Is Drake the biggest rapper of our generation? If we were to look to his newest release, his double-track Scary Hours EP, for the answer, it would be a resounding yes, simply based off his record-breaking numbers with the surprise release. Even that seems to be all too easy and effortless for the Six God, he's really just tossing a (small) bone to the fans while he ups the ante with more studio session adventures on Instagram.
He is certainly among the most influential artists, and while the face and sound of hip-hop is ever-evolving, there are avenues that it has taken that might not have been possible before Drake's approach to melodies and his tendency for all-too honest emotions.
Beyond all that, Drake has maintained a certain cache and respect amongst his peers and his fans, even when embroiled in ghostwriting beefs or otherwise -- everything seems to just slide right off him, as he constantly maintains a fine line between humble and braggadocio. Case-in-point, these pairing of lyrics from "God's Plan":
"Without 40, Oli, there would be no me / Imagine if I never met the broskies"
"Might go down a G.O.D., yeah, wait / I go hard on Southside G, yuh, wait / I make sure that north-side eat"
Today we take a look at some of his best songs ~of all time~, honorable mention to "God's Plan," though.
Comment with your personal favourite Drake record ~of all time~.
Man of the Year feat. Lil Wayne
The first of what would become many Weezy F collaborations, from Drake’s Comeback Season mixtape. It’s definitely “old school” Drake, and by that I mean, 2007 Drake. The beat is bubbly and soulful, while Drake uses his lengthy verses to do a mixing of flexing and calling out his haters, sometimes both at the same damn time: “What you mean you ain’t heard? I come highly recommended / Everybody my friend even if they been offended.”
Drake was still carving out his voice and sound at this time, this was the first notch in that evolution-- you can still hear that Weezy influence in his flow, but it's a flow he would evolve into his own (and become an influence in his own right).
Uptown feat. Bun B & Lil Wayne
A Southern-feeling record taken from Drake’s So Far Gone effort, one of many Lil Wayne collaborations, but one of fewer Bun B collaborations. The song starts with flurry of organ keys, which remain a key component of the beat, and later a Billy Joel sample of “Uptown Girl” is introduced in the background. Drake’s flow on this one is deliberate, slowed down, on the chopped and screwed vibe (but not all the way there). Still, it's an important aspect and influence in Drake's style and history, as a proponent of the down south prior to A$AP Rocky's adaptation of the style.
Both Drake and Wayne are generous here, delivering two verses a piece, while Bun B is sided in between. Although he only has one verse, it’s a memorable one, with a poignant flow for the beat and lines that show the age we were approaching: “I wrote this on my iPhone, so let me drop this iBomb.”
Club Paradise
“Club Paradise” was a release that came ahead of Drizzy’s tour of the same name, which saw him bringing along new-but-shining rappers at the time, Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky, for the ride. The song was also among the pre-Take Care releases. It’s a moody release, that is not only named after Drake’s favorite Toronto strip club, but also acts as a dope soundtrack for a stripper (and likely was used as such). If one thing is for certain, Drake has always been repping his city-- whether that be on his father's side or his mother's. 40 produced the sprawling beat, which squeaks and tingles, laced with muddled piano keys. Drake for his part, uses the song as an opportunity to vent about his come-up at the time, the girls he left behind and the new environment he’s found himself in.
Sacrifices ft. 2 Chainz & Young Thug
A more recent collaboration as it appears on Drake’s latest body of work, “Sacrifices” is a bouncy affair, jingly in all the right places, and featuring the colourful voices of 2 Chainz and Young Thug. Drake, for his part, is the least cartoonish of the bunch, with a brisk flow that cuts abruptly at the end of each bar, while his bars themselves deliver straight-to-the-point facts about his life that flex like it’s nothing. For example, “Kendall turned 21, was up the street with 21,” and, “I got Dubai plates in the California state I got her waitin' at my place, I got no baby on the way,” or else, “40 got house on the lake, I ain't know we had a lake.” 2 Chainz and Thugger follow suit, exploring different flows for the beat, but echoing Drake’s rhyming pattern.
