The Beat For Drake’s “I’m Upset” Was Originally Made In 2015

Drake’s “I’m Upset” is among his most controversial singles, though it achieved some commercial success and peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100. In an interview with The FADER its producer Oogie Mane said the beat was originally made several years earlier.

In the interview, Oogie Mane recalled Drake affiliate OB O'Brien reaching out to him to find instrumentals for Drake, and the producer sending over a pack from 2015. Drake was taken with the beat that became “I’m Upset,” though because Oogie lost the stems for the track he had to entirely remake it from scratch.

Oogie Mane is part of the Philadelphia production collective Working on Dying, and has also made beats for Lil Uzi Vert and Matt OX. In the piece, Oogie also reveals that he is working with Future and KEY! on new music.

On the song, Drake calls out his enemies, feigning annoyance at their efforts to undermine him. He says:

I’m upset (‘set, ‘set)
Half a million on my head I can accept, yeah
‘Least it makes me feel like someone tried their best, yeah
Want to waste a half a million, be my guest
Made me wanna buy a vest and a TEC (skrr)

“I’m Upset” garnered mix responses upon its release. Pitchfork said it features “Drake at his most bitter and listless,” while Rolling Stone dubbed it “likely the worst single of Drake’s career.

In an interview with Lyrical Lemonade, Oogie said that he was working at an Urban Outfitters when he was first contacted by OB, which was in part due to Drake hearing a song he had produced for Matt Ox.

“[OB] was texting me and then after I got off work, we got on FaceTime and he was like, ‘The kid Matt Ox sent me unreleased songs that go crazy — Drake fucks with his shit, he wants beats,’” Oogie recalled.

Genius broke down the meaning behind “I’m Upset” in an episode of Song Stories.

Read the full lyrics to “I’m Upset” and the rest of Drake’s discography on Genius.