"Doin' well, dog."
It’s such a simple phrase. Yet, when Drake dropped Views in 2016, that hook from "Still Here" basically became a personality trait for half the internet. You couldn’t scroll through Instagram without seeing someone use those still here lyrics drake as a caption for a gym selfie or a picture of a new car. It was the ultimate "I haven’t fallen off" anthem.
But honestly, looking back on it a decade later, there is a lot more going on in those verses than just a rapper bragging about his bank account.
The Flex and the Paranoia
The song sits at a weird crossroads in Drake’s career. By 2016, he was undisputed. He’d survived the Meek Mill beef. He was the biggest artist on the planet. But if you actually listen to the still here lyrics drake penned, you can hear a lot of tension. It’s not just a victory lap; it’s a defensive wall.
Take the line about "Jane and Weston." For those who aren't from Toronto (or "the 6" as he rebranded it), that’s a specific intersection in a rougher part of the city. He’s grounding his massive, global success in a very local reality. He’s saying, "I know where I came from, and I’m still the guy who finessed his way out of that."
There's a lot of talk about "my niggas doin' well." That’s the core theme of the song: loyalty. Drake is obsessed with the idea that his circle stayed the same while the world around him changed. It’s a bit ironic, considering how many "no new friends" he’s actually made in the industry, but in the context of Views, it fits the narrative of the lonely king on the CN Tower.
Who is he actually talking to?
There’s a specific section in the second verse that always gets people debating.
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"Do your favorite rapper like my son, like my son tho / Nothing mutual about my funds, bout my funds tho."
Back then, people were trying to figure out if he was taking shots at Kanye, Jay-Z, or maybe even someone like Tory Lanez. The "son" line is a classic rap trope—claiming you birthed another artist's style. But the "mutual funds" line is just classic, cheeky Drake wordplay. He’s basically saying he doesn't share his money, and his wealth is in a different league than yours. It’s petty. It’s arrogant. It’s exactly what people love (and hate) about him.
Breaking Down the Production
You can't talk about the lyrics without talking about the beat. Daxz and Noah "40" Shebib handled the production here. 40 is the architect of that "underwater," atmospheric Toronto sound, but "Still Here" is surprisingly aggressive for him.
The beat has this eerie, high-pitched synth that almost sounds like a siren or a warning. It creates this frantic energy that matches Drake’s "all praise to the Most High" energy.
- The song starts with that "Doin' well, dog" mantra.
- It builds into a fast-paced flow where he barely stops for breath.
- Then it hits that "Hallelujah" bridge.
That bridge is actually one of the most interesting parts of the song. He mentions the "6 point star" and the "Lion of the Judah." It’s a nod to his Jewish heritage and perhaps a bit of Rastafarian influence, which he was leaning into heavily during his "island" phase. It’s a weird mix of religious imagery and street boasting that shouldn't work, but somehow does.
Why it Still Hits in 2026
Music moves fast. Most "flex" tracks from 2016 sound dated now. They’re tied to old memes or dead trends. But "Still Here" feels different. Why? Because the sentiment is universal. Everyone wants to be able to look at the people who doubted them and say, "I'm still here, and I'm doing better than you thought."
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Kinda petty? Yeah. But relatable? Absolutely.
It’s also worth noting the "You not from the city, I could tell" line. This was the peak of Drake’s gatekeeping of Toronto culture. He was very protective of the "Toronto sound" and the slang (like "extra" or "dog"). He wanted to make sure everyone knew he was the ambassador. If you weren't from there, you were an outsider.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think this song is just about money.
Honestly, it’s more about stamina.
The rap game is a meat grinder. People have been predicting Drake’s "downfall" since 2009. By the time Views came out, he’d already been at the top for seven years. "Still Here" was his way of saying that the throne wasn't for rent. He wasn't going anywhere.
Understanding the Context
If you’re trying to really "get" the song, you have to look at where it sits on the album. It follows "Hype" and "Weston Road Flows." These are the "heavy" tracks of Views. They are meant to establish his dominance before the album moves into the softer, more R&B-focused songs like "Controlla" or "One Dance."
"Still Here" is the adrenaline shot in the middle of a very long, sometimes moody album.
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Real Insights for Fans
If you’re dissecting the still here lyrics drake wrote for a project or just for your own curiosity, pay attention to the silence. Drake is a master of the "pause." He lets a line land, waits a beat, and then hits you with the next one.
- Look at the "30 on my jersey" line. That’s a Steph Curry reference. In 2016, Curry was the MVP and the most "gifted" shooter in the NBA. Drake loves a sports metaphor to validate his own "stats" in the music industry.
- The "Hallelujah" repetitions. This isn't just filler. It's meant to sound like a chant. It turns the song into a sort of "prosperity gospel" anthem.
The track isn't perfect. Some critics at the time thought it was "safe" or that Drake was "coasting." And maybe he was. But even a "coasting" Drake in 2016 was miles ahead of the competition.
What to do next
If you want to dive deeper into the technical side of how Drake writes, I’d suggest comparing the lyrics of "Still Here" to something like "10 Bands" from If You're Reading This It's Too Late. You'll see a very similar structure: short, punchy lines designed for Instagram captions.
You can also look up the original production credits on platforms like Genius or Tidal. Seeing how many people (like Maneesh Bidaye) were involved in just the "composition" phase shows you that even a "simple" flex track is a highly engineered piece of pop art.
Check out the live performances from the Summer Sixteen tour as well. Seeing how the crowd reacts to the "Doin' well, dog" line tells you everything you need to know about why this song survived the initial hype cycle. It’s a communal moment of "we made it."
Next time you hear it, don't just listen to the beat. Listen to the paranoia. Listen to the pride. It’s all right there in the words.