Know Yourself
A true sentiment/statement if there ever was one, and one that became apart of Drake’s banger-filled mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Mainstays Boi-1da and Vinylz are behind the boards for a creeping, hard-hitting beat. The record would spawn slang, “woes,” into worldwide-usage, adopted from Toronto’s underground rap scene at the time. Signifying Drake's resounding reach and influence, it isn't the first time he's made a new slang pop off, and it won't be the last. Drake’s verses creep along at a similar pace to the beat, before he ups the ante for the hook, where he just about yells: “I was runnin' through the 6 with my woes / You know how that should go.” Part of Drake's charm on wax is his ability to make quotable, quick bars in addition to more thoughtful lyrical-minded bars.
Draft Day
Johnny Manziel, a good friend of Drake, who reps the brand equally, gets a shout-out on release (as well as his face as the single art). The record features a smooth but stuttering beat (produced by The Fam, and co-produced by Boi-1da), sampling Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” -- perhaps sample clearance is a reason why this one never landed on any commercial release? Whatever the case, it’s definitely a staple in the Drake discography, once again proving Drake’s adept grasp of pop culture and perfect timing-- something he's capitalized on time and time again.
Just Hold On We’re Going Home ft. Majid Jordan
The song that Drake made in order to become a wedding staple. Basically, Drake wanted to create a timeless song, and secure his legend for years to come. While we can’t exactly predict that just yet, he definitely made an airy, synth-laden single, that will, at the very least, be played at wedding for the next five plus years. As he shared his mission statement for “Hold On” with MTV: "It's not a rap record[…]In approaching this album I was like man, it would be great if we had a record that was played at weddings in 10 years or that people that are away from their families in the army could listen to. Something that just [has] timeless writing, timeless melody. So I did it with the group that we signed to OVO called Majid Jordan." Majid Jordan were definitely a key curator of sound on this one, handling production as well as the feature.
Blem
“Blem” is an airy, light-on-its-feet type of record, which Drake just floats and flows all over. Plucked from the More Life album-playlist, it’s got a hint of that tropical, Caribbean flavour that Drizzy has been infusing some of his r’n’b and pop-efforts with as of late, and equally, a sound he's influenced other artists to try their hand at as well, again proving his power over hip-hop's direction. The Caribbean flavour is not only reflected in the song’s production (handled by OVO favourite T-Minus), but in Drake’s adoption of slang (Toronto by way of Jamaica), “blem,” as he recounts how lit he is off the Virginia whiskey, and wonders about a situationship with a ladyfriend. Typical.
Practice
“Practice” contains an extremely memorable Juvenile sample, and it was followed by an equally memorable music video. The rapper grabs a sample from Juvie’s “Back that Azz Up” for this 2011 update, also taken from Take Care. The slowly creeping beat has Drake interpolating Juvenile’s hook, while the homemade-esque music video features Kyra Chaos “practicing” her dance moves in front of the mirror, before Drake busts in on her (if you misread or misinterpreted that, that’s on you. He busts into the room and surprises Kyra).
Forever ft. Lil Wayne, Eminem & Kanye West
A monstrous collaboration with two mega rap stars in their own right, although at the time this was released, Drizzy was definitely the smallest in stature -- can we say the same presently??? That’s a debate for another time (or for the comment section). It would seem blasphemous not to include on this list, this song really screams ‘2009,’ from the beat (incrementally drum-heavy with a fair amount of sirens) to the flows (hashtag, among them) -- that’s no shade, cause it still bangs today. It’s yet another Boi-1da production, the song was used on the soundtrack for the More than a Game.
