A wise man once said, "I love lists...to do lists, top 10 lists...any type of list is entertaining to me" — and who are we to disagree?
So, in honour of Drake's 31st birthday, eight Exclaim! writers got together to compile a list of the 101 Best Drake Songs of his career so far, ranked. Each of us submitted a list of our 50 favourites, and the rules were simple: other than the caveat that the song had to be Drake's — no song simply "featuring Drake" counted — every track was fair game, and as such, the list features singles, album songs, one-offs, mixtape deep cuts and more.
We started at the bottom (of his discography), tallied the votes and now we're here. Presenting: "0 to 100: The 101 Best Drake Songs, Ranked."
100. "Jungle"
Drake reflects fondly on a failed Toronto relationship, but the undeniable slow jam "Jungle" could be just the thing to take him north to Lawrence Heights to make amends.
Calum Slingerland
99. "The Resistance"
Drake doesn't owe (detractors) anything, and "The Resistance" was a message to anyone who felt that he shouldn't fully embrace his blessings. It's real talk.
Riley Wallace
98. "Free Spirit" (ft. Rick Ross)
Featuring the biggest boss himself (Ricky Ross), Drake let this bar-heavy loosey off while preparing for the release of Take Care, show that when he wants to, he can boast a rapid-fire flow.
Scott Glaysher
97. "Karaoke"
One of Thank Me Later's slower, more contemplative tracks has Drake singing more than rapping. The hypnotic beat and tempo allow Drake to float like a butterfly more than he stings like a bee.
Scott Glaysher
96. "Too Good" (ft. Rihanna)
This song is, uh, too good to be this far down the list. How is it not higher? It's got all the back-and-forth banter, danceable rhythms and relationship drama that AubRih shippers dream of.
Sarah Murphy
95. "The Last Hope" (ft. Kardinal Offishall and Andreena Mill)
Rooted in the desperation to achieve one's dreams, "The Last Hope" is a quintessentially Toronto rap record. With assistance from Canadian rap veteran Kardinal Offishall, 'First Lady of ATF' Andreena Mill and beatmaker Rich Kidd, "The Last Hope" projects the moodiness and hunger of Toronto creatives.
Erin Lowers
94. "Come Thru"
Drake offers up some weed and wine to an old flame in the smoothest way he knows how, and falls even deeper into his emotions in the song's heady outro.
Calum Slingerland
93. "Days in the East"
It isn't the brooding production that gives Drake different perspective on relationship issues here, but rather a cup of tea at Erykah Badu's house one evening.
Calum Slingerland
92. "Lust for Life"
This twinkly soundscape opens So Far Gone with abstract bars about lusting for more life. The atmospheric nature of the track sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape.
Scott Glaysher
91. "Practice"
Drake doesn't care that swooning admiration for one's elders is expressly discouraged in hip-hop. On love and sex anthem "Practice," he affectionately interpolates Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up."
M.T. Richards
90. "The Calm"
One of So Far Gone's most honest tracks demonstrated Drake's ability to rap about raw human emotion early. He also manages to illustrate his feelings while keeping each of the two verses to a single vowel-sound rhyme scheme.
Scott Glaysher
89. "Pop Style" (ft. the Throne)
Kanye West (with his song-stealing "I'm-a let you finish" line) and Jay-Z (adlibs only) lent their dumb-rich talents to the superior original leaked version of the braggadocio street single from VIEWS, but were curiously removed from the Drake-only LP version. Over some horror-flick snaps compiled by Frank Dukes, Boi-1da, 40 and Sevn Thomas that the Gravediggaz would've murdered, Drake turns his birthday into a lifestyle but doesn't trust his own party guests.
Luke Fox
88. "Comeback Season"
Drake spits a declaration of dominance over Lupe Fiasco's "Failure" beat. A straightforward delivery from 2007 Drake brings out some top-notch punch lines and wordplay.
Scott Glaysher
87. "Up All Night" (ft. Nicki Minaj)
Buzzing with Milky Way synths and clattering percussion, this 2010 Young Money anthem gives Drake's sometimes-sleepy debut studio album Thank Me Later the jolt it needs at halftime and upped anticipation for track-stealer Nicki Minaj's own proper album. "Which bitch you know made a million off a mixtape?" the first lady of YMCMB asks rhetorically as she steers away with the Boi-1da banger.
Luke Fox
86. "Fireworks" (ft. Alicia Keys)
"Money just changed everything / I wonder how life without it would go / From the concrete who knew that a flower would grow?" The first lines from the first song on Drake's first album find him a) commenting on the immense life changes he's been through recently, b) bragging about it and c) commenting on screwface Toronto, not yet a hotbed for international hip-hop. Love them or hate them, these were the themes that would come to define Drake's oeuvre.
Stephen Carlick
85. "9"
"9" is conceptually quite simple: Drake (as a movement) is so influential that he's turned his hometown (the 6) upside down. He's our MJ, essentially.
Riley Wallace
84. "Uptown" (ft. Bun B and Lil Wayne)
It takes guts of steel for a novice MC to risk certain annihilation at hands of Bun B. Yet "Uptown" is a small masterpiece of showboating shit-talk.
M.T. Richards
83. "Glow" (ft. Kanye West)
Similarly to Kanye West's "Spaceship," Drake's "Glow" also plays into an outer-world, out-of-body experience as the two artists manage to mirror each other vocally in both song and rhyme. The ambient vibes of the song project a new sense of direction for Drake, but is still rooted in his classic, introspective hot takes.
Erin Lowers
82. "Bria's Interlude" (ft. Omarion)
The first instalment in Drake's "(girl's name) Interlude" series does not disappoint. Omarion goes croon for croon with Drake on what can best be described as an R&Back-and-forth.
Scott Glaysher
81. "Show Me a Good Time" (ft. Nicki Minaj)
"I came up in the underground," says Drake, the grand-wizard spinmaster. This might be a specious assertion, but "Show Me a Good Time" is catchy enough that it makes no difference.
M.T. Richards
80. "Summer Sixteen"
"Summer Sixteen" satiated our need for new Drake in the seemingly endless wait for VIEWS, and holds up better than most of the superfluous tracks that actually ended up on the album.
Sarah Murphy
79. "We Made It Freestyle" (ft. Soulja Boy)
Before the boisterous "Trophies," Drake celebrated being rich and famous over Soulja Boy's brass loop, renting 12-bedroom homes in the Caymans "just to sleep all the women we came with."
Calum Slingerland
78. "Going in For Life"
It's often forgotten how good Drake can be on soul sample beats. He operates right in the pocket her while he delivers punchlines in his smooth flow.
Scott Glaysher
77. "Feel No Ways"
"Feel No Ways" tells the story of a relationship that's transformed from supportive partnership into jealous revenge. The distinct '80s synth-styled production (by Jordan Ullman) supports the highs and lows of said relationship, while Drake — lyrically and quoted in real life — continues to put his musical ambitions first.
Erin Lowers
76. "Star67"
No cheque from YMCMB? It's no worries following a beat switch and some "mixin'" of smoke and drink, since Drake always "had these visions of the life I'm livin' since I was Jimmy."
Calum Slingerland
75. "Houstatlantavegas"
JoJo was famously moved to tears by "Houstatlantavegas," a beautiful and balletic show of solidarity with the world's strippers. The opening synth figure is unforgettable.
M.T. Richards
74. "City Is Mine"
Drake's first real ode to Toronto came in the form of "City Is Mine," a bippy Boi-1da produced track about dominating everything between Heart Lake Road and Pickering. This track off Room for Improvement was arguably Drake's first underground hit to make noise in the city.
Scott Glaysher
73. "Hype"
Four producers were called upon to make sure this airy, hardnosed backbeat got done, done, done, done, done. Yet it's Drizzy's boastful lyrics — full bars mode here, folks — that make "Hype" one of the most inspired lyrical moments of the uneven VIEWS. "That boy light as Michael Jackson / But on verses he be blackin'," Drake spits, and for three-and-half minutes, he lives up to the name.
Luke Fox
72. "Legend"
And then, in 2015, it hit Drake: "Oh my God, oh my God, if I die I'm a legend." He'd already broken records and won Grammys, but this was different: charts and awards are measurable; being a legend is intangible. The intro to If You're Reading This it's Too Late found Drake acknowledging it, and it hits hard.
Stephen Carlick
71. "Keep the Family Close"
VIEWS is bloated, sure, but the bombast which it starts is undeniable; "Keep the Family Close" is huge and lush, a strings-, horns- and timpani-laden orchestral behemoth that's somehow both triumphant and melancholy. Also, it starts with maybe the Drake-est line of all time: "All of my 'let's just be friends' are friends I don't have anymore."
