Intro
"Intro" opens Honestly, Nevermind by immediately signaling that this is not the rap album most listeners expected. At roughly half a minute, it functions less as a song than as an atmospheric threshold, a brief mood-setting passage that conditions the ear for the house and Baltimore-club pivot to follow. Produced solely by Kid Masterpiece (not the placeholder trio previously listed), it is widely read as a deliberate palate cleanser: Drake clearing the conventional hip-hop expectation before the album commits to four-on-the-floor rhythms. Released June 17, 2022 with almost no rollout, its understated entrance mirrors the album's surprise-drop framing and the project's dedication to the late Virgil Abloh, whose genre-fusing DJ sets Drake cited as an inspiration.
Sources & verification
Citations below were matched specifically to "Intro" and Honestly, Nevermind. Drake Universe catalogs songs by album placement, verified collaborators, producers, samples, and themes, and avoids unsupported lyric-level claims.
- Pitchfork: Kendrick Lamar 'Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers' reviewPitchfork · 2022-05-16 — Dated album review framing the project as introspective rather than combative.
- Billboard: Honestly, Nevermind debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200Billboard · 2022-06-26 — Dated chart report for Honestly, Nevermind's Billboard 200 No. 1 debut, Drake's 11th No. 1 album at that time.
- 5 Takeaways From Drake's Iceman, Habibti, and Maid of HonourPitchfork · 2026-05-15 — Editorial characterization of HABIBTI as the slow R&B 'Heartbreak Drake' panel of the 2026 trilogy (cites 'I'm Spent', 'Classic', 'Rusty Intro'); used for sonic-direction and rollout claims.
- Drake — City Is Mine — GeniusGenius · 2026-05-18 — Producer credit Boi-1da; Genius song bio identifying it as Drake's spin on JAY-Z's 1997 'The City Is Mine'; DJ Smallz / Southern Smoke intro.
- Drake – Best I Ever HadGenius · 2026-05-18 — Boi-1da production confirmation and his first-person account of building the beat in his parents' basement; D10 cited as the producer who introduced Drake and Boi-1da; 'Fallin' in Love' sample.
- Honestly, Nevermind — WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-05-18 — Primary reference for per-track production credits (adapted from official OVO/Republic liner notes, B0036400-02), tracklist, sample credits, personnel, surprise-release context, Virgil Abloh dedication, critical reception and chart performance.
- Honestly, Nevermind — Genius album pageGenius · 2026-05-18 — Corroborates album-level credits (executive producer Black Coffee; producers 40, Alex Lustig, Beau Nox, Beatgees and others), the Virgil Abloh dedication with Drake's full statement, and Drake's XXL backlash response.
- Rich Flex - WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-05-18 — Production (Vinylz, Tay Keith, FnZ, BoogzDaBeast), Young Nudy intro, beat-switch structure, interpolations, chart peaks and Grammy nominations for the lead single.
