Own It
"Own It" works as a direct companion to "Wu-Tang Forever," continuing its themes of exclusivity and control over sparse, nocturnal production. It is produced by Detail and Noah "40" Shebib, and the album's liner notes credit it with an interpolation of "Wu-Tang Forever," formally binding the two songs into a paired sequence; PartyNextDoor is credited with background vocals. Largely sung, the song is a study in the thin line between devotion and possessiveness — Drake claiming a partner with language that is alternately tender and proprietary, a tension the album returns to repeatedly. It is widely read as one of Nothing Was the Same's purest mood pieces, prioritizing atmosphere and feeling over lyrical density and serving as a clear example of Drake's R&B-leaning side. The minimalism is deliberate: the space in the beat forces attention onto the ambivalence in the vocal, and fans frequently cite it as a definitive late-night cut from the album.
Sources & verification
Citations below were matched specifically to "Own It" and Nothing Was the Same. Drake Universe catalogs songs by album placement, verified collaborators, producers, samples, and themes, and avoids unsupported lyric-level claims.
- Genius: Drake 'The Language' lyricsGenius · 2013-09-24 — Primary track page for the Nothing Was the Same cut widely read as subliminal.
- Billboard: Drake — Nothing Was The Same coverBillboard · 2013-08-22 — Billboard cover story for the 2013 print interview.
- Complex: Drake — Nothing Was The Same coverComplex · 2013-08-12 — Complex cover story tied to Nothing Was The Same.
- Vibe: Drake — Nothing Was The Same coverVibe · 2013-10-01 — Vibe cover story tied to Nothing Was The Same.
- Wikipedia: Nothing Was the SameWikipedia · 2026-05-18 — Album-level reference for liner-note personnel, sample credits, single chronology, chart peaks, sales (658,000 first week), 6x platinum certification, and critical reception used in the NWTS editorial pass.
- Drake — The Motion (Genius)Genius · 2026-05-18 — Confirms 2013 SoundCloud release, Best Buy deluxe bonus-track status for Nothing Was the Same, and Sampha co-production/vocals.
- Drake — 5AM in Toronto (Genius)Genius · 2026-05-18 — Confirms March 7, 2013 release as '9AM in Dallas' sequel ahead of Nothing Was the Same, Boi-1da/Vinylz credits, Lou Donaldson sample.