Stephen Carlick
70. "Views"
On an album that's an incredibly on-the-nose homage to Drake's home city, it's only fitting that the title track namedrops local retailers and Kiddie's Caribana. Of course, he juxtaposes those glimpses of his early days with snapshots of his current glamorous lifestyle, making references to doing shots with Kobe, driving Lamborghinis and racking up impressive ticket sales — but in true Drake form, he also waxes poetic about the perils of that success.
Sarah Murphy
69. "Make Me Proud" (ft. Nicki Minaj)
To his enduring credit, Drake has always strived for maximum clarity of expression. Other rappers could surely stand to learn something from "Make Me Proud," a to-the-point expression of solidarity with strong women. And then there's Nicki Minaj, maybe the first MC to positively invoke the image of a sheriff's badge.
M.T. Richards
68. "Fancy" (ft. T.I and Swizz Beatz)
The pinnacle of carefree Drake — the not-so-self-serious guy who popped up much more often early in his career — is "Fancy," the soundtrack for a ladies' night on the town. Recorded when producer Swizz Beatz couldn't help but hop on hooks and a T.I. co-sign meant something, "Fancy" does a contemplative 180 midway through to big up "girls with diplomas and enough money to loan us."
Luke Fox
67. "Teenage Fever"
Whatever their true feelings about her, the average rapper wouldn't dare pay loving tribute to Jennifer Lopez; they'd be much too leery of the potential cost to their credibility. Drake doesn't conform to that perspective. Although he has a healthy respect for the customs and mores that have historically dictated rap music, Drake is a provocateur at heart; in this case, that means lending a slightly gothic makeover to Lopez's 1999 hit "If You Had My Love."
M.T. Richards
66. "Free Smoke"
Over a bouncy bass line courtesy of Boi-1da, "Free Smoke" finds Drake reflecting on growth, persistence and his rise to fame. Working with the same producer who first helped bring about his rise to fame a decade prior, Drake asserts that he "used to chef KD / Now me and Chef, KD / Bet on shots for 20 Gas."
Erin Lowers
65. "Madiba Riddim"
"Madiba Riddim" hears Drake diving further into his dancehall obsession. We've heard him reveal his suspicions about greedy hangers-on and gold-digging girls many times before, but here, the age-old narrative gets wrapped up with a warm, bubbling beat and Drake's soft croon — both of which totally contradict his claims that "My heart is way too frozen to get broken."
Sarah Murphy
64. "Miss Me" (ft. Lil Wayne)
Opinions on current Lil Wayne aside, "Miss Me" is Weezy at his sports-enthusing best. Drake rises to the occasion too, rapping with a parched intensity that was unusual for him at this stage in his career.
M.T. Richards
63. "Doing It Wrong"
"Doing It Wrong" is Drake's ode to existing in a "generation of not being in love," depicting yet another one of the rapper's one-sided conversations rationalizing his inability to commit to a girl. It's comfortingly sad in a way that Drake — and much of Take Care — pulls off well.
Sarah Murphy
62. "Lose You"
More Life is Drake's breeziest, most uplifting record (sorry, "playlist") to date, but tucked away in its back half is "Lose You," its beating heart. Here, he reminisces about his accomplishments, but it's tempered by regret as he wonders, "did I lose you?" Drake's been winning his whole career, but "winning," he's learned by now, "is problematic"; it's lonely at the top, and the listener feels that keenly here.
Stephen Carlick
61. "Portland" (ft. Quavo and Travis Scott)
Are you like me? Are you a sucker for a flute loop? Well, the groovy, simple whistle that carries "Portland" sticks in your brain like toffee, long after Migos' Quavo and Travis Scott take over for their host and metamorphose this 2017 tune into their own beautiful, golden butterfly. Michael Phelps with the swim moves, indeed.
Luke Fox
60. "Jumpman" (with Future)
Prior to releasing "Jumpman," Future flew into rap's history books with a celebrated run of mixtapes, while Drake jumped over some ghostwriting beef with Meek Mill. Of course, the track also marks the first appearance of the now-ubiquitous Metro Boomin tag, "If Young Metro don't trust you, I'm gon' shoot you."
Calum Slingerland
59. "Charged Up"
This was the first response to Meek Mill amid ghostwriting allegations. While it packed a woozy punch, it's also remembered as the warning shot to his epic "Back to Back Freestyle." As well, Councillor Norm Kelly tweeted it out with a snarky remark, eliciting a Meek response. Gold!
Riley Wallace
58. "Get It Together" (ft. Black Coffee and Jorja Smith)
Sampling South African DJ Black Coffee's "Superman," as well as the vocals of UK singer Jorja Smith, "Get It Together" offers a kaleidoscope of sounds that lend itself to a worldwide audience. The house-infused single nestles Smith's soothing vocals, Black Coffee's boisterous production and Drake's unpretentious melodic singing into a warm dance single that'll get folks moving.
Erin Lowers
57. "Forever" (ft. Eminem, Kanye West and Lil Wayne)
"Last name Ever, first name Greatest," begins mixtape Drake on this super posse cut. In 2009, the kid from Toronto was the confident new guy with all the hype. Holding his own and singing the hook on a bring-your-best-bars track featuring a herd of GOATs like Yeezy, Weezy and Emineezy — and doing it on a broken ankle — served as the ultimate rap co-sign.
Luke Fox
56. "The Real Her" (ft. Andre 3000 and Lil Wayne)
On this Take Care deep cut, Drake sticks to sombrely singing about the "real" side of female counterparts from Houston, Atlanta and Vegas while Lil Wayne and Andre 3000 kick tight verses about similar relationship ponderings.
Scott Glaysher
55. "No Tellin'"
Despite some lingering trust issues expressed in the hook, Drake takes Boi-1da's minimal production to boast gleefully about status and success before a wary final verse. While he didn't know it at the time, some of those bars would foreshadow things to come from his falling out with Meek Mill.
Calum Slingerland
54. "How Bout Now"
Drake is a man accustomed to the hardships of unrequited love. On "How Bout Now," he dramatizes the events that lit a fire under his ass, propelling him to gloat-worthy heights. Had it not been for a prickly, thankless ex-girlfriend, we might not be here to litigate the merits of Drake's music; there might not be a Drake. But conjecture aside, "How Bout Now" is a gorgeous song. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; long live Jodeci.
M.T. Richards
53. "6 God"
"6 God" earned Drake the self-appointed title he still holds. Emblematic of an era that hears Drake repping his hometown more ferociously than ever, this If You're Reading This It's Too Late cut found both the rapper and his city at the top of their game — at least until Toronto councillor Norm Kelly co-opted it for his own personal rebranding campaign.
Sarah Murphy
52. "Hotline Bling"
There is something so hypnotically fantastic about "Hotline Bling." Revisiting a theme reminiscent of "Club Paradise" — addressing a partner he left behind — the song's "cha cha" vibe and incredible, Director X-directed visual made for one of his most memed moments in recent history. There was controversy, though, as rapper D.R.A.M accused the rapper of jacking his viral-hit "Cha Cha," which Drizzy brushed off in an interview describing the song's (similar) instrumental as a hip-hop version of a "dancehall riddim," which he playfully tried his hand at. Smooth criminal!
Riley Wallace
51. "Connect"
Is there a better two-word summation of modern love than the "just swangin'" baseball metaphor of "Connect"? This Nothing Was the Same deep cut is as dark as anything on that record, but instead of being ice cold, he gives his partner some leeway to be as callous as he usually is: "She just wanna run over my feelings like she drinking and driving in an 18-wheeler / And I'd allow her."
Stephen Carlick
50. "Wu-Tang Forever"
Sampling the excellent "It's Yourz" from the Wu's double sophomore album (free of charge, RZA said, because it's really T La Rock's voice), 40 cooks up a moody synth line atop some hard snares for Drake to wax on about a girl he used to know. That "Forever" is an ode to the Clan in title only had some calling "troll," but we like the flip; the only bad thing about including this track on the list is that it reminds us how we never did get the rumoured remix featuring the Wu members themselves.
Luke Fox
49. "30 for 30 Freestyle"
Taking a direct page from Drake's coveted time-stamped series of bar-fests, "30 for 30 Freestyle" picks up right where "Closer to My Dreams" left off back in 2007. Sure, it's an unconventional way to end turn-up tape What a Time to Be Alive, but some of Drake's most honest rapping on the project appears here. He touches on everything from the OVO Fest shootings to the Meek Mill beef and more legal action than Michael Jackson. The Brampton shoutout at the end is a nice closing touch, too.
Scott Glaysher
48. "Fear"
In 2008, Drizzy was just another Toronto boy rubbernecking at more famous passers-through; a year later, he was Cash Money's golden goose, the envy of the rap world. The adjustment process was audibly gruelling: on "Fear," he strains to make himself understood by friends who don't understand the finery of the music biz ("Equal opportunity rapping? That shit is unreal") and girls who think they have him pegged as a promiscuous miscreant.
