TLDR: ap.melodies is emerging as one of the youngest producers in Drake’s orbit after contributing to Habibti and Maid of Honour.
Toronto’s latest rap success story isn’t coming from a veteran studio architect or a longtime industry insider. It’s coming from a teenager in Markham still balancing music placements with high school classes.
In a recent CityNews segment, 16-year-old producer ap.melodies — born Arham Paul — opened up about helping shape two records across Drake’s newly released projects Habibti and Maid of Honour. The coverage pulls back the curtain on how a kid experimenting with beats on GarageBand wound up contributing to one of the year’s biggest album rollouts.
According to CityNews’ coverage, ap.melodies worked on “Classic” from Habibti and “Q&A” from Maid of Honour, two records that continue Drake’s recent push toward more experimental production choices. Speaking with CityNews, Paul explained that he was brought in to help create an ’80s-inspired intro for “Classic” after Miami producer Sebas Lopez reached out late one night.
The young producer described diving into vintage R&B textures and synth-heavy sounds to help craft the atmosphere Drake was searching for. On “Q&A,” ap.melodies also contributed to a genre-blending instrumental built around Brazilian funk and sexy drill influences.
What makes the story especially compelling is how quickly it all happened. As highlighted by CityNews, Paul only learned the songs would officially release about two weeks before the albums dropped, triggering a whirlwind of contracts, paperwork and disbelief around school hallways in Markham.
The feature also captures the broader significance of Drake tapping younger internet-era producers to shape these projects. Alongside longtime collaborators like Noah “40” Shebib and Boi-1da, emerging names like ap.melodies represent a new generation helping redefine Drake’s sound in real time.
For ap.melodies, the moment still feels surreal. But judging by the reaction online, and the growing industry attention following the placements, this likely won’t be the last time his name appears in a Drake credits rollout.
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