The Motto

"The Motto" is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake. The song features American rapper Lil Wayne and is a digital iTunes Store bonus track from Drake's second studio album Take Care. "The Motto" premiered on Power 106 on October 31, 2011.[1] Drake released the song on his OVO blog a day later.[2] It was first played on rhythmic top 40 radio stations on November 29, 2011 as the album's fourth single.[3] The song has a connection to the Hispanic/Latino band Aventura.[4]

"The Motto"
Single by Drake featuring Lil Wayne
from the album Take Care
ReleasedNovember 29, 2011 (2011-11-29)
Recorded2011
Genre
Length3:02 (Album version)
3:54 (Remix version featuring Tyga)
Label
Songwriter(s)Shahid Reshi, Aubrey Graham, Dwayne Carter, N.Cobey, Tyler Williams, Salvatore Casto
Producer(s)T-Minus
Drake singles chronology
"Mr. Wrong"
(2011)		 "The Motto"
(2011)		 "Take Care"
(2012)
Lil Wayne singles chronology
"IMA BO$ (remix)"
(2011)		 "The Motto"
(2011)		 "Faded"
(2012)
Music video
"The Motto" on YouTube

The track has sold over three million copies in the United States.[5] It peaked atop both the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and US Rap Songs charts, and was ranked 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-end Chart. "The Motto" was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 55th Grammy Awards.[6] Peaking at number 14, the song is one of the few songs to rank within the top 20 in the year-end chart without reaching the top ten. A music video directed by Lamar Taylor and Hyghly Alleyne was released on YouTube on February 10, 2012 and features cameos from E-40 and Mistah F.A.B..[7]

It is best known for popularizing the acronym YOLO (You Only Live Once).

Remixes and freestyles

Cultural impact

The song uses the phrase YOLO, an acronym for "you only live once".[16] The phrase can be seen in youth culture: for example, a high school prank in Chicago, Illinois, involved high school students chanting "YOLO."[17][18] Some people have graffitied YOLO on walls.[19][20] It has become a popular Twitter hashtag.[21] Some youth have said that it is their motto,[22][23]

The hip-hop magazine Da South reported that the rapper Lecrae has deconstructed the motto YOLO in his answer song "No Regrets".[24] The Washington Post describes YOLO as "the newest acronym you'll love to hate".[25] The Huffington Post says: "YOLO is dumb."[26]

The phrase "you only live once" is commonly attributed to Mae West,[27][28] but variations of the phrase have been in use for over 100 years,[29] including as far back as (the German equivalent of) "one lives but once in the world" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the play Clavigo in 1774,[30] and as the title of a waltz Man lebt nur einmal! ("You Only Live Once!") by Johann Strauss II in 1855.

Accolades

The song received a nomination at the 2013 Grammy Awards.[31]

Chart performance

The song debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with first-week sales of 124,000.[32] In its 22nd week, it ascended to number 14.[33] On the week of February 18, 2012, "The Motto" reached number one on the US Rap Chart making it his 12th number one on the chart and extending his lead as the artist with the most number one hits since the chart began. As of April 2013, the song has sold 3,113,000 copies in the United States.[5]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[47] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] Gold 400,000
United States (RIAA)[49] 6× Platinum 6,000,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history
Region Date Format
United States November 29, 2011 Rhythmic contemporary radio[3]
Urban contemporary radio[50]
January 10, 2012 Rhythmic contemporary radio (re-release)[51]
Urban contemporary radio (re-release)[51]
United Kingdom April 6, 2012 Digital download[52]
United States April 10, 2012 Mainstream radio[51]

See also

References
  1. "Drake Debuts 'The Motto,' T.I.'s 'Headlines' Remix & Talks Kendrick Lamar Feature". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  2. "Drake Feat. Lil Wayne – The Motto". October's Very Own. November 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  3. "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  4. "Drake Spits The Language Of Love On New Romeo Santos Track: Listen". MTV News.
  5. Grein, Paul. "Week Ending Oct. 6, 2013. Songs: Adele Reaches A Milestone". Yahoo. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  6. Vasquez, Andres (2012-12-06). "Grammy Nominees Revealed; Frank Ocean, Drake & 2 Chainz Among Those Nominated | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  7. "The Motto (Explicit) – Drake ft. Lil Wayne, Tyga". VEVO.
  8. "New Music: Tyga "The Motto (Remix)"". Rap Radar. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  9. "New Music: YG, Nipsey Hussle, & Snoop Dogg "The Motto (Remix)"". Rap Radar. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  10. "Nelly – The Motto (Remix)". YouTube. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  11. "New Music: Jeremih "The Motto (Remix)"". Rap Radar. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  12. "New Music: Mario "The Motto (Remix)"". Rap Radar. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  13. "Young Jeezy & Freddie Gibbs – The Motto (Remix)". Nah Right. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  14. "Wale & Meek Mill – The Motto (Remix)". Rap Radar. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  15. "1995 – The Motto Remix (Nekfeu x Sneazzy x Alpha Wann)". Youtube. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  16. "Drake – The Motto ft. Lil Wayne & Tyga".
  17. Wright, Sharon (June 1, 2012). "Student Arrested Following Conant High School Senior Prank". NBC Chicago. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  18. "Students lose prom, graduation privileges after senior prank". DailyHerald.com. January 6, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  19. Express-Times File Photo (2012-05-29). "Clinton police: Two men spray-paint profanity, 'YOLO' on town structures". lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  20. "Middle School Boys Accused Of Spray-Painting Homes, Destroying Water Fountain | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio". 10tv.com. May 31, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  21. "Parents, Students: Hoffman Estates School Overreacted To Senior Prank « CBS Chicago". Chicago.cbslocal.com. June 1, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  22. Swanson, Mirjam (May 18, 2012). "TRACK AND FIELD: Mitchells making most of it | Breaking News | PE.com – Press-Enterprise". PE.com. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  23. "Class of 2012 calls it a year". Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  24. Hill, Kellus (14 May 2012). "Lecrae – Church Clothes". Da South. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  25. Judkis, Maura (February 25, 2011). "#YOLO: The newest acronym you'll love to hate – The Style Blog". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  26. "The Black Sheep Online: YOLO: The Evolution Of The Acronym". Huffingtonpost.com. May 17, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  27. Clare Conville; Liz Hoggard; Sarah-Jane Lovet (2011-11-03). Dangerous Women: The Guide to Modern Life. ISBN 9780297866008. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  28. "Mae West Quotes". BrainyQuote. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  29. "You Only Live Once – YOLO". Quote Investigator. May 24, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  30. "Johann Wolfgang von Goethe". Qikiqoute. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  31. "Drake receives three nominations at the 2013 Grammy Awards". Young Money HQ. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  32. "It's Official: Drake's 'Take Care' Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  33. "Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  34. "Ultratop.be – Drake feat. Lil Wayne – The Motto" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  35. "Drake Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  36. "Official UK Singles Top 100". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  37. "R&B Singles Top 40". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  38. "Drake Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  39. "Drake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  40. "Drake Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  41. "Drake Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  42. "Canadian Hot 100 – Year End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-08-14.
  43. "Best of 2012 – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  44. "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 2012 Year End Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  45. "Rap Songs – 2012 Year End Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  46. "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  47. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  48. "British single certifications – Drake Ft Lil Wayne & Tyga – The Motto". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 30, 2018. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Motto in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  49. "American single certifications – Drake – The Motto". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 25, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  50. "Urban Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on November 29, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  51. "CHR – Available for Airplay Archive". FMQB. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  52. "The Motto (feat. Lil Wayne & Tyga) – Single by Drake". Itunes.apple.com. April 6, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
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