M.T. Richards
47. "Fake Love"
Delusional thoughts and unwarranted jealousy are the themes at play on "Fake Love." Brash and defiant, the cautionary tale sheds light on the money-mongrels that come out of the woodwork at the scent of success. Although straightforward lyrically, Drake balances his attack with the emotions felt at the other end of these fake friendships, and the realization that this might never change.
Erin Lowers
46. "Shot For Me"
This Take Care slow-burner shows the two sides of Drake that make him so compelling. In the first verse, he brags "that's me" about nearly every aspect of his exes: the way they walk; the walk they talk; the way they wear their hair. It's ugly.
Then, in the second, he looks a little closer, examines himself and the circumstances a little more, and then shows some empathy. Drake's relationships with women and the way he sings about them often prove problematic, but the complexities here — not to mention that gorgeous, Weeknd-esque melody — make "Shot For Me" one of his better, deeper and more engaging relationship songs.
Stephen Carlick
45. "Ransom" (ft. Lil Wayne)
A standout on 2009's Heartbreak Drake mixtape, "Ransom" finds Toronto's very own flipping a very Weezy-esque cadence. So similar are the friends' styles on this metaphor fest, you have to either admire Drake's ability to mimic his mentor or wonder if Wayne had a hand in ghostwriting. Who needs a hook when we're given two long-ass, go-for-the-throat verses from a guy ascending to the top of his game and another not yet descending?
Luke Fox
44. "The Ride" (ft. the Weeknd)
Take Care's outro is another excellent track to come out of the illustrious OVOXO collaborations. The Weeknd practically croons throughout the entire song while intermittently popping up to deliver a loosely structured "I've been faded too long" refrain. Drake, still the star of the show, raps for over five minutes with strong lyrical dexterity about the disconnect when fans claim they "feel" him. He ends with a telling prediction about future projects, which would inevitably come true: "My sophomore, I was all for it, they all saw it / My juniors and senior will only get meaner."
Scott Glaysher
43. "Do Not Disturb"
Over the sombre production of Boi-1da, "Do Not Disturb" summons Drake to examine some of his darkest moments. "I was an angry yute when I was writing VIEWS," he states as he seemingly goes in and out of lyrical consciousness on the record. The nearly five-minute song finds Drake at his most vulnerable, recounting daunting emotions about acceptance and love, family and romance and, of course, the fear of losing success that he's now achieved. "Do Not Disturb" also conveys a sense of urgency, as Drake's insecurities are seemingly piling up with no clear release in sight, yet he still has the responsibility of putting on a show for his adoring fans.
Erin Lowers
42. "Best I Ever Had"
Without "Best I Ever Had," it's arguable Drake's career might have never looked the same. The single and So Far Gone centrepiece, which introduced Drake's then-amateur singing voice to millions via radio play, was a playful take on unconditional love in a relationship. Unfortunately, it was one of the last singles he'd release that possessed such innocent qualities when it came to love, but it introduced social media to Drake captions for a lifetime regardless.
Erin Lowers
41. "Girls Love Beyoncé"
Although he's not as formally inventive as sometimes claimed, Drake has realigned music in subtle ways. The effulgent "Girls Love Beyoncé" is a partial cover of Destiny's Child's "Say My Name," a song that, upon its release, might not have been taken seriously. Drake's unapologetic love and gratitude for prefab R&B has become the norm, though, and this woozy take on the original diffuses a warmth that it somewhat lacked before.
M.T. Richards
40. "Over My Dead Body"
That sample of Chantal Kreviazuk always gives me chills; "Over My Dead Body" is a perfect, contemplative opener to Take Care, a diary entry-esque catch-up that shows how much Drake grew between his debut LP and his sophomore effort. He's still a kid, sure ("Shout out to Asian girls, let their lights dim sum," anyone?), but his confidence and melancholy make for a potent mixture as he lists his mistakes of the past few years. His confidence ultimately wins out, though as he asks, rhetorically: "Don't I got the shit the world wanna hear again? Don't Michael Jordan still got his hoop earring in?"
Stephen Carlick
39. "Blem"
On paper, it's stupid of Drake to affect a ropey, amateurish Jamaican accent, but it works here; it's been clear since March that "Blem" is a runaway hit in waiting. The song hinges on an tropical groove straight off of Popcaan's Where We Come From; and at the moment, practically no one this side of the West Indies has a stronger or more assured command of rhythm than Drake.
M.T. Richards
38. "6PM in New York"
Drake once famously rapped "diss me and you'll never hear a reply for it." That was before he ascended to the nether regions of the fame orbit. In this instalment of his [time] in [place] series, he aimed shots at former YMCMB member Tyga, who had shared harsh criticism of the Toronto crooner in a 2014 VIBE Magazine interview. In true Drizzy fashion, in which he passive-aggressively makes direct statements without names, he dropped some poignant bars on the "Rack City" rhymer, capped off with "you need to act your age and not your girl's age." Ouch.
Riley Wallace
37. "Look What You've Done"
There's always been a good deal of intrigue surrounding Drake's relationship with his rock-drummer father. Do they get along as advertised — or does there exist a fissure between the two men? Anyone looking for clues would find "Look What You've Done" instructive. The song is touching: a velveteen piano ballad dedicated to Drake's mother, grandmother and uncle. Pointedly, Drake's father does not get a mention. With every Drake song comes the responsibility of sussing out the subtext.
M.T. Richards
36. "Over"
Produced by Al Khaaliq and Boi-1da, "Over" begins with a violin flurry, a triangle chime, a horn blast and a whammy-bar rock guitar lick — and only gets bigger from there, sweeping into its big, blustery chorus.
It's bombastic and overwhelming, a perfect sonic representation of Drake's uneasy relationship with fame, even at this fairly nascent point in his career: "I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year — who the fuck are y'all?" It would only get more complicated in the years to come, but you can already hear Drake figuring it out.
Stephen Carlick
35. "Dreams Money Can Buy"
One of the most compelling non-album solo cuts of Drake's career, "Dreams" shows the MC's knack for early-adopting an already-hot track — in this case, 40 flips Jai Paul's "BTSTU" ("Don't fuck with me") — and spinning it to the point that you forget the original. "Dreams" is shit-talk Drake expressing his burning desire for eff-you money and a top-five spot, in an uncommonly vulgar way. Harsh words ram through in a lullaby tone: "I want women to cry and pour out their heart for me," Drake confesses. "Lately, I do bitches the meanest / Tell 'em I love 'em and I don't even mean it."
Luke Fox
34. "Club Paradise"
Thank Me Later took Drake to a whole new plateau; it also took him out of the 416, and things didn't pause while he was gone, a theme that he regularly revisited in his catalogue. "Club Paradise," named after a Toronto strip club, found Drake in his feelings, lamenting about the (club) girls he left behind when he went off to, well, be Drake. Whether or not you can take the song at face value, which is easy considering Drizzy's love of strip club culture, the message he intended was that his newfound fame hasn't changed who he is.
Riley Wallace
33. "One Dance" (ft. Wizkid and Kyla)
The key-pounding dancehall beat, Kyla's sultry coo, Drake's unusual turns of phrase and Wizkid's echoing refrain meld together seamlessly on "One Dance," creating an immediately infectious earworm that only gets better with repeated listens. The Afrobeat-infused track is a fine example of the "keep it simple, stupid" principle, a perfect summer dance floor jam about, well, getting lost in music on the dance floor. Its breezy, tropical vibe instantly transports the mind to a far-off beachfront paradise — even if the body remains stuck in the 6.
Sarah Murphy
32. "Weston Road Flows"
Long before Drake had a home in Calabasas, and even before he was living in a basement apartment in Forest Hill, he was playing minor league hockey for the Weston Lions. As a love letter to Toronto, "Weston Road Flows" pays tribute to everything from locations and people (Big Apple, Glenn Lewis, Fluid Nightclub) to rap classics like Jelleestone's "Money Can't Buy Me Happiness," but "Weston Road Flows" is much more than a storytelling rhyme; it's a one-shot lyrical experience that highlights his road to success — which, of course, started on Weston Road.
Erin Lowers
31. "November 18th"
This So Far Gone deep cut became a cult classic in Houston and beyond in no time. The beauty lies in its Southern simplicity and, of course, because of the timeless DJ Screw sample. Drake, getting exponentially more comfortable with singing by this point, mixed whispered vocals with very minimalist production, using a dangerously charming cadence that manifests itself with lines like "I sent ya girl a message, said 'I'll see ya when I can' / She sent me one back, but I ain't never read it."
Scott Glaysher
30. "Passionfruit"
The overwhelming success of VIEWS' one-two punch of "Controlla" and "One Dance" (the latter, in particular) only furthered Drake's quest to soak up the sonics of dancehall with More Life. "Passionfruit" stands as that tape's intro to an entire five-song suite of pure, unadulterated riddim, though it's also the section's most melancholic entry.
