Baka Not Nice, aka
Baka, is the rap alias of Toronto native and
Drake associate Travis Savoury. Prior to making his solo debut, Savoury was part of
Drake's security detail and appeared on his employer's releases, including
Nothing Was the Same ("From Time"),
Views ("Hype"), and
More Life ("Free Smoke," "Gyalchester"). Shortly after his deal with
Drake's Warner-distributed OVO Sound label was publicized in June 2017, Savoury released the boastful single "Live Up to My Name." A chiming, low-profile production with Savoury's choppy, sing-songy delivery at the fore, the track made reference to the rapper's past life: "I went to jail the day they released Men in Black/When I came out,
Timberlake was bringing sexy back." Two more singles, "No Beam" and the boisterous "Junior High," arrived in 2018 with the latter also appearing on
Baka's
4Milli EP. Another EP,
no long talk., was released in 2019. ~ Andy Kellman