While performing to an H-Town crowd in 2023, Drake announced that he was moving to Houston. Since then, the rapper has settled in. Making headlines for buying dinner for guests at local restaurants and the social media rounds for popping into local bars. Now, the rap artist is really putting his stakes in the city as he records for his coming album ICEMAN – not inside a recording studio mind you, but a Houston strip club,.
This past week videos made the rounds on social media of Drake’s set-up at Area 29, a Houston-based strip club. The video, originally posted by DJ Akademiks TV with the caption: “Ovo 29 Studios” showed Drake’s team gathered inside Area 29 with a makeshift setup of professional monitors, speakers, and other equipment propped up along a booth.
“Are we recording an album in a club?” a voice asks.
“A thousand percent. You see the setup,” responds another.
While the strip club recording atmosphere might be a first for Drake, the artist does have history recording in Houston both in professional studios like Takeover Studios during the Thank Me Later era and makeshift setups like his sessions at The Derek Hotel with producer Noah “40” Shebib.
ICEMAN marks Drake’s ninth full solo album, following For All the Dogs released in 2023. It will also be his first solo record since his high-profile feud with Kendrick Lamar. As such the hype for ICEMAN has been heavy, built with numerous teasers and live streams. His last project was a collaboration with PARTYNEXTDOOR entitled $ome $exy $ongs 4 U featuring the hit NOKIA, released February 14, 2025.
In a way, the strip club recording setup marks a bit of a full-circle moment for Drake. The rapper credits Houston as the city where he was discovered in his meeting with Lil Wayne and Jas Prince in 2008.