Over the steady shuffle produced by Nana Rogues, Drake sings softly of a long distance relationship falling to pieces, not unlike the petals of a wilting passionflower. The pettiness comes in his alleging that his interest is "Leavin' / You're just doing that to get even," but he's willing to take his share of the blame here, too.
Calum Slingerland
29. "Gyalchester"
Drake by no means invented the winning combination of an eerie trap beat and intentional pauses designed for stadium-sized call-and-responses, but he certainly perfects the art on "Gyalchester." It's ironic that the rapper chose such a trend to record yet another documentation of his increasing obsession with leaving a lasting legacy (and even more ironic that he uses tattoos as a metaphor here, given some of his own questionable ink decisions), but it sounds so good it's hard to care.
Sarah Murphy
28. "Controlla"
Okay, we get it; Drake is going through a dancehall phase. But if it's going to keep spawning tracks like "Controlla," we don't want it to end. The track often gets compared to Rihanna's Drake-featuring smash "Work," though on "Controlla," we finally hear Drake willing to give up the reins in a relationship (at least emotionally, if not in bed).
It remains mystifying that Drake ended up cutting out Popcaan in favour of a Beenie Man sample on the final version of VIEWS, but the initially leaked version certainly served its purpose in revving up album anticipation.
Sarah Murphy
27. "The Motion" (ft. Sampha)
A Nothing Was the Same slow-burner that snowballs its appeal upon repeat listens, this 40-produced gem benefits from a sweet assist by UK background vocalist Sampha. Before the track drifts off into a house-y electro space in its third chapter, "The Motion" finds Drake blending his R&B and rap sides right, as he rides within the beat in both modes, never fighting it. The lyrical themes here are all the same — fame keeps nagging, that girl won't leave his imagination — but the effortless delivery places the emphasis where it should be: on writing a good song.
Luke Fox
26. "From Time" (ft. Jhené Aiko)
Nothing Was the Same's poignant, reflective centrepiece is "From Time," a minimalist, piano and snap percussion-based piece that finds Drake weighing in on his parents' separation and wondering if he's making the same mistakes in love they did.
Things take a turn in the second verse when Drake airs out the dirty laundry of past relationships in problematic ways, but you can't say it's not compelling. The specifics here map out Drake's troubled love life, and by the end, even he seems to see the problems, as he admits to "acting out in the open" and reaches out in desperation: "Who you settling for? Who better for you than the boy, huh?"
Stephen Carlick
25. "All Me" (ft. 2 Chainz and Big Sean)
Originally intended for Big Sean's Hall of Fame LP and relegated to "bonus track" status on Nothing Was the Same, producers Key Wane and 40 unite to craft a hypnotic, keys-based thumper for three spitters at the peak of their fame to spazz out. As usual in these team-ups, Drake pulls double-duty by singing the hook as well as lending a verse in which he confesses to having sex with a girl he used to babysit ("but that was years later, on some crazy shit"). It's Sean, though, who bats clean-up and wins the day; go see Chainz or Sean in concert today, and we guarantee they'll still recite their parts.
Luke Fox
24. "Successful" (ft. Trey Songz and Lil Wayne)
"Successful" was an early indication that Drake and 40's deep underwater lo-fi sound was a winning formula. Exclusively produced by 40 and placed within the confines of his moodiest project to date, So Far Gone, it perfectly countered the flash and flagrance of "Best I Ever Had" with lines about crying with his mom and self-consciously leasing luxury cars, all while depicting the life he so desperately sought. Plus, a verse from Lil Wayne and a hook from Trey Songz in 2009 were two smoking hot commodities that brought the song to an even higher level.
Scott Glaysher
23. "Trophies"
Triumphant from the get-go, "Trophies" bursts out of the gates with a horn intro fit for royalty. Then the keys and thumps of bass kick in for the hook, as Drake heaps praise on himself — not for the industry accolades and chart success, of which he's received plenty, but for laying a foundation for career longevity and being able to provide for his day ones. Narcissistic? Sure. But also well deserved.
Sarah Murphy
22. "The Language"
Fired up in the booth after frenemy Kendrick Lamar called out his name in his vicious "Control" verse from summer 2013, Drizzy flings subliminal poisoned darts at his competitors over a slick Boi-1da beat and sandwiches his slick lines between an addictive chorus that winks at his female followers. "Fuck any n**ga that's talkin' that shit just to get a reaction," he fires at what must be Lamar; "I am the kid with the motor mouth / I am the one you should worry about / I don't know who you're referring to, who is this n**ga you heard about?"
Luke Fox
21. "Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2" (ft. Jay-Z)
Appearing on Nothing Was the Same, this song — according to Drizzy himself — was a follow-up to "Light Up," which also featured Jay-Z. Notably, Jay seemed to take a snide jab at the 6 God with the line "I had Benzes before you had braces." Easily chalked up to a 'big bro schooling little bro' situation, Drizzy seemed to drop a response of sorts, as the song's beat switches up for "Paris Morton Music 2."
"I'm the big homey, they still be tryna lil bro me," he raps before noting, "I'm the greatest of my generation." Well played.
Riley Wallace
20. "The Motto" (ft. Lil Wayne)
Drake is known for creating cultural movements, and "The Motto," the fourth single released from his sophomore Take Care, was no different. Looser conceptually than the previous three singles, the Grammy-nominated banger gave birth to the term YOLO, which became the most overused term ever almost immediately. Washington Post famously described it as "the newest acronym you'll love to hate."
Many artists dedicated bars shortly thereafter, putting an end to the problematic mindset. Why? Some young adults apparently made it an actual motto and threw it around amid performing dangerous, often life-threatening acts.
Riley Wallace
19. "10 Bands"
It's safe to say Drake secured a little more than "10 Bands" when choosing to bring If You're Reading This It's Too Late to the masses through Apple's iTunes first, but this song serves as a perfect picture of how wealthy he is. 10 Bands? 50? 100? Fuck it, man, let him tell you about getting free pairs of Jordans and making it rain in strip clubs across America.
As effortless as he sounds flowing his way through the track, hard work was indeed involved. He raps, "I'm still awake I gotta shine this year," choosing success over sleep to "never let the streets down."
Calum Slingerland
18. "Hold On, We're Going Home" (ft. Majid Jordan)
As revered an MC as he is, Drake also knows that he's "got the Billboard melodies, rap is something I do on the side." An undeniable example from his arsenal of crossover hits is "Hold On, We're Going Home." The simply structured song has been covered by Arctic Monkeys, Dev Hynes and more, pushing Drake's plaintive pen game into different musical territory.
On his own version, Drake's vocals are buoyed by steady four-on-the-floor production that splits the difference between R&B and electronic. Those soft synth stacks that hang on Drake's every word come courtesy of OVO crewmates Jordan Ullman and Nineteen85.
Calum Slingerland
17. "Started From the Bottom"
Following his immense success, Drake was met with an overwhelming amount of criticism from a sect of the hip-hop community that felt his "authenticity" to be lacking. Though he'd never changed his backstory, many proclaimed him to be a rich kid who bought his way into a world he didn't belong in. "Started From the Bottom" was a multi-platinum response to naysayers.
Over the most brilliantly obscure sample ever, Drizzy shatters the misconceptions about his childhood in Toronto, detailing — among other things — monthly fights with his mom, and driving his uncle's car.
Riley Wallace
16. "Under Ground Kings"
"Live a little, cause n**gas die a lot, and lie a lot," Drake proclaims on the opening of this Take Care sermon. Taking a trip down memory road, "Under Ground Kings" reflects on the growing pains of being a successful rapper, straight down to his 'Acura days' and Ridge Crest, a Memphis, Tennessee housing project. However, the song also introduces the sense of paranoia that comes with success, one that questions the intentions of those around Drake. Despite the unwelcome paranoia, he still manages to wear the crown for his city.
Erin Lowers
15. "Furthest Thing"
Fame's effect on his mental well-being has been a constant thread in Drake's oeuvre, and he explores it tentatively in the opening lines here — "somewhere between psychotic and iconic / somewhere between I want it and I got it" — before getting to the heart of it a few bars later: "Promise to break everybody off before I break down."
Drake reflects on past transgressions and admits his imperfections over twinkling reversed synths and a shuffling, ruminative beat that reflects his melancholy before the beat switches and he plays his mind's other side, acknowledging life's complexities and his own: "Naked women swimmin', that's just how I'm livin' / Donate a million to some children, that's just how I'm feelin."
Stephen Carlick
14. "Tuscan Leather"
Nothing Was the Same's intro, "Tuscan Leather," sounds like a soulful record on the surface, but it's actually a dynamic launchpad into some of the most confident and boastful lyrics seen from the Toronto rapper following the release of Take Care. Throughout the six-minute intro, Drake goes bar-to-bar with himself, comparing his success with his mentors and his lyrical ferocity with the best in the rap game.
