Last Thursday night, Drake semi-surprise dropped a compilation aptly entitled Care Package, which consists of 17 tracks released between 2010 and 2016 that, until this past weekend, had no home on Drake's or anybody else's albums. As most of these were either unavailable on streaming services or else unceremoniously listed as disembodied singles, lending them legitimacy via a commercial release was a gesture met with excitement and nostalgia from fans. But as with any non-exhaustive compilation, Care Package also sparked a fair amount of displeasure for failing to include some favorites. So: we're here to help.
The songs on Care Package are almost (almost) indisputably the most high-profile and popular of Drake's many loosies, but that's not to say he doesn't have a ton of other remixes, freestyles, and non-album singles sitting on the shelf. For the purposes of this list, we're choosing songs that are not currently on any commercially-released album (such as French Montana and Drake's "No Stylist")— even as a bonus track (like "9AM In Dallas"). These can be Drake remixes of other artists' songs, but not other artists' remixes of Drake songs. Because Drake has so much non-album material floating around, we're not including unofficial leaks (like "Issa" or "You Know, You Know"). And to keep this fun and nostalgic, we're not including the recently-released "Omertà" and "Money in the Grave"— after all, we have no way of knowing if they'll show up on the next album.
So enjoy these ten songs, all available to stream, just not necessarily on Spotify, Tidal, or Apple Music. The earliest one dropped in 2012, the most recent just last year, so this give a pretty wide and eclectic picture of Drake's stopgap releases through the years.
Sound off in the comments with your personal favorites from this list, or otherwise.
10. "Diplomatic Immunity"
Oh hey, it's that song from last year that I just mentioned. Released alongside Scorpion lead single "God's Plan" in a two-song pack entitled Scary Hours, "Diplomatic Immunity" finds Drake in peak mafioso mode, going in about luxe Italian dinners, dating J. Lo, and breaking zoning codes over a Godfather-esque sample. Say what you will about Drake's bars and fake-tough guy disses, but he can still spar with the best of them, as evidenced by this thinly-veiled shot at Joe Budden: "I've seen buddin' careers turn to sit around and talk about other careers, judgin' their peers / Knowledge from niggas who did not contribute to none of this here / Cover my ears, my security government tier."
9. "Back To Back"
While not necessarily one of the best Drake songs, knockout blow "Back To Back" is certainly one of the most legendary, if not important, Drake songs. Arriving at the zenith of Drizzy and Meek Mill's summer 2015 beef, this diss track effectively ended things after the decidedly less impactful "Charged Up." We all remember where we were when we heard "Trigger fingers turn to twitter fingers" for the first time.
8. "Freak In You" Remix
Never doubt Drake's ability to go in on someone else's song and make a much catchier hook than the one that was there first. In 2017, Drizzy bodied his OVO compatriot PartyNextDoor's "Freak In You," delivering a verse that instantly morphs into a chorus the second he says, "I'm just more ready than petty these days." That line belongs in the Thirsty Instagram Captions hall of fame.
7. "Sweeterman" Remix
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Remember Ramriddlz? The Mississauga native struck gold with the first song he ever recorded, 2015's "Sweeterman," attracting his region's biggest star in the process. Unfortunately for Ram, Drizzy rendered him unnecessary— more so than he did on similar vulturing remixes of iLoveMakonnen and Fetty Wap— and delivered a version of the breakout hit featuring only himself on vocals. Drake has a way of making beats, such as this breezy, chintzy, pseudo-tropical one, seem like they were tailor-made for him.
6. "Sneakin'"
Speaking of vulturing, perhaps Drake's biggest strength, how about this pitch-perfect take on gothic Atlanta rap? Sourcing crucial guest appearances from of-the-moment Southern talents London on da Track and 21 Savage, Drake seems shockingly at home over creepy church organs delivering lines like, "If the devil's in the details then I'm Satanic." If you're looking for authenticity, this ain't the place to find it, but then again, you're reading a list of Drake songs, so the word "authenticity" shouldn't even come close to entering your mind.
5. "Enough Said"
One of the most beautiful and controversial songs of Drake's career, "Enough Said" is the only original on this list that doesn't count Drake as its lead artist. But considering the fact that Drake and his right-hand man, Noah "40" Shebib, were 100% responsible for taking an unfinished scrap of an Aaliyah song, producing it, and fleshing it out into a full-bodied song, we'll give him credit for it. This track was originally released as the lead single of a rumored posthumous Aaliyah album in 2012, but it's now seven years later (to the week, oddly enough) and there's still no sign of it.
4. "Trophies"
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"Trophies," in case you forgot, is not a love song. It is 1) a fuck a stripper on a mink rug song, 2) a fuck them boys forever hold a grudge song, 3) a pop some fucking champagne in the tub song, and 4) a just because song. Drake's never sounded more triumphant, and remember, this is the "Started from the Bottom" guy we're talking about here. Hit-Boy somehow harnessed a stampede of gold-plated war elephants in the studio, and an instant classic of sports celebrations for generations to come was born.
3. "2 On / Thotful"
Oh OB O'Brien, what could've been. Okay, maybe the walking piece of comic relief from the "Started from the Bottom" video never stood a chance of making it big when detached from Drake's side, but he'll always live on via this absolutely goofy, infectious flip of Tinashe's breakout single. O'Brien may be listed as the lead artist, but aside from his opening verse (which lasts all of 50 seconds) and some great ad-libs (Drake: "OB, that's my brother like a Wayans" OB: "Hi"), this is very much the Drake show, especially when the beat slows and he gets all in his feelings in the song's last half.
2. "0 to 100 / The Catch Up"
Very possibly the best two-part Drake song— which is saying something when you consider the majesty of songs like "Furthest Thing" and "Cameras"— this one dropped just before the Meek beef at the start of summer 2015, which looking back, is starting to feel more and more like Drake's peak. Alternately titled "The One With The Boi-1da Beat So Good That Diddy Punched Drake After He Stole It (Allegedly)," "0 to 100" also ropes in an unreleased James Blake beat in its second half, an unbelievably powerful flex.
1. "We Made It" Freestyle
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Give me the Eastbound & Down quotes throughout "We Made It" over the Step Brothers quote in the middle of "N****s in Paris" any day. While technically included on a Soulja Boy mixtape (King Soulja II), this masterpiece of arrogance still isn't on streaming services, so we're making it eligible. More shit-talky and gleefully ignorant than "Trophies," "We Made It" is still the best song of all time to play just after accomplishing anything— whether it be getting a new job, or just taking out the trash.