Energy
The gun shots are all you need to hear and you know it’s about to pop off. Drake flows, easily, over the somewhat-haunting Boi-1da beat, defined by its chilling piano keys, at times submerged beneath the beat, at other times, sped-up into a frenzy (and possibly backwards). Beyond just the audio, the music video for “Energy” created a moment on the internet as well, and well, it literally was the internet -- Drake borrowed from significant moments in pop culture, a mix of old and new-- we saw him re-create the OJ Simpson car chase, as well as Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” video. If anything, it shows that Drizzy’s finger is constantly on the pulse, but even so, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. It's the perfect combination.
Controlla
“Controlla” is another example of Drake’s dancehall desires, once featuring Jamaican artist Popcaan to truly bring things home, however the final version that appears on his Views album is sans-Popcaan. In the tracklisting for Views, “Controlla” is well-placed right before “One Dance,” vibing perfectly side-by-side each with their easy nature. However, even if you’ve got “Controlla” on repeat as a stand-alone song, it’s going to set a soothing vibe, even if Drake might be looking for the opposite-- to get, or be controlled.
The Language
“The Language” appeared on Drake’s meme-ified Nothing Was the Same album. In terms of Type of Drake Record, it’s a rather straightforward bars-oriented Drake record, although it’s not necessarily banger level, instead it has a low-key vibe that pairs perfectly with Drizzy’s general attitude on the song -- that he basically has nothing to prove, but here he goes proving it anyways-- actually that's a common occurrence on most of Drake's music. The two verses are split up with partially sung hook, while Birdman takes the reigns on an outro to truly ingratiate the boss status here. It’s worth noting, this song is perfectly transitioned into the one that follows (that ultimately didn’t make the cut) “305 To My City.”
One Dance ft. Wizkid & Kyla
This song should hold a special place in Drizzy’s heart, as it does in ours, because it was Drake’s first single to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart -- and continued to do so for ten consecutive weeks. The song also plays to the Toronto artist’s penchant of putting on lesser-known artists, specifically ones that hail from anywhere that’s not the U.S.
On this record, we get WizKid (Nigeria) and Kyla (UK) features, which ultimately thrust both artists further into the spotlight than they had been previously. Similar to Drake’s other Views hit, he didn’t exactly craft this sound entirely himself (or with his OVO team). Kyla’s own record, “Do You Mind (Crazy Cousins)” was the initial spark for it, with the piano melody and Kyla’s vocals from that original record transitioning its way into “One Dance,” for an updated afro-beat, which suited WizKid’s background vocals perfectly.
Dreams Money Can Buy
This is definitely a fan-favorite, despite never landing on any particular album, it proves Drake’s strength even if it’s “throwaway” style. The song starts almost exactly as the song 40 samples-- Jai Paul’s “BTSTU,” keeping the opening words of Jai’s own record intact on a tight loop, the eerie, small-voiced “don’t fuck with me.” However, as soon as the drums hit, Drake begins to rap and the vibe picks up ever so slightly. The song was released as a promotional single ahead of Drake’s Take Care album and his Club Paradise tour. It fits the same moody approach to rap that hit so well on the single, “Marvin’s Room,” with Drake rapping about women and money, all too familiar topics. “I want women to cry and pour out their heart for me / And tell me how much they hate it when they apart from me,” is Drake’s take on the topic though, proving his own cliche.
Over
The string-riddled “Over” was a single released leading up to Drake’s debut album Thank Me Later. The Boi-1da-produced single was definitely enough to create hype early on. Notable, not only for the string instruments that kick off the record, but the incorporation of the electric guitar and stuttering, all of which create a “big” feel. Big as it should be -- on the record, Drake confronts his new-found fame, success, and come-up as a whole. He may forget momentarily, but not for long, as he raps, "But I just can't remember it all What am I doing? What am I doing? Oh yeah, that's right—I'm doing me, I'm doing me I'm living life right now, man."
