For Free - Misplaced Pages

"For Free" is a song by American disc jockey DJ Khaled, featuring Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on June 3, 2016 by We the Best Music Group and Epic Records as the lead single from DJ Khaled's ninth studio album, Major Key. The song was produced by Nineteen85 and Jordan Ullman. The song was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on July 6, 2021, for selling over three million copies in the United States.

Background

On Snapchat, DJ Khaled talked about "the Drake vocals finally in", referencing the then-unreleased song. The hip hop song, its opening lines and cadences are interpolated from the opening lyrics of Too Short's "Blow the Whistle", produced by Lil Jon, and interpolates Akinyele's "Fuck Me For Free", produced by Frankie Cutlass. One of Drake's verses pays homage to Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly song, "For Free? (Interlude)".

Chart performance

On the chart dated June 25, 2016, "For Free" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 18, powered by first-week digital download sales of 104,748 copies. It became DJ Khaled's fourth highest-charting single, peaking at number 13 in its ninth week (behind 2011's "I'm on One" with Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne and 2017's "Wild Thoughts", with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller and "I'm the One", with Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne). In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 25, while peaking at number 47 in Canada and at number 79 in France, making it Khaled's most successful single in those countries until the release of "I'm the One" in the UK and Canada and "Wild Thoughts" in France.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	70
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	47
France (SNEP)	79
Scotland (OCC)	25
UK Singles (OCC)	25
US Billboard Hot 100	13
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	4
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)	26
US Rhythmic (Billboard)	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2016)	Position
Australia Urban (ARIA)	28
US Billboard Hot 100	59
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	16
US Rhythmic (Billboard)	3

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)	2× Platinum	160,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	400,000
United States (RIAA)	3× Platinum	3,000,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
United States	June 3, 2016	Digital download Rhythmic Urban Radio	We the Best Epic

References

Shake (June 3, 2016). ". DJ Khaled & Drake Team Up On New Summer Anthem, "For Free"". Retrieved June 4, 2016.
"RIAA Certifications - DJ Khaled". Retrieved September 10, 2020.
Lang, Cady (June 3, 2016). "Drake and DJ Khaled Release New Track 'For Free'". Time. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
Mansell, Henry (June 18, 2016). "Hip Hop Single Sales: DJ Khaled, Drake & Desiigner". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
Ryan, Gavin (June 18, 2016). "ARIA Singles: Drake Returns to No 1". Noise11. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
"DJ Khaled Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
"DJ Khaled feat. Drake – For Free" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
"Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
"DJ Khaled Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
"DJ Khaled Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
"DJ Khaled Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
"DJ Khaled Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
"ARIA Top 50 Urban Singles 2016". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
"Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2016". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
"Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
"Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
"Canadian single certifications – DJ Khaled – For Free". Music Canada.
"British single certifications – DJ Khaled – For Free". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
"American single certifications – DJ Khaled – For Free". Recording Industry Association of America.
Walker, Angus (June 3, 2016). "DJ Khaled – For Free Feat. Drake | Stream [New Song]". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 3, 2016.

