Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2
Featuring JAY-Z
"Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2" is the grand two-part closer of Nothing Was the Same, opening with a JAY-Z collaboration before shifting into the solo "Paris Morton Music 2" coda — itself a sequel to the earlier "Paris Morton Music." "Pound Cake" is produced by Boi-1da with Jordan Evans credited as producer and Detail also credited, and the album's liner notes document an interpolation of the Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M." alongside samples credited to Ellie Goulding's "Don't Say a Word" and a "Jimmy Smith Rap." The Jimmy Smith spoken intro — a monologue about the lineage and authenticity of recorded music — frames the song as a meditation on legacy. The first half pairs Drake with one of rap's foundational figures as a symbolic statement of stature; the second strips the production down and lets Drake summarize the album's themes alone, which many fans and critics find the more affecting passage. It is widely read as a deliberate closing argument: Drake situating himself within rap's history while asserting he has earned his own chapter.
Sources & verification
Citations below were matched specifically to "Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2" 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.
