Montell Jordan Says Drake’s “Papi’s Home” Finally Helped Him Recoup His Record Deal—29 Years Later

R&B icon Montell Jordan just shared a major revelation: Drake’s 2021 track “Papi’s Home” finally helped him recoup his record deal with Def Jam—nearly three decades after releasing his 1995 single “Daddy’s Home.” Appearing on the We Sound Crazy podcast, Jordan described the moment as a “wild surprise,” crediting Drake’s sample for giving his original track a financial second wind.

“The content in the song, with the language and stuff like that, is stuff that’s not on brand for me, but it’s on brand for him,” Jordan said. “But it advanced the publishing of the original song more, which allowed me to recoup faster.” He revealed that the release of Certified Lover Boy triggered the long-awaited financial milestone: “My recoupment of my publishing and royalties finally recouped after [29] years.”