Four months before this in May of 2012, the guy who brought The Weeknd to the public, Drake, was asked about a potential deal with him signing Abel:
"As far as on paper, it's all being worked out, but that's not really what counts anyway. What counts to me is the fact that the affiliation is so known, and that's all I really care about"
"I want to continue being involved in his career and vice versa and keep making music together, because you take songs like 'Crew Love' and 'The Zone,' that's what people wait all night to hear"