Do Not Disturb
This some Drakey-Drake-Drake shit. And we love it. Over a sped-up-sampled beat, constant shuttering hi-hats and drums from 40 and Boi-1da, Drake closed out his More Life playlist with this almost-five minute opus. He uses that time to reflect, on both the past and the present, opting out of a hook, instead providing one lengthy verse. His musings run from spending time at the bookstore Indigo in Toronto, to more recent memories like working on Views. It's a style of record he's done in different veins several times over, to great effect-- the result is usually a very personal song that winds up being among fan favourites.
In closing the record, he even brings the listener into the current moment, rapping: “Last verse that I gotta do is always like surgery / Always tryin' to let go of anything that'll burden me / That's the reason you can feel the tension and the urgency / Last chance I get to make sure that you take it personally / Take this shit to heart, it's always executed perfectly.” Indeed.
Passionfruit
This More Life cut arrives three songs in, and feels parallel to records like “One Dance,” which are veered towards timelessness. Produced by 40 and Nana Rogues, it’s light and feel good, there’s an easy bounce to it that makes it dance-friendly (especially wedding dance-friendly), while it maintains the dancehall-inspired vibe that Drake pursued surrounding More Life releases. The song itself feels minimal, it’s not doing too much, and neither are Drake’s vocals -- it’s light on lyrics for that matter -- as Drake (somewhat dispassionately) details the struggles in maintaining a relationship.
The Motto ft. Lil Wayne & Tyga
Everyone knows the motto. My mom knows it. My aunt probably knows it. It’s YOLO. You Only Live Once. A cliche before Drake cemented it into an acronym and gave it more significance than what we ever thought was possible. The song was a single from Take Care, featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga, at the time both Drake’s Young Money labelmates, over a bouncy, clap-heavy T-Minus beat. The song, which does have a shout out to the Bay, definitely carries a Bay Area feel, with this style being extremely popular at the time thanks to DJ Mustard. The hook, handled by Drake, is a series of simple but effective quick rhyme schemes. It speaks to Drake’s ability to relay a seemingly ordinary or average experience, or thought, in a way that instantly connects with the listener, in addition to his hit-making capabilities (or perhaps, by extension).
Jumpman ft. Future
This list wouldn’t be complete without “Jumpman.” Technically a joint release, with Future playing ½, the song came off the surprise What a Time to Be Alive commercial mixtape from the two rappers. The song, produced by Metro Boomin, is complete with a squawking bird sound effect, lots of jingly keys, and a hashtag-friendly (and incessantly catchy) hook from Drake. Although it wasn’t initially released as a single proper, it did get repackaged as such two months after WATTBA’s release, and is now certified quadruple platinum. Within that two month period though, the song was already doing damage, quickly championed as the highlight and the best thing to come out of WATTBA. It was unavoidable at any club or gathering of like-minded friends.
Worst Behavior
WORST! The opening of this Drake banger, and as it were, a call to action, an indicator that shit is about to pop off in whatever vicinity you might occupy. Short, clipped sentences create the hook, as Drake slurs ‘mufuckas’ over stuttering production from beatsmith DJ Dahi (“Money Trees,” that should say enough). Drake throws in references to his Jewish roots (“Bar mitzvah money like my last name Mordecai”) and his Degrassi past (“This ain't the son you raised who used to take the Acura 5 a.m. then go and shoot Degrassi up on Morningside”), it’s almost like a second instalment to “Started from the Bottom” (and appears on the same album, Nothing was the Same), as Drake continues the storyline, reiterating that haters have always been targeting him. It's an exciting banger, the type we love to receive from the Toronto man.
The Ride
One of two Take Care cuts that featured The Weeknd. This record contains production from The Weeknd and his collaborator, Doc Mckinney, offering a change from the usual 40, but to great effect (still, it feels very Weeknd-y, perhaps because his vocals are found crooning in the background of the entirety of this song). The song contains the rise and fall of an electronic drum and a touch of the soul, thanks mostly to Abel’s vocals. As Abel sings about being faded-faded-faded, Drake details what it’s like to live his life -- lavish at times, yes, but it comes with its own set of obstacles.
