Drake’s ‘Fancy’ Was Mary J. Blige’s Track First, Swizz Beatz Reveals

Drake’s new single “Fancy” almost ended up on two other albums before it finally landed on Thank Me Later.

“Fancy’ has been well-traveled,” said Swizz Beatz, who produced the song. “It started off as a Swizz record. Then I got Mary [J. Blige] on it. It was supposed to be on her [Stronger With Each Tear], but we missed the deadline. Then I pulled it back for my [upcoming] record. Then five o’clock one morning, on the phone speaking with Drake, he’s in a different time zone, we’re trying to figure out what he needs [for his album]. He’s like, ‘Yo, I just need a record for the ladies.’ I’m on my computer playing him joints over the phone. Then I played him ‘Fancy.’ I was like, ‘You want something like this?’ But I was playing it as a reference.”

On the original version of “Fancy,” Swizz raps about an educated girl who works at the Guggenheim Museum, while MJB sang about an independent female. “She got it all together,” Blige sings. “She don’t need you to help her/ She got her own paper/ She don’t need you to take her on a shopping spree/ My girl’s fancy, fly and free.” Video after the jump.

Drake didn’t want something like what Swizz played; he wanted that exact song for his album.

“He was like, ‘That’s the record I need,’ ” Swizz recalled. “I said, ‘OK, I’ll make you that.’ ” Drake replied: “No. That’s the record I need.”

Swizzy gave up the goods.

“I’m a producer first,” Swizz said. “So he can have the record. I’m still on it, it’s still love. He’s a heck of an artist, and I feel no ways but honored.”

The finished version of the song we hear on the album features Drake, Swizz and Tip, but at least one other MC was on the wish list to be on the song.

“Andre 3000 was supposed to be on ‘Fancy,’ ” Swizz revealed. “Drake had a group of people he wanted to be on it: Andre, Tip, this one, that one. But the deadline for the album rushed a lot of things. [Drake] can tell you the rest, but Tip just wound up being on it. Which I’m cool with, cause that’s the homie.”

Drake is filming the videos for “Fancy” and “Miss Me” this week in Atlanta.

Are you glad “Fancy” ended up with Drake? Let us know in the comments!

Source: MTV