar, a rivalry that gripped the world, Drake turns his attention to those he once considered allies. He likens their shifting loyalties to the unpredictable volatility of Bitcoin, giving the digital asset an unexpected, high-profile shoutout.
The song's chorus immediately sets the stage for Drake's disillusionment:
'Last time I looked to my right, you n****s was standing beside me. How can some people I love hang around pussies who try me? Let's go. What did I miss?'
It's in the first verse, however, that Drake explicitly draws the parallel to Bitcoin, using its infamous price swings to illustrate the sudden turns of his former friends. One moment they're with him, the next they're against him, a stark reflection of Bitcoin's rollercoaster trajectory.
The pivotal lines read:
'You switched on the guys and supported a hater, let's go. What's the getback for niggas? It's TBD. I look at this shit like a BTC. Could be down this week, then I'm up next week.'
DRAKE "WHAT DID I MISS?"pic.twitter.com/MCSd6NxucZ
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) July 5, 2025This isn't Drake's first dance with Bitcoin, although his relationship with the cryptocurrency has been more about high-stakes gambling than long-term investment. While his personal BTC holdings remain unconfirmed, Drake has a well-documented history of making massive Bitcoin wagers on major sporting events. In 2024 alone, he lost over $1 million in BTC after two ill-fated bets on the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals. He famously backed the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA title and the Edmonton Oilers for the NHL's Stanley Cup, both of whom lost to the Boston Celtics and the Florida Panthers respectively.
Drake also maintains an endorsement deal with the crypto gambling platform Stake, where he frequently places large bets using Bitcoin, further cementing his direct ties to the digital asset.
'What Did I Miss?' serves as a potent reflection, with Drake confronting the shifting loyalties and betrayals he experienced following the intense rap feud of 2024. He questions how individuals he once championed through collaborations, tours, and personal connections ultimately aligned themselves with his adversaries. The repeated refrain, 'What did I miss?', powerfully conveys both his disbelief and a profound introspection, as he attempts to grasp when and why these relationships fractured.
Drake doesn't need to say he's a crypto influencer. His lyrics do the work. Bitcoin as betrayal. Crypto as chaos. A decentralized stand-in for loyalty lost and regained. It's also a major pop culture moment for Bitcoin, which has long sought mainstream validation beyond tech bros and Twitter charts. Now, it has one of the biggest rappers in the world referencing it to explain his pain.
With one verse, Drake might have done more to make Bitcoin emotionally legible than most crypto CEOs have in years.
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