Maneesh on Producing Drake’s Song of the Summer Contender ‘Shabang’ and Why Now Is the Time To Talk
Categoria: Musica
The Toronto-based, Indian-Canadian producer breaks his silence at a high point in his career.
Por Billboard | 23/06/2026
You’ve heard the name, now you’ve seen the face. Maneesh has been a go-to producer for Drake since the 6 God fired his first shot at Meek Mill on 2015’s “Charged Up.” Over the years, the Toronto-based, Indian-Canadian contributed to records such as the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “What’s Next,” the Rihanna-assisted “Too Good,” the fan-favorite Certified Lover Boy opener “Champagne Poetry,” and countless other Drizzy songs. However, there may be no moment more important than what fans witnessed on the evening of May 14, 2026. Six songs into the ICEMAN Episode 4 livestream, they watched a globe explode behind a fence. Viewers heard a line that would go on to soundtrack Instagram posts, TikTok nursery rhymes for children, championship celebrations for the New York Knicks after they won the NBA Finals, and so much more: “Maneesh on the beat, Shabang.” While Yung Miami’s “Spend Dat” has been tearing up the clubs and “Janice STFU” was the initial No. 1 hit from Drake’s trio of albums, there is no denying that “Shabang” has a strong claim to being the 2026 song of the summer. And for Maneesh, this is the perfect time to finally pop out and tell his story. “‘Shabang’ has, against my will, unlocked the key to this cave I’m in, and I have no choice,” he tells Billboard in a rare interview. “‘The Boy’ put me so much in the front that I felt compelled and curious, finally.” Read below to learn about when Maneesh knew he was on ICEMAN , how his relationship with Drake has evolved over the years, the six most important beats of his career and more. You and Drake have done such great things together in the past, but what is special about “Shabang”? The first thing that came to mind is culture and race. My family has been through a lot of racism since we were kids. Teachers couldn’t pronounce my name. Even just chopping [it up] with girls back in the day at the bar and having to say, “My name is Maneesh,” and they’re like, “What?” All that’s over; it’s been over, but it’s really over. I feel like my mom in heaven would be smiling at this moment. “Yeah, your name’s dope, and you should be proud that you didn’t go on with an alias.” I used to DJ by the name M-Rock. My boy said, “You can’t use Maneesh, it has to be a hip-hop name.” I’m so glad that I changed back to my actual name. On top of that, I think “Shabang” is the best beat of my whole life. It’s an intersection of many amazing things. The beautiful time we’re in in Toronto, where the diversity is peaking, and Drake is acknowledging that diversity. It also reveals my relationship with the OVO gang and The Boy. It’s history. A producer’s name was shouted out in a chorus of a slap. There’s “No I.D. on the track, let the story begin,” which is crazy, but this is different. The first person I hit up was No I.D., because that’s my friend and mentor, and because he has that on two joints. This is a littl