WHY Drake Keeps Ben Da Donnn SO CLOSE!?

Friendship Before Streaming

The documentary argues that Drake and BenDaDonnn’s friendship began long before streaming made them a visible duo—and that the business opportunities came later.

Ben’s story starts in Florida, where he says he hustled while attending college and began moving in athlete circles through sneaker sourcing and styling. A fraternity connection with Colin Kaepernick led to meeting Odell Beckham Jr., who became close family.

Ben recalls traveling with Odell while broke, saying he wanted to learn rather than ask for handouts. In one funny story, Odell gave him $5,000 to gamble, and Ben says he ran it up to about $100,000—though he admits he initially just wanted to keep the original five grand.

By 2016, Ben and Odell were already around Drake, and Ben appeared near Drake’s 2017 tour. That timing challenges the idea that Drake became close to Ben only because Ben later got popular as a streamer. The narrator also cautions that less public footage of Ben with Colin or Odell doesn’t prove those friendships ended; private relationships don’t always play out on camera.

Comedy, Touring, and Friendship

Ben later developed his own comedy and audience. Drake’s appearance in one of Ben’s skits didn’t create his career, the documentary says, but it brought a huge cosign that made more people pay attention. The narrator compares that boost to Drake’s past collaborations that amplified artists who already had momentum.

The clearest sign of their comfort with each other comes from Drake’s tour: Ben hosted parts of the show and roasted Drake in front of the crowd. Drake reportedly encouraged him to “go harder.” Ben also says he’ll tell Drake when a song is bad, even joking that he’s actively looking for a chance to call one “ass.” The documentary presents that willingness to tease—and occasionally be blunt with—a superstar as a rare kind of friendship.

Streaming and Shared Content

The story then follows Ben into streaming. He explains that live broadcasts can generate far more clips than carefully edited skits, and the narrator says Ben’s natural ability to entertain suits the format.

Drake, meanwhile, had already interacted with Kai Cenat before Ben’s streaming rise, so the documentary avoids claiming Ben introduced the two. Instead, it traces how Drake, Kai, and Ben’s separate connections eventually began overlapping.

That overlap produces several memorable moments:

• Ben’s “Trickonometry” class at Streamer University.
• Drake surprising Ben with a custom car while they joke about money Ben says Drake owed him.
• Ben walking into Drake’s home and immediately mocking the couch and furniture.

The documentary treats that casual roasting as evidence that Ben doesn’t act as though Drake is untouchable.

In a 20v1 dating-show segment, Drake even barks on request for a goth contestant, Pinkchu, who asks him to buy her mother a house. Drake agrees on camera, though the narrator notes there’s no confirmation in the video that the promise was fulfilled. The narrator’s punchline is that things once dismissed as “corny” in rap can become perfect internet content.

Conclusion

Ben benefits from Drake’s access and audience, but Drake also gets an entertaining friend who can joke with him without competing for his place. The documentary’s central claim is that their friendship came first, and streaming, touring, and content eventually made it good business. It leaves open whether Ben’s staying power is loyalty, strategy, social intelligence, or some mix of all three.

Personalities Featured or Discussed

BenDaDonnn, Drake, Odell Beckham Jr., Colin Kaepernick, Kai Cenat, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Pinkchu, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Future, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and Rick Ross.