"I'm tired of hearing who you checking for now, just give it time and see who's around a decade from now," he asserts before noting he's also working on his own karma. Closing out with Curtis Mayfield's "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go," "Tuscan Leather" manages to nourishes minds, entice ears and silence critics in the same breath.
Erin Lowers
13. "Childs Play"
Equal parts condescending and obnoxiously 'playerific,' "Childs Play" finds Drake mocking the shallowness of an immature girlfriend's desire things that could be considered "basic" in his world. What's a new outfit to someone who could buy the factory? As long as she's giving 6 God what he needs, nothing.
However, his "I should give you back to the hood" bravado eventually reverts to classic softy Drake. And his Cheesecake Factory shoutout was probably the best thing to happen to the franchise in 2016. Perhaps we have Drizzy to thank for the new Toronto location.
Riley Wallace
12. "Know Yourself"
Speaking to the FADER months after releasing If You're Reading This It's Too Late, Drake revealed he was envious of Wiz Khalifa for creating a hometown anthem as infectious as "Black and Yellow." Of course, listeners in Toronto and beyond now know how impactful and ubiquitous "Know Yourself" became.
From house parties, to bars, to packed stadiums, the song's iconic hook is rarely ever left unsung. An urgent second half following the beat switch finds Drake name-dropping a slew of crew members, acting as if he were a Canadian Atlas by hoisting his crew and city onto his back on his ascent to greatness.
Calum Slingerland
11. "Too Much" (ft. Sampha)
One of the first Drake tracks produced by Nineteen85, "Too Much" is a quiet storm of passionate bars and moving vocals. Using UK singer Sampha's sampled single of the same name, "Too Much" evokes a level of maturity that could only be achieved by countless heartbreaks and lessons, much of which was spoken about on Drake's sophomore album Take Cake.
By this point, though, it bears weight and wisdom. In comparison to previous introspective records, "Too Much" gives the platform for Drake to challenge his internal dialogue and run directly towards it, instead of hiding in the high-life.
Erin Lowers
10. "Lord Knows" (ft. Rick Ross)
For someone so young, Drake had an awfully dim view of humankind by the release of Take Care; he sounded like a cantankerous miser in the making. In this context, "Lord Knows" stands out as a party unto itself, a rambunctious good time of the sort we once came to expect from Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella ilk. In fact, Justin "Just Blaze" Smith (for many years the pride of Roc-A-Fella HQ) produced "Lord Knows"; the song returned him to his trademark strutting, orchestral pomp.
M.T. Richards
9. "Take Care" (ft. Rihanna)
Just one of many high points from the album of the same name, "Take Care" remains Drake and Rihanna's finest collaboration to date (and if Rih alone isn't enough of a namedrop for you, the song also features a sample of Jamie xx's remix of Gil Scott Heron's "I'll Take Care of You").
It hears both stars earnestly pledging their affection for the other, promising to try to piece one another back together after respective failed relationships (Her: "I know you've been hurt by someone else" / Him: "Dealing with a heart that I didn't break") — all the while retaining the drama and moving parts of a drunken dance floor.
Adrenaline kicks in as the opening string flourish gives way to a pounding drum beat, and it doesn't subside until the final piano fades out, your heartbeat thumping in time with AubRih's the entire time.
Sarah Murphy
8. "Back to Back Freestyle"
Anyone can make a diss record; in the pantheon of hip-hop, there have been plenty of notable lyrical spars. When Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill accused Drake of — among other things — using ghostwriters, Drake didn't just unleash possibly the most well-timed response ever; he affected Billboard charts, took over the radio and made sure that Meek would hear the searing lyrical beat down everywhere he went during the latter half of summer 2015.
It was the second of two songs aimed at Meek, and mocked the fact that someone the Philly rapper considered so soft was able "body him" with such ease. He famously performed the track during 2015's OVO Fest while a plethora of epic memes flashed on a large screen. Also, the cover art was (quite cleverly) a still from the 1993 World Series in which Philly were dismantled by Toronto after Joe Carter slammed a monster homerun.
Riley Wallace
7. "Energy"
After opening If You're Reading This It's Too Late with the languid "Legend," a spray of gunshots and ominous piano signals force Drake to shift into a new gear. As he lays out in "Energy," being too big to fail comes with a price: specifically, people looking to sap his star power at every turn in an effort to leave him a little less "Charged Up" than he'd like.
Whether it's women and family or handling multiple mortgages, there's undoubtedly a lot on Drake's plate. But he sees this particular set of problems as more of a challenge: "Run up when you see me, then, and we gon' see," he goads before warning, "y'all don't wanna hear me say it's a go." He also values the real over the fake, proclaiming, "my actin' days are over, fuck them n**gas for life" and "fuck goin' online, that ain't part of my day."
Calum Slingerland
6. "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" (ft. Lil Wayne)
Slamming the world at a time when a new Drizzy-Weezy duet could change your life, or at least make traffic more bearable, "HYFR" packed an indelible hook ready-made for rowdy parties and profane arena tours.
Yet it has so much more to offer. Producer T-Minus, who steals elements of Paula Abdul's "Knocked Out" and E.S.G.'s "Swanging and Banging" for this triumph, allows Take Care's loudest track to breathe in the early going so Drake can engage in a tongue-twisting text-message fight with an ex: "She asked what have I learned from getting richer / I learned that working with the negatives can make for better pictures."
Then Wayne, who handles chorus duties, ups the frenetic energy, sounding off on lame interviewers and lamenting a relationship that could never work: "She said she hate that she love me and wish I was average / Shit, sometimes I wish the same and I wish she wasn't married." That the anthem's video featured Drake's repeat bar mitzvah celebration and Wayne rapping his face off underneath a panda balaclava only adds to the joyous defiance.
Luke Fox
5. "Crew Love" (ft. the Weeknd)
There are few songs in Drake's catalogue that hit as hard as the opening bass and cymbal pulses of "Crew Love," but the fact that they're a red herring is even more delicious; after just four measures, it melts away to reveal the sweet croon of the Weeknd's Abel Tesfaye, then Drake's protégé and not yet an international superstar.
Nihilism abounds in Tesfaye's verse as per usual, but Drake is in a celebratory mood, boasting that "seeing my family have it all took the place of that desire for diplomas on the wall" and that he "might blow like 50k on a vacation for all my soldiers just to see the looks on all they faces."
But for anyone from Toronto, one line hit the hardest: "That OVO and that XO is everything you believe in." In late 2011, Toronto felt indestructible, and no track summed up the city's potential better than Drake and the Weeknd's camaraderie here did — "loving the crew," indeed.
Stephen Carlick
4. "Worst Behavior"
In a city where hip-hop culture has always been misrepresented and underfunded, "Worst Behavior" is a middle-finger anthem to the doubters and the system that has kept artists like Drake in less-than-perfect positions. While yelling "Remember, mothafuckas never loved us" across the stadium-rousing anthem, Drake offers a blinding and unapologetic take on being neglected not just as an artist, but as a movement too.
He also manages, once again, to address the critics and artists who've simultaneously slept on him lyrically. Though situated early in his discography, "Worst Behavior" should be considered a calculated warning that Drake's career is far from over, even all these years later.
Erin Lowers
3. "5AM in Toronto"
"You underestimated greatly / Most number ones ever, how long did it really take me?"
That's the line that kicks off "5AM in Toronto," a one-off, Boi-1da-produced non-single that preceded Nothing Was the Same and serves as one of Drake's best braggadocio tracks. Here, he's on top of the world, bragging about his Grammy for Take Care, brushing off the bad press of his club run-in with Chris Brown and spouting some of the most golden lines of his career: "Sinatra lifestyle, I'm just being Frank with ya" never gets old, and his line about owl sweaters inside your girl's luggage was both a taunt and a remark on the success and ubiquity of his famous OVO merch.
Between the lyrics, the insistence of the beat and the lack of a chorus here, "5AM in Toronto" oozes confidence, the kind of drunken swagger you'll find anywhere in the 6 when folks are partying beyond last call.
Stephen Carlick
2. "Marvin's Room / Buried Alive (Interlude)" (ft. Kendrick Lamar)
Imagine if drunk dials sounded this good in real life?
The song starts with ex Erika's groggy voice through a fuzzy phone speaker, before Drake's voice shifts into focus and embarks on a post-club odyssey to reconnect with an ex.
As his drunken ramble goes on, he crosses all the boundaries and shows a total lack of respect for other people's relationships — and yet, there's something so vulnerable and desperately lonely about his whole sorry story that we end up taking Drake's side, even when he's still hopelessly trying to win back his former flame on the third verse by boasting about the other women he sleeps with and showers with money.
That said, next time you drunk dial an ex who's in a new relationship, you probably shouldn't open with: "I'm just saying you could do better."