Hotline Bling
“Hotline Bling” was the lead single from Drake’s Views album, his fourth album. The song would chart up to #2 on the Hot 100, not quite getting #1 status, but it definitely became a worldwide phenomena regardless. At the time it was an accomplishment still, as Drake’s highest-charting single (before “One Dance” entered). Nineteen85, an OVO affiliate, is responsible for the r’n’b heavy but still pop production -- it did stir up some controversy though, as it is unabashedly inspired by D.R.A.M.’s break-out “Cha Cha,” but never touted as an official remix, and thus missing D.R.A.M. credit-wise. Still, if anything, the controversy was covered online and hopefully inspired more than a few people to google D.R.A.M.’s own song. While it feels like a “Cha Cha” interpolation, it also samples heavily Timmy Thomas' 1972 song "Why Can't We Live Together."
HYFR ft. Lil Wayne
Another acronym that was cemented by the almighty powers of Drake. The song became a staple off Take Care, linking Drake with his YM boss Lil Wayne. For the Southern-sounding fare, OVO affiliate T-Minus sampled E.S.G’s “Swangin’ and Bangin’” appropriately enough. Despite the slow-moving sample, Drake raps quite quickly at the outset, words tumbling out one after another. Drake gets on a bit of a story-telling vibe (these bars in particular really sum it up well: "It's women to call, there's albums to drop / There's liquor involved / There's stories to tell, we been through it all"), as he details encounters he’s had with various women, getting some inspiration for his bars from his featured artist, Weezy, when he shares the back-and-forth conversation he had with a woman in particular: "And we never talk too much after I blew up Just only "hello" or a "happy belated"/ And I think I text her and told her I made it / And that's when she text me and told me she prayed it / And that's when I text her and told her I love her / Then right after texted and told her I'm faded."
Houstatlantavegas
“Houstatlantavegas” is Drake’s own inventive spelling for the trifecta of Houston, Atlanta and Las Vegas, duh. The song is a smooth blending of r’n’b, that doesn’t necessarily feel like any of the referenced cities, yet simultaneously feels like all three. It’s perfect for late night meanderings, a bedroom escapade, or for any stripper to dance to (as intended). Drake mulls over a stripper, a girl he’ll take care of as much as he can, but ultimately, a girl he’ll never actually have. The classic Emotional Drake Yearning for Stripper story, another important record in his discography showcasing Drake's forays into singing and blending of genres.
November 18th
“November 18th” is a significant date for Drake, and a significant song for us. Taken off So Far Gone, Drake grapples with a Houston-soaked beat -- it samples a chopped & screwed record from none other than DJ Screw.
Doesn’t really get more H-Tine, and while it may not be Drake’s place of birth, it’s definitely the city he reps the second hardest (behind Toronto, of course), thanks to father, Dennis Graham. As for the significance of November 18th-- it’s apparently the date that Drake would receive a fateful phone call from Lil Wayne (the catalyst for his whole career, as it were), after breaking up with his girl and relocating to Houston.
Crew Love ft. The Weeknd
A Weeknd-influenced Drake song to be sure, but a fire one nonetheless, that happened to find life on Drizzy’s 2011 opus Take Care. The production is unrelenting and at times harsh, with cloudy, ferocious closed hi-hats creating a static-like punctuation through out the length of the beat, which is otherwise, actually quite soft and r’n’b-esque. The Weeknd handles the chorus which, as the title suggests, shows love to the entourage. Drake, for his part, backs up Abel’s sentiment by expressing just how much he’ll put on for his loved ones around him-- whether its spending $50,000 (easy) on a vacation for the team, or simply ensuring that they’re well-fed.
