BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Drake’s fondness for Buffalo is well documented. And with another album release Friday came another Western New York reference.
The chart-topping Canadian rapper’s latest project, For All The Dogs, contains a reference to the Walden Galleria at the end of the song “Away From Home.”
In the track, Drake reflects on the time in his life before he was famous, when money was tight and he was still trying to make it in the industry.
How could I forget? How could I forget?
Drake, “Away From Home”
I was on a Greyhound way before the jet
Buffalo, New York was like the furthest I could get
At the Walden Galleria tryna make the money stretch
The lyric does not require much interpretation. Many of us can relate to trying to make money stretch while looking for a back-to-school outfit or a Christmas gift at the Walden Galleria, the two-story Cheektowaga shopping center sometimes referred to as the Galleria Mall.
The song can be heard here, with the Buffalo reference around the 3:20 mark.
Drake has referenced Buffalo on songs before, most notably playing a throwback air-check from WBLK’s “Quiet Storm” program hosted by Al Woods on the 2018 song “After Dark.”
“This station raised us,” Drake posted on Instagram at the time. WBLK’s signal on 93.7 FM can be picked up in Southern Ontario and provided listeners with one of the few places to find urban music in the days before the internet.
“Since the release of the new album the phone lines at WBLK (716-644-9393) have been ringing off the hook!” WBLK wrote in 2018. “We’ve gotten calls from people just trying the number out, thinking it was just a made-up station and phone number. We are in fact one of the oldest urban radio stations in the nation, and we appreciate the recognition!”
Drake also made reference to a 2009 performance at Daemen College (now Daemen University) on his 2021 track “The Remorse.”
“Daemen College booking me to pull and speak the facts,” Drake said early on the track.
Friday morning’s release of For All The Dogs continued a highly productive period for Drake, who wraps up his It’s All A Blur Tour this weekend with performances at Scotiabank Arena in his hometown. For All The Dogs is his fourth album released since 2021.
For All The Dogs features numerous artists on the 23-song album, including 21 Savage, J. Cole, SZA, Bad Bunny, Sexyy Red, Chief Keef, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Teezo Touchdown, Adonis Graham, Yeat, DJ Screw, and Lil Yachty.
