Drake’s 2018 smash hit, In My Feelings, is one of the most significant cultural moments from his Scorpion album. At its core, the song is a complex, paranoid, and public plea for loyalty from several women in his life. Disguised as an upbeat, irresistible New Orleans Bounce track, the song reveals a deep insecurity. It’s a man at the peak of his fame using a global platform to ask a simple, desperate question over and over: Do you love me? Are you riding? The song’s meaning, however, ultimately became bigger than Drake himself, as it transformed into a viral social media phenomenon that defined the summer of 2018.
The Sound: A Tribute to New Orleans Bounce
Before analyzing the words, the sound of In My Feelings is essential to its meaning. The song is not a typical pop or hip-hop track. It is a deliberate and masterfully crafted homage to New Orleans Bounce music, a high-energy, regional subgenre known for its call-and-response, rattling drum patterns, and party-centric themes.
This sound was achieved by co-producer BlaqNmilD, a New Orleans native, who brought that authentic energy to the track. The song’s DNA is built from this sound, heavily sampling Bounce legend Magnolia Shorty. This musical choice is intentional. It cloaks the song’s insecure and paranoid lyrics in a “feel-good” party atmosphere. The beat makes you want to dance, even when the words are expressing a deep-seated anxiety.
The Core Question: A Public Loyalty Test
The song’s chorus is its entire thesis. It is not a romantic, private question. It is a public interrogation, a loyalty test broadcast to the world.
When Drake asks the now-famous question to Kiki, he is asking two different things. Do you love me? is the emotional part. It is a plea for affection and a sign of his vulnerability. He is, as the title suggests, deep in his feelings.
The second, more important question is Are you riding? This is hip-hop vernacular for loyalty. It means: Are you ride-or-die? Are you with me no matter what? Will you defend me? Will you stay by my side, even when the world is against me? This is the real test.
By putting this question on a global hit, Drake is putting these women on the spot. He is using his fame as leverage, forcing a public declaration of their loyalty. He is vulnerable, but he is also in a position of power.
Unmasking the Names: Who Are Kiki, KB, ‘Resha, and JT?
The song is a direct message, naming its intended recipients. This sparked a worldwide hunt to identify the women Drake was singing to.
Kiki and KB: The Objects of Affection
The two most prominent names are Kiki and KB. The identity of Kiki is widely believed to be K’yanna Barber, a woman from Oakland, California, whom Drake had been linked to. She was thrust into the global spotlight as fans debated if she was the one who truly held his heart.
The name KB is a more complex and personal reference. This is believed to be Keshia Chante, a Canadian singer, television host, and, crucially, Drake’s first serious girlfriend from his teenage years in Toronto. He has referenced her throughout his career.
By including KB, Drake is mixing his present-day desires (Kiki) with his nostalgic, pure past (KB). He is wondering if any of the new women in his life can be as loyal and real as his first love.
‘Resha and JT: The City Girls Connection
The other two names, ‘Resha and JT, are not mystery women. They are a direct and powerful shout-out. ‘Resha is Caresha Brownlee, better known as Yung Miami of the rap duo City Girls. JT is the other member of City Girls, who was incarcerated when the song was released.
This is a multi-layered reference. Drake is not just shouting them out; he is aligning himself with their brand of raw, unfiltered, and demanding female energy, which would be featured later in the song.
Verse Deep Dive: The Paranoid King
Drake’s single verse in the song is a compact summary of his entire Scorpion-era mindset. He is defensive, paranoid, and desperately seeking validation.
He begins by stating that his “new me” is still the “real me,” a defensive line against critics who say fame has changed him. He then reveals his core paranoia, a theme that runs through the entire album. He implies people are trying to “kill” him, and he needs his partner to “feel” him and understand the pressure he is under.
He then describes why he values this woman. He praises her for her own “ride-or-die” qualities. He loves that she “popped off on her ex,” because it proves she is a fighter. He loves that she spends money “like she earned it,” showing she has confidence and “boss” energy.
These are not the typical qualities of a romantic ballad. He is not praising her eyes or her smile. He is praising her toughness. He is looking for a soldier, not just a lover. He confirms that he thought she was “the one” from the beginning.
He ends the verse with a line that is both a compliment and a classic, cynical Drake bar. He knows she is “special” because he knows “too many” women who are not. It’s a backhanded acknowledgment that his lifestyle provides him with quantity, but he is searching for quality.
The Interlude: A Vicious Shift in Power
The song’s entire meaning pivots during the interlude, which features vocals from the City Girls. This section is the answer to Drake’s desperate, emotional questions.
While Drake is asking Do you love me?, the City Girls’ perspective is completely different. Their lines, sampled from their own work, are about power, money, and control. They are “kissin’ in the Wraith” and demand the “code to the safe.”
The most brutal and revealing line is the one that directly counters Drake’s emotional plea. They flip his search for connection into a cold, hard, financial audit: Fuck that Netflix and chill, what’s your net-net-net worth?
This is the song’s cynical punchline. Drake is in his feelings, asking for love. The answer from the modern woman, as represented by the City Girls, is a demand for payment. It suggests the “riding” he is asking for is purely transactional. This interlude re-frames the entire song as a negotiation.
The Breakdown and Outro: A Cultural Phenomenon
The song’s breakdown, sampling New Orleans legends Lil Wayne and Magnolia Shorty, serves its Bounce music purpose. It is a pure dance break, a moment for the party to take over. The instructions are simple: clap that ass, bring that ass back.
This section, combined with the infectious beat, is what set the stage for the song’s second life. The song’s cultural legacy is not its lyrical meaning but the In My Feelings Challenge or Kiki Challenge.
This viral dance craze was started by comedian Shiggy, who posted a video of himself dancing to the song in the street. His dance was quickly copied by millions, including celebrities, and evolved into the dangerous trend of people jumping out of slow-moving cars to perform the dance.
This phenomenon, born from social media, turned the song from a simple hit into a global, interactive event. This leads directly to the song’s final, perfect, and self-aware conclusion.
The Skit: The Final Word on Fame
The song ends with a skit, a piece of audio from Zazie Beetz. In it, she complains that her Instagram is weak as fuck and that she needs a photo with Drake.
This is the ultimate, cynical, and self-aware ending. Drake has just spent an entire song in his feelings, paranoid, and begging for real, true loyalty. The song ends with a woman who is not interested in his feelings or his loyalty. She just wants to use him for social media clout.
This final skit is the song’s true meaning. It is a commentary on his entire life. He is surrounded by people, but he can’t trust their motives. The song In My Feelings is a perfect loop of his reality: he craves real love (the chorus), he is surrounded by paranoia (the verse), he is met with transactional demands (the interlude), and he is ultimately viewed as an object for social media status (the skit). The viral dance challenge that took over the world simply proved his paranoia was correct.