I’m Going In ft. Lil Wayne & Jeezy
This song has been credited to either artist, but for the sake of this list, and the fact that it eventually landed on the So Far Gone EP re-release, we’ll count it as a Drake track. It’s titled “I’m Going In,” and that’s exactly what each rapper did, gah damn. Play this, and it’ll feel like a timewarp back to ‘09. Drake’s verse is hard, but in later years, rapper Nickelus F would reveal that he actually wrote the verse -- no matter the case, part of the verse's potency is simply in Drizzy’s smooth delivery and flow.
5 AM in Toronto
A fan-favourite of sorts, and for good reason too, since it goes in. The song never made its way onto an album, rather it was used pre-Nothing was the Same as a promotional single, and a follow-up to the preceding fan-favourite, “9 AM in Dallas.” The titling concept itself has inspired many other rappers, while Drake has also continued to grow the series with “4 PM in Calbasas” in the same vein. The spiraling key-laden production comes courtesy of Kromatik, Vinylz and Boi-1da. The song not only popped off on the internet at the time of its release because of its strong production, but because of the lyrics, which ostensibly throw jabs at The Weeknd, at a time when the two weren’t on the best of terms, although the subliminal messages likely don’t end there. Here, a brief summary of subliminal jabs found on "5 AM In Toronto":
- The part I love most is they need me more than they hate me / So they never take shots, I got everybody on safety I could load every gun with bullets that fire backwards / You probably wouldn't lose a single rapper / Niggas make threats, can't hear 'em over the laughter
- Give these niggas the look, the verse, and even the hook / That's why every song sound like Drake featurin' Drake
- 'Cause I show love, never get the same outta niggas / Guess it's funny how money can make change outta niggas / For real, some nobody started feelin' himself / A couple somebodies started killin' themself / A couple albums dropped, those are still on the shelf / I bet them shits would have popped if I was willin' to help
- A lot of niggas PR stuntin' like that's the movement / And I'm the only nigga still known for the music
Started from the Bottom
Whether or not Drake truly started “from the bottom,” you cannot deny the impact, success, and all-around catchiness of this single. Not just that, but, who put this definitive Rapper Struggle into a song and bottled it up to reap commercial success, before Drake? The Rapper Struggle is an integral part to most of our favourite hip-hop artists’ come-up; we want to hear, and know, about the struggle before we bestow anything with the label of real. Drake has been able to adopt the real label while managing criticism from haters that he simply did not start from the bottom, did not struggle, as a suburban Toronto kid who first found light-fame on the Canadian TV series Degrassi.
The opening piano melody became known worldwide, although the song, a Nothing Was the Same single, only managed to peak at #6 on the Hot 100. While Drake may have not started in the literal streets like many a Rapper Struggle story, he is sharing (and perhaps clarifying) his own, personal struggles on wax here, the ones he had to overcome to find success in the music industry. And that, he did.
0 to 100 / The Catch-Up
This song was the ire of Diddy, who would eventually/allegedly slap Drake outside of an L.A. club for apparently “stealing” the killer ass beat from the music mogul. The two-part record, which has since been certified platinum, dropped in Summer ‘15 and ended up soundtracking the accompanying summer. Drizzy delivers a carefree, seemingly too-easy flow on the first half, before “The Catch Up” uses a James Blake sample to slow things down. It’s basically the best of both Drakes, in one song -- a “Started from the Bottom” vibe teamed up with a “5 AM in Toronto” vibe. The song was nominated for two Grammys, but didn’t even land on an album proper.
Back to Back
The second Meek Mill diss, the one that would ultimately hand Drizzy the W in his highly publicized beef with the Philly rapper. “You gon make me go out my fucking way,” which he did, when he quickly followed up his “Charged Up” diss with this record (the title reflecting that) two days later. That’s probably the least-quotable lyric from the banging record though, which also had Drake taking Meek’s career down a notch or two with lines like: “Is that a world tour or your girl's tour?” and, “Yeah, trigger fingers turn to twitter fingers / Yeah, you gettin' bodied by a singin' nigga” and, of course, “And shout-out to all my boss bitches wifin' niggas.”
