{"id":688900,"date":"2026-05-23T16:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T16:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/688900\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T16:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T16:47:10","slug":"my-principal-asked-are-you-on-the-drake-album-toronto-teen-producer-lands-on-rappers-new-trilogy-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/688900\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018My principal asked, ‘Are you on the Drake album?”: Toronto teen producer lands on rapper’s new trilogy"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2014 On a school night last summer, Toronto producer Arham Paul was getting ready for bed when his phone rang.<\/p>\n

One of his beatmaker friends was tapped to work on Drake\u2019s new projects, and he needed help crafting an \u201980s-style intro for a song.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018We are not sleeping tonight,\u2019\u201d the 16-year-old, who produces under ap.melodies, recalls saying.<\/p>\n

So, instead of resting for class the next morning, the Markham, Ont.-raised teen spent hours building out the slow and sensual opening alongside Miami-based producer Sebas Lopez.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was shocked because I didn\u2019t expect him to call me to work on a Drake track,\u201d says Paul during an interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when Drake asked for the \u201980s intro, (Lopez) called me because he knew I was on that sort of vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n

That session would eventually become \u201cClassic,\u201d one of two songs Paul helped craft for the Toronto rap star\u2019s surprise album trilogy that dropped last week.<\/p>\n

For the Bill Hogarth Secondary School student, the dizzying rise from basement producer to Drake collaborator is unfolding at a pace he still seems to be processing himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s all like, \u2018How did you do this?\u2019 The whole school is just hyped,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy principal even asked me, \u2018Are you on the Drake album?\u2019 It was just crazy. All the teachers were talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul contributed to \u201cClassic\u201d from \u201cHabibti\u201d and \u201cQ&A\u201d from \u201cMaid of Honour,\u201d two experimental projects Drake released alongside the rap-focused \u201cIceman.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Drake\u2019s new albums feature longtime collaborators like Noah \u201940\u2019 Shebib and Boi-1da, a wave of younger, internet-bred producers also helped shape the projects\u2019 eclectic sound. That includes ap.melodies alongside underground names including London\u2019s b4u and Edmonton\u2019s rl.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like he wants to target a new sound, because you can even hear it on \u2018Iceman\u2019 \u2014 he\u2019s doing West Coast, he\u2019s doing soul, he\u2019s trying a bunch of new stuff but mixing it with his original rap stuff,\u201d says Paul.<\/p>\n

\u201cHim trying to involve himself with new producers was a big turning point because it allows him to expand on his sound more.\u201d<\/p>\n

While official production credits have yet to update on streaming platforms, Paul\u2019s name has circulated online among fans dissecting the sprawling release. His team shared a photo of legal documentation of his involvement in the records.<\/p>\n

He says he first learned the songs would be released roughly two weeks before the albums dropped, triggering a frantic scramble to sort out contracts and legal paperwork.<\/p>\n

Paul, who\u2019s of Pakistani descent, grew up surrounded by music. His father, Rehan, played piano and kept instruments around the house. But Paul traces the real beginning of his production journey to a chance encounter with GarageBand on his sister\u2019s laptop when he was eight years old.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just randomly opened it and started messing around with it and it just, like, clicked,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He began by remaking songs and experimenting with trap beats inspired by Drake and Future before gradually developing a style that blends soulful melodies, hard-hitting drums and experimental textures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world inspires me. School inspires me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Paul says posting beat snippets and production videos on Instagram helped him build connections in the industry. His first notable placement came through New Jersey streamer and rapper PlaqueBoyMax, on the track \u201cOasis,\u201d after one of Paul\u2019s loops spread through Discord communities.<\/p>\n

That momentum eventually led him toward producers in Drake\u2019s orbit.<\/p>\n

For \u201cClassic,\u201d Paul says Lopez reached out because he knew the teen had been experimenting with retro sounds and synth-heavy textures.<\/p>\n

To build the opening beat, he immersed himself in the feel of older R&B records, particularly songs by Jodeci, despite not growing up listening heavily to that era.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to put myself in that mindset of, like, \u2018What sounds did they use during that era? And how would Drake sound over it?\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

On \u201cQ&A,\u201d Paul says he helped shape a genre-blending beat that fused Brazilian funk and the rap sub-genre sexy drill after Drake contacted Dallas producer Stack!e requesting a song channelling \u201csummer ratchet vibes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul took a MIDI file sent by Stack!e and altered the chords, layering additional textures and incorporating vocals from U.S. producer Dylan Hyde\u2019s sample packs. He says he was stunned when Drake later mirrored parts of those melodies vocally on the finished song.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrake messaged my homie and was like, \u2018This is a smash hit.’\u201d<\/p>\n

The payoff arrived at midnight on release night, when Paul gathered with his family to watch Drake\u2019s livestream before the albums dropped.<\/p>\n

His parents surprised him with cake as they waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I clicked on the song and heard Drake\u2019s voice (on the beat), it felt like one of my biggest goals that I\u2019ve accomplished,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents, they\u2019re so proud of me. It felt surreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the teen producer says he\u2019s been awestruck by the big names reaching out following the placements, including producers RiotUSA and CuBeatz. He hopes to eventually work with artists such as Travis Scott, Don Toliver and SZA.<\/p>\n

Despite the sudden attention, Paul says he still feels mostly like the same teenager \u2014 just one with a few more opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still the same as I was before,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s just that new doors are open.\u201d<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Winnipeg as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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