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Canadian rapper Boi-1da, whose real name is Matthew Jehu Samuels, gave a shoutout to his close friend and fellow rapper, Drake, calling him “the greatest rapper of all time.”
On March 30, 2025, during the Juno Awards, the rapper was honored with the International Achievement Award. While giving his acceptance speech at the event, he went on to thank God, his family, his team, and the 38-year-old Canadian rapper, according to a report in Billboard.
The event was held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, where he began his speech by saying,
“I’m extremely humbled by this award and just to be mentioned among the legendary names as well – man I can’t even describe it. I want to have a huge shout-out to my brother Drake, the greatest rapper of all time, the greatest artist of all time and he’s from Canada – Drizzy Drake – that’s my brother.”
“Listen…Drake, love you bro, we started this together, we did this together, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Drake and all the sacrifices he made, all the doors he kicked down for a lot of people man, so shout-out to Drake. Thank you for life, man, I love that guy.” He concluded.
The hip-hop producer won his first Grammy this year as the co-writer of Drake’s “God’s Plan,” which was awarded Best Rap Song. Here is what we know.
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All we know about the Canadian rapper Boi-1da
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in Toronto’s Jamaican community, Boi-1da has earned six Grammy nominations this year and a win for Best Rap Song for producing “God’s Plan.”
At the age of eight, his mother gifted him a Casio keyboard. But he entered the world of music at the age of 15 in 2002, he told Splice in an interview. As a teenager, he loved to experiment with beats.
“I always had a love for music. I always had an interest in beats. There would be times in the summer where I was not outside at all,” he said. He revealed to the outlet how his world changed when he discovered FruityLoops, now known as FL Studios.
“All my friends were at parties doing stuff that normal teenagers do, and I was in my basement, like, tweaking sounds and trying to figure out how to chop samples up.”
According to his description on the Juno Awards’ official website, his first love was dancehall music. At the age of 17, he entered Toronto’s “Battle of the Beatmakers,” where he competed against seasoned producers and won the tournament three years in a row, showcasing his remarkable talent and skills.
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His breakthrough came when he met Drake and helped him shape the sound of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement, which was reportedly released in 2006. They produced another hit in 2009, Best I Ever Had, which launched them to new heights in their respective careers.
Over the years, he quickly gained recognition and became one of the most sought-after producers in the music industry. He got the opportunity to work with Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Kanye West, Rihanna, Cardi-B, and Beyonce, among others.
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