Despite how hard it hit, it also felt like an easy record for Drake, he was trying, but it didn’t seem like he was trying too hard (is this not often how it appears with Drake's music?), ending the record abruptly with a shout-out to his own album, then on the way: “I took a break from Views, now it's back to that, nigga.”
Drake made a diss record into a hit record, the song would chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and even received a Grammy nomination. For that, it's top five Drizzy material.
Best I Ever Had
“Best I Ever Had” is the song most responsible for really introducing Drake to the world, hip-hop/r’n’b and beyond, after peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (his first top 10 single). The music video remains one I personally remember quite vividly, in our present day and age where music videos drop constantly but are quickly forgotten, the storylines melting away in our memory right after we finish watching (that sounds like all music releases, though). Somehow “Best I Ever Had” has still left quite the impression. Even so, it’s not super imaginative or outside-the-box-- large-breasted ladies wearing the miniest of mini-shorts and sports bras prepare for a basketball game, led by Coach Drake. For some reason, though, the music video became an essential part of the “Best I Ever Had” listening experience.
The song itself has Drake signing on the hook, an ode to the best he ever had, in trademark Drake style -- though, that was all shiny and new to us at the time, making it all the more exciting. It first landed on the So Far Gone mixtape and it was later repurposed for the commercially-released So Far Gone EP. It was even nominated for two Grammys.
Successful ft. Trey Songz
Drake and Trey Songz were oft early collaborators in both of their music careers. The two teamed up for multiple songs on Comeback Season-- “Successful” was not one of them, though.
This song would only arrive as Drake continued to hone in on his sound and style, the convergence of rap and r’n’b, and thus, as he brought these two genres together for his own creation (I mean, lest I get carried away, he had a team of producers to help with this effort), it’s definitely possibly collaborating with an r’n’b artist like Trey Songz so frequently at the outset would help shape his mindset and his ease with adopting the genre.
Enter, So Far Gone. Not his first mixtape, but the mixtape that launched Drake’s career, cementing his sound for mainstream feeding. “Successful” is basically the project’s mission statement; Drake’s mission statement: “The young spitter that everybody in rap fear / A lot of ya'll are still sounding like last year / The game need change and I'm the motherfuckin' cashier,” he rapped. He can checkmark that one off the to-do list. This song is also responsible for the Drake-iest of Drake lyrics, a line that is referenced the minute anyone throws the most miniscule amount of shade Drake’s way: “Diss me and you’ll never hear a reply for it.” The hook is surface-level, material driven, but true and to the point. Who doesn’t want all that shit?
Once again, we have 40 to thank for zeroing in on this haunting, r’n’b-heavy beat, one that’s minimal and stripped down, save for the melancholic drums.
Marvin’s Room
The definitive Emotional Drake song. The best Drake song, too. This song accounts for many a Drake cliché-- or perhaps we have it backwards, many a Drake cliché make up this song. Either way. Let’s run through them, briefly: drunk-dialing, longing for a girl who doesn’t return the emotions, soft sung-style raps, references to rosé (of all the wines, rosé), a muffled phone convo intro -- with a girl, of course, and, to top it all off, 40 on the boards. If these things don’t define our perception of Drake, then I don’t know what life is.
The production undoubtedly adds to the emotional and tipsy (emotionally tipsy??) quality of the record, with a beat that feels as though it’s been run backwards, as it weaves through Drake’s revealing thoughts, the thumping bass almost heart-beat like.
When the song found a home on Drake’s debut album, Take Care, it was sided with “Buried Alive (Interlude)” featuring a lesser-known (at the time) Kendrick Lamar. As back-to-back tracks placed in the middle of the album, they became the focal piece of Take Care, with Kendrick tackling a beat that winds down even further than its predecessor, using a chipmunk-like cadence to parallel the beat at the outset, before drums harden it up. While the subject matter itself doesn’t necessarily match up, the musical transition is glorious, and thus, could not go without mention. So here’s that mention.