Sarah Murphy
1. "Headlines"
2011 Drake was in a precarious position. Although he was, without argument, one of the game's hottest commodities after his multi-platinum debut, some noted the departure from his mixtape days.
For listeners who fell in love with singles like "Successful" and "Best I Ever Had," the first taste of Take Care wasn't what they were hoping for. "Marvin's Room," a lush, downtempo record produced by Boi-1da and 40 helped to open that divide even further, causing day-ones to question the darker, more emotional direction his music seemed to be drifting in.
The "Drake fell off" rumblings among the hater section fuelled the Boi-1da-produced "Headlines," a calculated, sing-song acknowledgment of his position — and influence — in the game. Above all, though, the song was a clear message to detractors: the 6 God is watching, and gives zero fucks what you think, because he's winning.
Riley Wallace
0. "0 to 100 / The Catch Up"
Multi-part tracks and beat switches are by no means unheard of in Drake's catalogue, but there's a lot going on "0 to 100 / The Catch Up": a pile of hip-hop quotables, a plucky instrumental loop from Frank Dukes and BADBADNOTGOOD's Chester Hansen, a haunting James Blake-led outro, shout-outs to Steph Curry before it was cool and a distinctly different Drake penning the lyrics for each section. Hell, this track is so powerful that it even started beef with Diddy, whose hands reportedly went from 0 to 100, real quick after he caught wind of Drake's finished version.
"0 to 100" finds Drake taking his boasting to new heights: he's the rookie and the vet; the Toronto Raptors pay all his bills; he has "all the hits, boy." However, those trademark "Toronto sound" synths seem to always tell a different tale, placing Drake in the hazy, self-doubt-fuelled soundscape of "The Catch Up," where he's perhaps "too focused on people's feedback and provin' 'em wrong." Three years later, Drake's still on the move like the lease is up, no longer 27 but still getting better, building on his status as a Canadian icon in a genre where there are far too few Canucks succeeding and daring others to catch up now.
Calum Slingerland
So, in honour of Drake's 31st birthday, eight Exclaim! writers got together to compile a list of the 101 Best Drake Songs of his career so far, ranked. Each of us submitted a list of our 50 favourites, and the rules were simple: other than the caveat that the song had to be Drake's — no song simply "featuring Drake" counted — every track was fair game, and as such, the list features singles, album songs, one-offs, mixtape deep cuts and more.
We started at the bottom (of his discography), tallied the votes and now we're here. Presenting: "0 to 100: The 101 Best Drake Songs, Ranked."
100. "Jungle"
Drake reflects fondly on a failed Toronto relationship, but the undeniable slow jam "Jungle" could be just the thing to take him north to Lawrence Heights to make amends.
Calum Slingerland
99. "The Resistance"
Drake doesn't owe (detractors) anything, and "The Resistance" was a message to anyone who felt that he shouldn't fully embrace his blessings. It's real talk.
Riley Wallace
98. "Free Spirit" (ft. Rick Ross)
Featuring the biggest boss himself (Ricky Ross), Drake let this bar-heavy loosey off while preparing for the release of Take Care, show that when he wants to, he can boast a rapid-fire flow.
Scott Glaysher
97. "Karaoke"
One of Thank Me Later's slower, more contemplative tracks has Drake singing more than rapping. The hypnotic beat and tempo allow Drake to float like a butterfly more than he stings like a bee.
Scott Glaysher
96. "Too Good" (ft. Rihanna)
This song is, uh, too good to be this far down the list. How is it not higher? It's got all the back-and-forth banter, danceable rhythms and relationship drama that AubRih shippers dream of.
Sarah Murphy
95. "The Last Hope" (ft. Kardinal Offishall and Andreena Mill)
Rooted in the desperation to achieve one's dreams, "The Last Hope" is a quintessentially Toronto rap record. With assistance from Canadian rap veteran Kardinal Offishall, 'First Lady of ATF' Andreena Mill and beatmaker Rich Kidd, "The Last Hope" projects the moodiness and hunger of Toronto creatives.
Erin Lowers
94. "Come Thru"
Drake offers up some weed and wine to an old flame in the smoothest way he knows how, and falls even deeper into his emotions in the song's heady outro.
Calum Slingerland
93. "Days in the East"
It isn't the brooding production that gives Drake different perspective on relationship issues here, but rather a cup of tea at Erykah Badu's house one evening.
Calum Slingerland
92. "Lust for Life"
This twinkly soundscape opens So Far Gone with abstract bars about lusting for more life. The atmospheric nature of the track sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape.
Scott Glaysher
91. "Practice"
Drake doesn't care that swooning admiration for one's elders is expressly discouraged in hip-hop. On love and sex anthem "Practice," he affectionately interpolates Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up."
M.T. Richards
90. "The Calm"
One of So Far Gone's most honest tracks demonstrated Drake's ability to rap about raw human emotion early. He also manages to illustrate his feelings while keeping each of the two verses to a single vowel-sound rhyme scheme.
Scott Glaysher
89. "Pop Style" (ft. the Throne)
Kanye West (with his song-stealing "I'm-a let you finish" line) and Jay-Z (adlibs only) lent their dumb-rich talents to the superior original leaked version of the braggadocio street single from VIEWS, but were curiously removed from the Drake-only LP version. Over some horror-flick snaps compiled by Frank Dukes, Boi-1da, 40 and Sevn Thomas that the Gravediggaz would've murdered, Drake turns his birthday into a lifestyle but doesn't trust his own party guests.
Luke Fox
88. "Comeback Season"
Drake spits a declaration of dominance over Lupe Fiasco's "Failure" beat. A straightforward delivery from 2007 Drake brings out some top-notch punch lines and wordplay.
Scott Glaysher
87. "Up All Night" (ft. Nicki Minaj)
Buzzing with Milky Way synths and clattering percussion, this 2010 Young Money anthem gives Drake's sometimes-sleepy debut studio album Thank Me Later the jolt it needs at halftime and upped anticipation for track-stealer Nicki Minaj's own proper album. "Which bitch you know made a million off a mixtape?" the first lady of YMCMB asks rhetorically as she steers away with the Boi-1da banger.
Luke Fox
86. "Fireworks" (ft. Alicia Keys)
"Money just changed everything / I wonder how life without it would go / From the concrete who knew that a flower would grow?" The first lines from the first song on Drake's first album find him a) commenting on the immense life changes he's been through recently, b) bragging about it and c) commenting on screwface Toronto, not yet a hotbed for international hip-hop. Love them or hate them, these were the themes that would come to define Drake's oeuvre.
Stephen Carlick
85. "9"
"9" is conceptually quite simple: Drake (as a movement) is so influential that he's turned his hometown (the 6) upside down. He's our MJ, essentially.
Riley Wallace
84. "Uptown" (ft. Bun B and Lil Wayne)
It takes guts of steel for a novice MC to risk certain annihilation at hands of Bun B. Yet "Uptown" is a small masterpiece of showboating shit-talk.
M.T. Richards
83. "Glow" (ft. Kanye West)
Similarly to Kanye West's "Spaceship," Drake's "Glow" also plays into an outer-world, out-of-body experience as the two artists manage to mirror each other vocally in both song and rhyme. The ambient vibes of the song project a new sense of direction for Drake, but is still rooted in his classic, introspective hot takes.
Erin Lowers
82. "Bria's Interlude" (ft. Omarion)
The first instalment in Drake's "(girl's name) Interlude" series does not disappoint. Omarion goes croon for croon with Drake on what can best be described as an R&Back-and-forth.
Scott Glaysher
81. "Show Me a Good Time" (ft. Nicki Minaj)
"I came up in the underground," says Drake, the grand-wizard spinmaster. This might be a specious assertion, but "Show Me a Good Time" is catchy enough that it makes no difference.
M.T. Richards
80. "Summer Sixteen"
"Summer Sixteen" satiated our need for new Drake in the seemingly endless wait for VIEWS, and holds up better than most of the superfluous tracks that actually ended up on the album.
Sarah Murphy
79. "We Made It Freestyle" (ft. Soulja Boy)
Before the boisterous "Trophies," Drake celebrated being rich and famous over Soulja Boy's brass loop, renting 12-bedroom homes in the Caymans "just to sleep all the women we came with."
Calum Slingerland
78. "Going in For Life"
It's often forgotten how good Drake can be on soul sample beats. He operates right in the pocket her while he delivers punchlines in his smooth flow.
Scott Glaysher
77. "Feel No Ways"
"Feel No Ways" tells the story of a relationship that's transformed from supportive partnership into jealous revenge. The distinct '80s synth-styled production (by Jordan Ullman) supports the highs and lows of said relationship, while Drake — lyrically and quoted in real life — continues to put his musical ambitions first.
