Entertainment

How Accurate Were Drake's "Energy" Impersonations?

by Tracy Dye

Are you ready for a video that you will never be able to un-see? Of course you are! Drake released his new video for "Energy" on Friday, July 10, and it is one that is guaranteed to make you exclaim, "What did I just watch?!" You may remember the track from the rapper's surprise mixtape, If You're Reading This It's Too Late, and Drake is staying true to form by making us expect the unexpected, as the new video features a plethora of celebrity impersonations via Drake himself. Showcasing what had to be a vast makeup and costume budget, the rapper draws from a litany of infamous moments in pop culture by transforming into Oprah Winfrey, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, and President Barack Obama among others.

Throughout the song, Drake muses about how his accumulation of "enemies" has completely depleted his energy. As one who avoids confrontation to a pathological extent, I can only imagine the distress and fatigue that would ensue if the likes of Winfrey and President Obama considered me to be an adversary — the horror of it all! Of course, the people Drake impersonates in his raucous video aren't his actual enemies (as far as I know), but the video uses humor to illustrate different moments that caused public figures to face opposition in their careers.

One question remains: how do Drake's impersonations of these pivotal moments in pop culture compare to the actual events? Let's take a gander...

Drake's Oprah Winfrey Vs. Oprah Winfrey IRL

Drake impersonates Oprah Winfrey by superimposing himself into the iconic 2005 moment from The Oprah Winfrey Show when guest, Tom Cruise, literally jumped (onto a couch) for joy when he spoke of his love for then-girlfriend-and-now-ex-wife, Katie Holmes. Did Drake nail his impression?

His aesthetic is almost completely on-point, save for one follicular faux pas. Drake, why didn't you cover that goatee with makeup and/or shave? Winfrey doesn't have facial hair, dude. I would give this rendering an A-.

Drake's Miley Cyrus Vs. Miley Cyrus IRL

Watching Drake put his best — albeit, heavily made-up — face forward as Miley Cyrus in the music video for "Wrecking Ball" may be the best thing I've seen all week. Let's look at the original.

Nailed it! I'm even willing to forgive the fact that Drake didn't throw on a blonde wig.

Drake's Kanye West Vs. Kanye West IRL

Drake's recreation of Kanye West's video for "Bound 2" may be the best parodying since Seth Rogen played Kim Kardashian. Was his West impersonation the epitome of perfection?

Yes. Yes it was.

Drake's O.J. Simpson Vs. O.J. Simpson IRL

Not every moment from "Energy" was a hilarious one. Drake made the bold choice to reenact the white bronco chase from 1994, when O.J. Simpson attempted to flee police after being accused of murder. How does his depiction compare to the real-life moment seen across the nation?

MIKE NELSON/AFP/Getty Images

Although most of us only got a bird's-eye view of the action back in the '90s, I would have to say that Drake captured the tension of the paramount chase perfectly.

Drake's LeBron James Vs. LeBron James IRL

Yeah, so I don't know anything about basketball. However, I was made semi-aware by my sport enthusiast friends about how many people took issue when LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

I would say that Drake's depiction is pretty legit. If I didn't know better, I might even believe that James had decided to take a break from the court and Trainwreck press to make an actual cameo in "Energy."

Drake's President Barack Obama Vs. POTUS IRL

Why do you ditch the goatee for some impressions and not for others, Drake?!

Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Yup, still a pretty on-point impersonation, though.

Drake's Justin Bieber Vs. Justin Bieber IRL

Reviews were decidedly mixed over Justin Bieber's Calvin Klein commercial. Once again, Drake didn't cover up his goatee, but he masterfully replicated how...er...snug those boxer briefs were on Bieber.

Yeah, that impersonation is pretty on fleek.

Drake's Rob Ford Vs. Rob Ford IRL

Toronto mayor, Rob Ford, garnered fame for his illicit drug use and bizarre remarks rather than his political ideals. Drake reenacted a particularly damaging moment in Ford's career when he was caught using crack cocaine.

Robert Laberge/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

Besides the goatee (AGAIN), I would say this was a pretty accurate rendering.

Drake's Floyd Mayweather Vs. Floyd Mayweather IRL

Floyd Mayweather enjoys the finer things in life and makes sure his throngs of Instagram followers know it. Drake recreated the famed image of Mayweather lounging in bed amid stacks of cash and this time his ever-present goatee was actually fitting.

As one who only flies coach, I am filled with the deepest form of envy imaginable when looking at the above image. The image Drake recreated has since been deleted from Mayweather's Instagram, but I think it's safe to say he nailed it.

You can watch "Energy" on Apple Music ad nauseam by visiting the videos section to enjoy both the tune and smorgasbord of impressions.

Images: Apple Music (9); LORDGOOGLEANON/YouTube; MileyCyrusVEVO/YouTube; KanyeWestVEVO/YouTube; Getty Images (4); Giphy; Floyd Mayweather/Instagram