Accompanying album releases with exclusive merch has become the norm for music’s biggest stars in recent years, including Drake, whose affiliation with Nike has given him a leg up on other artists in that lane.
On Friday (Sept. 3), the Toronto native dropped his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy, which has a star-studded slate of features. Now Drake appears to be gearing up to unveil a lineup of merch to commemorate the occasion with the help of the almighty swoosh and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On Thursday (Sept. 2), DJ Akademiks shared a photo of a black T-shirt that looks to be a part of the CLB merch collection on his Instagram account. The shirt features the phrase, “I need a freak,” emblazoned across the front in powder blue, with “Certified Lover Boy” printed near the hem in white script. However, the word “freak” is replaced by a yellow version of Antetokounmpo’s signature logo, signaling a collaboration between Drizzy and the newly crowned NBA champion.
Asking his followers for feedback on the design in the caption, Akademiks’ comments were flooded with varying opinions with a sizable contingent pegging the rumored CLB merch as subpar. Others argued that the phrase “I need a freak” was in poor taste, considering its underlying meaning.
Check out the rumored Certified Lover Boy merch below and let us know your thoughts.