Erin Lowers
76. "Star67"
No cheque from YMCMB? It's no worries following a beat switch and some "mixin'" of smoke and drink, since Drake always "had these visions of the life I'm livin' since I was Jimmy."
Calum Slingerland
75. "Houstatlantavegas"
JoJo was famously moved to tears by "Houstatlantavegas," a beautiful and balletic show of solidarity with the world's strippers. The opening synth figure is unforgettable.
M.T. Richards
74. "City Is Mine"
Drake's first real ode to Toronto came in the form of "City Is Mine," a bippy Boi-1da produced track about dominating everything between Heart Lake Road and Pickering. This track off Room for Improvement was arguably Drake's first underground hit to make noise in the city.
Scott Glaysher
73. "Hype"
Four producers were called upon to make sure this airy, hardnosed backbeat got done, done, done, done, done. Yet it's Drizzy's boastful lyrics — full bars mode here, folks — that make "Hype" one of the most inspired lyrical moments of the uneven VIEWS. "That boy light as Michael Jackson / But on verses he be blackin'," Drake spits, and for three-and-half minutes, he lives up to the name.
Luke Fox
72. "Legend"
And then, in 2015, it hit Drake: "Oh my God, oh my God, if I die I'm a legend." He'd already broken records and won Grammys, but this was different: charts and awards are measurable; being a legend is intangible. The intro to If You're Reading This it's Too Late found Drake acknowledging it, and it hits hard.
Stephen Carlick
71. "Keep the Family Close"
VIEWS is bloated, sure, but the bombast which it starts is undeniable; "Keep the Family Close" is huge and lush, a strings-, horns- and timpani-laden orchestral behemoth that's somehow both triumphant and melancholy. Also, it starts with maybe the Drake-est line of all time: "All of my 'let's just be friends' are friends I don't have anymore."
Stephen Carlick
70. "Views"
On an album that's an incredibly on-the-nose homage to Drake's home city, it's only fitting that the title track namedrops local retailers and Kiddie's Caribana. Of course, he juxtaposes those glimpses of his early days with snapshots of his current glamorous lifestyle, making references to doing shots with Kobe, driving Lamborghinis and racking up impressive ticket sales — but in true Drake form, he also waxes poetic about the perils of that success.
Sarah Murphy
69. "Make Me Proud" (ft. Nicki Minaj)
To his enduring credit, Drake has always strived for maximum clarity of expression. Other rappers could surely stand to learn something from "Make Me Proud," a to-the-point expression of solidarity with strong women. And then there's Nicki Minaj, maybe the first MC to positively invoke the image of a sheriff's badge.
M.T. Richards
68. "Fancy" (ft. T.I and Swizz Beatz)
The pinnacle of carefree Drake — the not-so-self-serious guy who popped up much more often early in his career — is "Fancy," the soundtrack for a ladies' night on the town. Recorded when producer Swizz Beatz couldn't help but hop on hooks and a T.I. co-sign meant something, "Fancy" does a contemplative 180 midway through to big up "girls with diplomas and enough money to loan us."
Luke Fox
67. "Teenage Fever"
Whatever their true feelings about her, the average rapper wouldn't dare pay loving tribute to Jennifer Lopez; they'd be much too leery of the potential cost to their credibility. Drake doesn't conform to that perspective. Although he has a healthy respect for the customs and mores that have historically dictated rap music, Drake is a provocateur at heart; in this case, that means lending a slightly gothic makeover to Lopez's 1999 hit "If You Had My Love."
M.T. Richards
66. "Free Smoke"
Over a bouncy bass line courtesy of Boi-1da, "Free Smoke" finds Drake reflecting on growth, persistence and his rise to fame. Working with the same producer who first helped bring about his rise to fame a decade prior, Drake asserts that he "used to chef KD / Now me and Chef, KD / Bet on shots for 20 Gas."
Erin Lowers
65. "Madiba Riddim"
"Madiba Riddim" hears Drake diving further into his dancehall obsession. We've heard him reveal his suspicions about greedy hangers-on and gold-digging girls many times before, but here, the age-old narrative gets wrapped up with a warm, bubbling beat and Drake's soft croon — both of which totally contradict his claims that "My heart is way too frozen to get broken."
Sarah Murphy
64. "Miss Me" (ft. Lil Wayne)
Opinions on current Lil Wayne aside, "Miss Me" is Weezy at his sports-enthusing best. Drake rises to the occasion too, rapping with a parched intensity that was unusual for him at this stage in his career.
M.T. Richards
63. "Doing It Wrong"
"Doing It Wrong" is Drake's ode to existing in a "generation of not being in love," depicting yet another one of the rapper's one-sided conversations rationalizing his inability to commit to a girl. It's comfortingly sad in a way that Drake — and much of Take Care — pulls off well.
Sarah Murphy
62. "Lose You"
More Life is Drake's breeziest, most uplifting record (sorry, "playlist") to date, but tucked away in its back half is "Lose You," its beating heart. Here, he reminisces about his accomplishments, but it's tempered by regret as he wonders, "did I lose you?" Drake's been winning his whole career, but "winning," he's learned by now, "is problematic"; it's lonely at the top, and the listener feels that keenly here.
Stephen Carlick
61. "Portland" (ft. Quavo and Travis Scott)
Are you like me? Are you a sucker for a flute loop? Well, the groovy, simple whistle that carries "Portland" sticks in your brain like toffee, long after Migos' Quavo and Travis Scott take over for their host and metamorphose this 2017 tune into their own beautiful, golden butterfly. Michael Phelps with the swim moves, indeed.
Luke Fox
60. "Jumpman" (with Future)
Prior to releasing "Jumpman," Future flew into rap's history books with a celebrated run of mixtapes, while Drake jumped over some ghostwriting beef with Meek Mill. Of course, the track also marks the first appearance of the now-ubiquitous Metro Boomin tag, "If Young Metro don't trust you, I'm gon' shoot you."
Calum Slingerland
59. "Charged Up"
This was the first response to Meek Mill amid ghostwriting allegations. While it packed a woozy punch, it's also remembered as the warning shot to his epic "Back to Back Freestyle." As well, Councillor Norm Kelly tweeted it out with a snarky remark, eliciting a Meek response. Gold!
Riley Wallace
58. "Get It Together" (ft. Black Coffee and Jorja Smith)
Sampling South African DJ Black Coffee's "Superman," as well as the vocals of UK singer Jorja Smith, "Get It Together" offers a kaleidoscope of sounds that lend itself to a worldwide audience. The house-infused single nestles Smith's soothing vocals, Black Coffee's boisterous production and Drake's unpretentious melodic singing into a warm dance single that'll get folks moving.
Erin Lowers
57. "Forever" (ft. Eminem, Kanye West and Lil Wayne)
"Last name Ever, first name Greatest," begins mixtape Drake on this super posse cut. In 2009, the kid from Toronto was the confident new guy with all the hype. Holding his own and singing the hook on a bring-your-best-bars track featuring a herd of GOATs like Yeezy, Weezy and Emineezy — and doing it on a broken ankle — served as the ultimate rap co-sign.
Luke Fox
56. "The Real Her" (ft. Andre 3000 and Lil Wayne)
On this Take Care deep cut, Drake sticks to sombrely singing about the "real" side of female counterparts from Houston, Atlanta and Vegas while Lil Wayne and Andre 3000 kick tight verses about similar relationship ponderings.
Scott Glaysher
55. "No Tellin'"
Despite some lingering trust issues expressed in the hook, Drake takes Boi-1da's minimal production to boast gleefully about status and success before a wary final verse. While he didn't know it at the time, some of those bars would foreshadow things to come from his falling out with Meek Mill.
Calum Slingerland
54. "How Bout Now"
Drake is a man accustomed to the hardships of unrequited love. On "How Bout Now," he dramatizes the events that lit a fire under his ass, propelling him to gloat-worthy heights. Had it not been for a prickly, thankless ex-girlfriend, we might not be here to litigate the merits of Drake's music; there might not be a Drake. But conjecture aside, "How Bout Now" is a gorgeous song. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; long live Jodeci.
M.T. Richards
53. "6 God"
"6 God" earned Drake the self-appointed title he still holds. Emblematic of an era that hears Drake repping his hometown more ferociously than ever, this If You're Reading This It's Too Late cut found both the rapper and his city at the top of their game — at least until Toronto councillor Norm Kelly co-opted it for his own personal rebranding campaign.
Sarah Murphy
52. "Hotline Bling"
There is something so hypnotically fantastic about "Hotline Bling." Revisiting a theme reminiscent of "Club Paradise" — addressing a partner he left behind — the song's "cha cha" vibe and incredible, Director X-directed visual made for one of his most memed moments in recent history. There was controversy, though, as rapper D.R.A.M accused the rapper of jacking his viral-hit "Cha Cha," which Drizzy brushed off in an interview describing the song's (similar) instrumental as a hip-hop version of a "dancehall riddim," which he playfully tried his hand at. Smooth criminal!
