Jack Paul 
Drake’s new album track “Dust” has raised eyebrows in both the music and crypto worlds. The song, released today as part of his ninth studio album, features a direct call for the release of Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the convicted founder of FTX.
In the lyrics, Drake raps: “An FTX penthouse high-riser, yeah / Samuel Bankman, free all my guys up, yeah.” This is a typical hip-hop convention, a solidarity shout-out within an aggressive statement track. The song follows a basic victory lap-and-diss structure, where Drake asserts his dominance and success while dismissing his rivals.
The chorus repeats “Go blow the dust off your plaques,” framing the track as a taunt to those living on past achievements. The music video adds no nuance, showing a childish police car race.
Crypto references and context
Elsewhere in the song, Drake calls himself a “$BTC crypto big-timer,” a line that shows his perhaps limited understanding of bitcoin and cryptocurrency as distinct concepts. He also references a globe-trotting lifestyle, including Melbourne’s time zone, sold-out shows, and dubious nods to the Bahamas, where SBF lived in a high-rise penthouse while running FTX.
SBF is currently serving a 25-year sentence at FCI Lompoc in California. He was convicted in November 2023 on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, with Judge Lewis Kaplan handing down the sentence in March 2024. The fraud involved about $8 billion siphoned from FTX customers into Alameda Research, SBF’s private trading firm. It’s one of the largest financial frauds in US history.
Pardon hopes and crypto ties
Because SBF’s only possible way out of prison is a presidential pardon, he has spent recent months engaging with Donald Trump on social media, a transparent effort to gain clemency. Drake’s lyrics reinforce his affinity for the convicted fraudster.
Drake also promotes a crypto casino, Stake.com, which is banned in the United Kingdom and barred from Twitch. The casino pays Drake tens of millions of dollars per year for promotion, and it dominates his Instagram bio, sitting above his record label and fashion lines.