How Drake Dialed Up ‘Nokia’: Cocomelon, Crazy Frog and Endless Phone Calls Inspired the Hit’s Producer Elkan

It was a hectic time in Elkan’s life, and the Sierra Leone-born producer’s phone was constantly buzzing. Taking refuge from the barrage of calls, he began singing repeatedly in the shower: “Who’s calling my phone?”

He recorded the hook, which eventually became the centerpiece of Drake’s “Nokia,” one of the biggest rap songs of the year. “It turns the pain into praise,” Elkan says, calling the track a “miracle record” that “brings the fun back to the party and makes people forget about the nonsense in their lives.” What started as a plea to be left alone turned into a joyful anthem about hitting the dance floor and ringing your friends to find the action.

“Nokia” opens with that cooing hook — “Who’s calling my phone?” — before sliding into a bouncy retro beat that Drake skates over: “Where the fuck the function?” Trickling in the background are marimba-like melodies reminiscent of a mid-2000s ringtone, coupled with R&B vocals and futuristic synths.

“When I’m making music, I’m always thinking, ‘What does 2050 sound like? What are my grandkids going to dance to?’” Elkan says.

He started making the beat for “Nokia” in his sister’s spare bedroom, sitting on the floor and playing with a MIDI keyboard. He was drawn to the catchy melodies of childhood. “I love lullabies. When I started making music, I would babysit my stepsister, and I always had Cocomelon on,” he says, referring to the kids’ sing-along channel. “Those melodies permeate my brain, and it’s something that I put into my music.” He also mentions the Eurodance sensation Crazy Frog as an inspiration: “It’s annoying, but it’s memorable.” ‘

Eventually, Elkan sent the beat to Drake and was “euphoric” when he first heard the rapper’s verses. “This was something I’d been working on for years,” he says. “To hear the record was thrilling.”

As for advice for other artists, Elkan says high-quality equipment isn’t essential to making high-quality art. “A lot of producers and musicians are all about the gear,” he says. “Honestly, you don’t need any of that. It’s all about you as a human.”

And in another memorable if annoying turn, the producer can barely ring up a friend these days without hearing his infectious catchphrase on the other line: “Who’s calling my phone?”

Songwriters: Drake, Elkan

Producer: Elkan

Labels: OVO Sound, Santa Anna Records & Republic Records

Hitmakers:

Elkan, co-writer and producer

Theo Skudra, video director

Kelly Jeffrey, cinematographer

Mr. Morgan, president, OVO