Working on Excellence
In the words of one of the defining philosophers of my time - Aubrey Graham:
“I was running through the 6 with my woes! You know how that shit goes.”
That line comes from his 2015 masterpiece, Know Yourself. For most, it was likely just a catchy hook. However, for me, it kinda became a core identity. Shortly after the track dropped, fellow Drake stans and friends nicknamed me Desh Woes, a name I didn’t just accept, but fully embraced even at the time.
The name stuck for reasons deeper than just the rhythm of the tune. It’s about the internal interpretation. When you listen to Aubrey (a philosopher, remember), you don’t just hear the words; you feel the weight behind them.
The Surface and The Depth
Running through “the 6” refers to Toronto, the 6 god’s home. But he wasn’t moving alone in this city. He was running with his woes. Aren’t we all?
For the uninitiated, the word ‘woe’ immediately brings to mind misery and distress. Drake’s verses even lean into this, painting a picture of the ‘before times’, his era of retail jobs and hatchbacks.
“Had a job sellin’ Girbaud jeans…”
His ability to reflect on his life before stardom, and the struggles he endured to get there, is one of his superpowers.
But if you listen closely, it wasn’t just about the struggle. It was also about the people he endured the struggle with. The camaraderie of the climb, and the richness of the experiences when things were real.
“I know a nigga named Johnny Bling, He put me on to the finer things…”
(Johnny was his woe.)
“Man, that was when Ethan was pushin’ a Subaru hatchback, Man, I’m talkin’ way before hashtags…”
(Ethan was his woe as well.)
Working on Excellence
I leaned into this nuance because philosophers often say much with little. Even online commentary at the time speculated that there was a deeper meaning:
“Woe is my crew. It stands for ‘working on excellence.’ It’s just my whole brand and my whole movement and my way of life for everyone. I want everyone to work on excellence. So, all my friends are my Woes and I feel anybody working on excellence in life is a Woe in life as well.”
And you know what? I believed. I think Drake put out that work to distract us from the misery of the struggle and draw our attention closer to the quality of the climb.
Philosophy in Practice
Everyone working on excellence is a woe. Desh Woes 👍🏾. I think everyone woes in their own way. We know how it goes.
All this to say: Merry 2026 Woes! May we all keep working on excellence and running with them woes!
This post was inspired by countless listens to this tune: