Drake ‘Hotline Bling’ Video Stirs Controversy; Song Completely Unoriginal?

The recently released Drake "Hotline Bling" video has already caused a social media frenzy, according to USA Today. The music video has already sparked memes on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Drake's new music video was released on Apple Music on Monday, Oct. 19. It has already inspired hundreds of "Drake dancing" memes because of the rapper's snappy dance steps. He was also parodying some of the most famous dance moves, like the shimmy, shuffle, and bob, according to The Verge.

The snappy dance steps performed by the rapper were paired with other songs. Most of them matched perfectly, prompting social media users to use the hashtag "#DrakeIsAlwaysOnBeat."

The meme was even used by NBA teams on their respective social media accounts to ride the hype, as compiled by Bleacher Report. Teams like the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons posted their own remixes. The Heat used a different audio track, while the Pistons superimposed a player's head on Drake's.

Drake's "Hotline Bling" video is also full of visually stunning scenery, made in collaboration with James Turrell, as reported by Billboard. Turrell is an American visual artist known for colorful installations, similar to some of the backdrops in the music video. Drake visited Turrell's Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibit last year.

In the new Drake "Hotline Bling" video, the rapper courted controversy when music experts pointed out its similarity with D.R.A.M.'s "Cha Cha" song.  D.R.A.M. expressed his displeasure on Twitter, saying that his record got "jacked," according to The Fader.

Drake talked about the connection between the songs, saying that it was his own take on a "riddim," just like how "Cha Cha" was D.R.A.M.'s. He acknowledged the connection, without admitting that he got the inspiration from "Cha Cha."

On the other hand, Drake was recently feuding with rapper Meek Mill when the latter accused him of having ghostwriters.