External links

Audio on YouTube

v t e DJ Khaled
Discography Awards and nominations
Studio albums	Listennn... the Album (2006) We the Best (2007) We Global (2008) Victory (2010) We the Best Forever (2011) Kiss the Ring (2012) Suffering from Success (2013) I Changed a Lot (2015) Major Key (2016) Grateful (2017) Father of Asahd (2019) Khaled Khaled (2021) God Did (2022) Til Next Time (TBA)
Singles	"Holla at Me" "Grammy Family" "Born-N-Raised" "We Takin' Over" "I'm So Hood" "Out Here Grindin" "Go Hard" "Put Your Hands Up" "All I Do Is Win" "Welcome to My Hood" "I'm on One" "Take It to the Head" "I Wish You Would" "No New Friends" "I Wanna Be With You" "They Don't Love You No More" "Hold You Down" "How Many Times" "Gold Slugs" "For Free" "I Got the Keys" "Holy Key" "Do You Mind" "Shining" "I'm the One" "To the Max" "Wild Thoughts" "Top Off" "I Believe" "No Brainer" "Higher" "Just Us" "You Stay" "Popstar" "Greece" "Let It Go" "Every Chance I Get" "I Did It" "Body in Motion" "Staying Alive" "Beautiful" "Big Time" "Supposed to Be Loved"
Featured singles	"100 Million" "Speedin' (We the Best Remix)" "Cash Flow" "Foolish" (Remix) "Always Strapped (remix)" "Maybach Music 2.5" "Body 2 Body (remix)" "Ima Boss (remix)" "Cold" "Pride N Joy" "Bugatti" (Remix) "Dinero" "Big Energy" (Remix) "Love, Money, Fame"
Other songs	"Wish Wish" "Sorry Not Sorry" "God Did" "Use This Gospel" (Remix) "Juice Wrld Did"
Related articles	We the Best Music Group

Drake songs

Singles discography

So Far Gone
(Mixtape / EP)

We Are Young Money

"Every Girl"
"BedRock"

Thank Me Later

Take Care

Nothing Was the Same

If You're Reading This
It's Too Late

"Energy"
"Preach"

What a Time to Be Alive

"Jumpman"

Views

More Life

Scary Hours / Scorpion

Care Package

"Trust Issues"
"Paris Morton Music"

Dark Lane Demo Tapes

Scary Hours 2

Certified Lover Boy

Honestly, Nevermind

Her Loss

For All the Dogs /
Scary Hours Edition

Drake–Kendrick
Lamar feud

Other songs

As featured artist

2009	"Throw It in the Bag (Remix)" "The One" "Money to Blow" "I Invented Sex" "Say Something" "4 My Town (Play Ball)"
2010	"Gonorrhea" "Wavin' Flag (Haiti Mix)" "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) (Remix)" "Right Above It" "Loving You No More" "What Up?" "Aston Martin Music" "Deuces (Remix)" "What's My Name?" "Fall for Your Type" "In the Morning" "Moment 4 Life"
2011	"Feel Love" "Unusual" "I'm on One" "She Will" "It's Good" "Still Got It" "Round of Applause" "Mr. Wrong"
2012	"Champion" "Stay Schemin'" "No Lie" "Pop That" "Amen" "Enough Said" "Diced Pineapples" "We in This Bitch 1.5" "Fuckin' Problems" "The Zone"
2013	"Poetic Justice" "Right Here" "Love Me" "No Guns Allowed" "No New Friends" "Live For" "I Do It" "Cabaret" "Know Bout Me" "Mine"
2014	"Odio" "Who Do You Love?" "Trophies" "Believe Me" "Recognize" "Tuesday" "Only"
2015	"Truffle Butter" "Blessings" "100" "R.I.C.O." "Where Ya At"
2016	"Work" "Come and See Me" "Why You Always Hatin?" "For Free" "No Shopping" "Back on Road" "Big Amount" "Used to This"
2017	"Both" "Come Closer" "To the Max" "No Complaints"
2018	"Look Alive" "Walk It Talk It" "Lemon (Remix)" "Girls Need Love" "Bigger Than You" "Sicko Mode" "No Stylist" "Never Recover" "Flip the Switch" "Mia" "Going Bad"
2019	"No Guidance" "Gold Roses" "Won't Be Late" "Loyal"
2020	"Life Is Good" "Oprah's Bank Account" "Greece" "Popstar" "Mr. Right Now" "Outta Time" "You're Mines Still (Remix)"
2021	"Talk to Me" "Solid" "Having Our Way" "Wasting Time" "Over the Top"
2022	"P Power" "Wait for U" "I'm on One" "Churchill Downs" "Staying Alive"
2023	"We Caa Done" "Who Told You" "Parade on Cleveland" "Oh U Went" "Meltdown" "Needle"
2024	"Act II: Date @ 8" "U My Everything" "Modo Capone"

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