Drake put himself on the map during the early 2010s with albums such as Thank Me Later, Take Care, and Nothing Was the Same. He built a reputation for wearing his heart on his sleeve and expressing his emotions in his music, and songs like ‘Marvin’s Room’ were prime examples of that.
Despite being a downbeat track, the song, built around keyboard-based instrumentation and muted bass, succeeded through its storytelling and even charted at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record is performed from the perspective of a drunk Drake calling up an ex-girlfriend to pour out thoughts about his loneliness.
The Toronto rapper famously sings in the chorus, “Fuck that n*gga that you love so bad/ I know you still think about the times we had/ I say fuck that n*gga that you think you found/ And since you pick up, I know he’s not around.”
‘Marvin’s Room‘ is named after Marvin Gaye’s studio, where Drake recorded the song. Singer Ericka Lee, who claims to be Drizzy’s ex-girlfriend, provides vocals throughout the track, saying, “Are you drunk right now?” at several points.
That same woman sued Drake in 2012, claiming she was excluded from co-writer royalties for the song. In documents filed in Los Angeles, Lee alleged she had a romantic and business relationship with Drake between early 2010 and the middle of 2011. She claimed they exchanged poems and lyrics throughout their relationship, with Drake allegedly agreeing to split the earnings of ‘Marvin’s Room’ for her work.
Lee said she originally intended to record a chorus for ‘Marvin’s Room’ and perform a speech to frame the lyrics. She alleged that Drake acknowledged her work over text messages; in one, she claimed he said, “U basically made that song.”
Their relationship was said to have ended following the song’s release. Drake allegedly offered her two per cent of the publishing royalties for the song before raising the offer to 4-5 per cent along with a $50,000 settlement. Following the offer, Lee asked for a co-writing credit and undisclosed damages.
In response, Drake’s team said, “This claim is entirely without merit and our client has not engaged in any wrongful conduct. Ericka Lee consented to the use of her voice in the song ‘Marvin’s Room’ prior to its release. Lee asked only for the credit she received as ‘Syren Lyric Muse,’ and she did not ask for any compensation.”
The statement continued, “It was only after she retained a lawyer that there was a demand for payment. Drake tried for months to resolve the matter amicably, and he now looks forward to being vindicated in court.” The case was eventually dismissed in 2013 after being settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Drake’s longtime collaborator, Noah ’40’ Shebib, produced the song. “I made that beat in a few hours,” he told Vibe. “[Drake] comes in, like, ‘I’m using this.’ I’m like, ‘No, no, it’s not done yet. I just started.’ He’s like, ‘No, it’s done. Don’t do anything else.’ It stayed that way. My objective is to make him happy. If he says yes, then I’m good.”
He added, “Sometimes. I challenge Drake when it comes to decision making. He didn’t want to put ‘Marvin’s Room’ on Take Care and I was like, ‘Bro, fuck you, you’ve gotta put this on there. It’s a moment.’”
