Jimmy Cooks

"Jimmy Cooks" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake featuring British-American rapper 21 Savage, released on June 17, 2022, as the final track from the former's seventh studio album Honestly, Nevermind (2022), with the latter being the only guest appearance on the album. The song was initially planned to appear on the two’s collaborative album Her Loss but did not make the final cut.

Dubbed a standout track by HotNewHipHop, the song debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 four months prior to its official release as a single, becoming Drake's eleventh and 21 Savage's second number-one hit on the chart. Later, the song impacted contemporary hit radio on October 11, as the album's third single.

Music video

The accompanying music video was released on October 23 and served as an announcement of the two rappers' collaborative album Her Loss, which was released on November 4.

Composition

Generally, the song gives an insight into Drake's "professional journey" and makes reference to his former career in acting. Playa Fly's Just Awaken Shaken from his debut album Just Gettin' It On is sampled at the beginning of the song.

The sound of the song was described as "Memphis-flavored" and was noted for its "rare" rap elements on an album full of dance songs. References include NBA duo Shaquille O'Neal and the late Kobe Bryant, as well as the slapping incident of Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards. The rappers also pay homage to the late artists Lil Keed and DJ Kay Slay. The song's title is inspired by his Degrassi: The Next Generation character, Jimmy Brooks.

Critical reception

Justin Curto at Vulture praised Drake's performance for reaching "just about full crooner mode here", while 21 Savage's appearance elevated the song to making it "the most high-energy, lucid moment of the record". Armon Sadler of Uproxx thought the song was "seemingly a part two to Certified Lover Boy's "Knife Talk"" and described the track as "equal parts fun, cocky, and hype, commonplace for the two rappers listed". Billboard's Michael Saponara called it the best song on Honestly, Nevermind, pointing out that Drake "had to remind listeners he's at the top of the food chain in the rap game by saving the best for last".

Charts

Certifications

Release history