"Started from the Bottom" | ||||||||
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Single by Drake | ||||||||
from the album Nothing Was the Same | ||||||||
Released | February 1, 2013 | |||||||
Format | Digital download | |||||||
Recorded | 2012 | |||||||
Genre | Hip hop | |||||||
Length | 2:53 | |||||||
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Writer(s) | ||||||||
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Drake singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Started from the Bottom" is a song by Canadian hip hop recording artist Drake, released as the first single from his third studio album Nothing Was the Same. The song was written by Drake, Michael Coleman, and Noah "40" Shebib, and it was produced by Coleman under his stage name Mike Zombie, with additional production by Shebib. It features a sample of the ambient piece "Ambessence Piano & Drones 1" by Bruno Sanfilippo and Mathias Grassow. "Started from the Bottom" has charted in many countries, reaching a peak of number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Started from the Bottom" was originally planned to be released on February 10, 2013, coinciding with the Grammy Awards. However, it was instead premiered on February 1 through Drake's "October's Very Own" blog, as he preferred to release it without prior interviews. The song was officially released on iTunes on February 6, 2013. At the 55th Grammy Awards, Drake teased that an official remix would be released.
Lyrically, "Started from the Bottom" addresses Drake's early life and career beginnings. He commented of its concept, "I feel sometimes that people don't have enough information about my beginnings and therefore they make up a life story for me that isn't consistent with actual events. I did not buy my way into this spot and it was the furthest thing from easy to achieve. I am proud of every part of my past and I'm excited for this song to find a place in your life as well." The song makes use of instrumentation from drums and a piano; MTV describes it as "departure" from his earlier works.
On September 4, 2012, Drake was seen filming the music video for the song which was being directed by Director X. The music video was released on February 10, 2013. The video features an all-white dressed Drake standing in the back of a white Bentley convertible, during a blizzard. In other scenes, he works retail in a Shoppers Drug Mart drugstore, flies a plane into his native Toronto and dances around in a club. Drake's mother, Sandi, and producers Boi-1da and Noah "40" Shebib also have cameos in the video. At the end it displays Drake and his friends partying at a villa.