Riley Wallace
51. "Connect"
Is there a better two-word summation of modern love than the "just swangin'" baseball metaphor of "Connect"? This Nothing Was the Same deep cut is as dark as anything on that record, but instead of being ice cold, he gives his partner some leeway to be as callous as he usually is: "She just wanna run over my feelings like she drinking and driving in an 18-wheeler / And I'd allow her."
Stephen Carlick
50. "Wu-Tang Forever"
Sampling the excellent "It's Yourz" from the Wu's double sophomore album (free of charge, RZA said, because it's really T La Rock's voice), 40 cooks up a moody synth line atop some hard snares for Drake to wax on about a girl he used to know. That "Forever" is an ode to the Clan in title only had some calling "troll," but we like the flip; the only bad thing about including this track on the list is that it reminds us how we never did get the rumoured remix featuring the Wu members themselves.
Luke Fox
49. "30 for 30 Freestyle"
Taking a direct page from Drake's coveted time-stamped series of bar-fests, "30 for 30 Freestyle" picks up right where "Closer to My Dreams" left off back in 2007. Sure, it's an unconventional way to end turn-up tape What a Time to Be Alive, but some of Drake's most honest rapping on the project appears here. He touches on everything from the OVO Fest shootings to the Meek Mill beef and more legal action than Michael Jackson. The Brampton shoutout at the end is a nice closing touch, too.
Scott Glaysher
48. "Fear"
In 2008, Drizzy was just another Toronto boy rubbernecking at more famous passers-through; a year later, he was Cash Money's golden goose, the envy of the rap world. The adjustment process was audibly gruelling: on "Fear," he strains to make himself understood by friends who don't understand the finery of the music biz ("Equal opportunity rapping? That shit is unreal") and girls who think they have him pegged as a promiscuous miscreant.
M.T. Richards
47. "Fake Love"
Delusional thoughts and unwarranted jealousy are the themes at play on "Fake Love." Brash and defiant, the cautionary tale sheds light on the money-mongrels that come out of the woodwork at the scent of success. Although straightforward lyrically, Drake balances his attack with the emotions felt at the other end of these fake friendships, and the realization that this might never change.
Erin Lowers
46. "Shot For Me"
This Take Care slow-burner shows the two sides of Drake that make him so compelling. In the first verse, he brags "that's me" about nearly every aspect of his exes: the way they walk; the walk they talk; the way they wear their hair. It's ugly.
Then, in the second, he looks a little closer, examines himself and the circumstances a little more, and then shows some empathy. Drake's relationships with women and the way he sings about them often prove problematic, but the complexities here — not to mention that gorgeous, Weeknd-esque melody — make "Shot For Me" one of his better, deeper and more engaging relationship songs.
Stephen Carlick
45. "Ransom" (ft. Lil Wayne)
A standout on 2009's Heartbreak Drake mixtape, "Ransom" finds Toronto's very own flipping a very Weezy-esque cadence. So similar are the friends' styles on this metaphor fest, you have to either admire Drake's ability to mimic his mentor or wonder if Wayne had a hand in ghostwriting. Who needs a hook when we're given two long-ass, go-for-the-throat verses from a guy ascending to the top of his game and another not yet descending?
Luke Fox
44. "The Ride" (ft. the Weeknd)
Take Care's outro is another excellent track to come out of the illustrious OVOXO collaborations. The Weeknd practically croons throughout the entire song while intermittently popping up to deliver a loosely structured "I've been faded too long" refrain. Drake, still the star of the show, raps for over five minutes with strong lyrical dexterity about the disconnect when fans claim they "feel" him. He ends with a telling prediction about future projects, which would inevitably come true: "My sophomore, I was all for it, they all saw it / My juniors and senior will only get meaner."
Scott Glaysher
43. "Do Not Disturb"
Over the sombre production of Boi-1da, "Do Not Disturb" summons Drake to examine some of his darkest moments. "I was an angry yute when I was writing VIEWS," he states as he seemingly goes in and out of lyrical consciousness on the record. The nearly five-minute song finds Drake at his most vulnerable, recounting daunting emotions about acceptance and love, family and romance and, of course, the fear of losing success that he's now achieved. "Do Not Disturb" also conveys a sense of urgency, as Drake's insecurities are seemingly piling up with no clear release in sight, yet he still has the responsibility of putting on a show for his adoring fans.
Erin Lowers
42. "Best I Ever Had"
Without "Best I Ever Had," it's arguable Drake's career might have never looked the same. The single and So Far Gone centrepiece, which introduced Drake's then-amateur singing voice to millions via radio play, was a playful take on unconditional love in a relationship. Unfortunately, it was one of the last singles he'd release that possessed such innocent qualities when it came to love, but it introduced social media to Drake captions for a lifetime regardless.
Erin Lowers
41. "Girls Love Beyoncé"
Although he's not as formally inventive as sometimes claimed, Drake has realigned music in subtle ways. The effulgent "Girls Love Beyoncé" is a partial cover of Destiny's Child's "Say My Name," a song that, upon its release, might not have been taken seriously. Drake's unapologetic love and gratitude for prefab R&B has become the norm, though, and this woozy take on the original diffuses a warmth that it somewhat lacked before.
M.T. Richards
40. "Over My Dead Body"
That sample of Chantal Kreviazuk always gives me chills; "Over My Dead Body" is a perfect, contemplative opener to Take Care, a diary entry-esque catch-up that shows how much Drake grew between his debut LP and his sophomore effort. He's still a kid, sure ("Shout out to Asian girls, let their lights dim sum," anyone?), but his confidence and melancholy make for a potent mixture as he lists his mistakes of the past few years. His confidence ultimately wins out, though as he asks, rhetorically: "Don't I got the shit the world wanna hear again? Don't Michael Jordan still got his hoop earring in?"
Stephen Carlick
39. "Blem"
On paper, it's stupid of Drake to affect a ropey, amateurish Jamaican accent, but it works here; it's been clear since March that "Blem" is a runaway hit in waiting. The song hinges on an tropical groove straight off of Popcaan's Where We Come From; and at the moment, practically no one this side of the West Indies has a stronger or more assured command of rhythm than Drake.
M.T. Richards
38. "6PM in New York"
Drake once famously rapped "diss me and you'll never hear a reply for it." That was before he ascended to the nether regions of the fame orbit. In this instalment of his [time] in [place] series, he aimed shots at former YMCMB member Tyga, who had shared harsh criticism of the Toronto crooner in a 2014 VIBE Magazine interview. In true Drizzy fashion, in which he passive-aggressively makes direct statements without names, he dropped some poignant bars on the "Rack City" rhymer, capped off with "you need to act your age and not your girl's age." Ouch.
Riley Wallace
37. "Look What You've Done"
There's always been a good deal of intrigue surrounding Drake's relationship with his rock-drummer father. Do they get along as advertised — or does there exist a fissure between the two men? Anyone looking for clues would find "Look What You've Done" instructive. The song is touching: a velveteen piano ballad dedicated to Drake's mother, grandmother and uncle. Pointedly, Drake's father does not get a mention. With every Drake song comes the responsibility of sussing out the subtext.
M.T. Richards
36. "Over"
Produced by Al Khaaliq and Boi-1da, "Over" begins with a violin flurry, a triangle chime, a horn blast and a whammy-bar rock guitar lick — and only gets bigger from there, sweeping into its big, blustery chorus.
It's bombastic and overwhelming, a perfect sonic representation of Drake's uneasy relationship with fame, even at this fairly nascent point in his career: "I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year — who the fuck are y'all?" It would only get more complicated in the years to come, but you can already hear Drake figuring it out.
Stephen Carlick
35. "Dreams Money Can Buy"
One of the most compelling non-album solo cuts of Drake's career, "Dreams" shows the MC's knack for early-adopting an already-hot track — in this case, 40 flips Jai Paul's "BTSTU" ("Don't fuck with me") — and spinning it to the point that you forget the original. "Dreams" is shit-talk Drake expressing his burning desire for eff-you money and a top-five spot, in an uncommonly vulgar way. Harsh words ram through in a lullaby tone: "I want women to cry and pour out their heart for me," Drake confesses. "Lately, I do bitches the meanest / Tell 'em I love 'em and I don't even mean it."
Luke Fox
34. "Club Paradise"
Thank Me Later took Drake to a whole new plateau; it also took him out of the 416, and things didn't pause while he was gone, a theme that he regularly revisited in his catalogue. "Club Paradise," named after a Toronto strip club, found Drake in his feelings, lamenting about the (club) girls he left behind when he went off to, well, be Drake. Whether or not you can take the song at face value, which is easy considering Drizzy's love of strip club culture, the message he intended was that his newfound fame hasn't changed who he is.
Riley Wallace
33. "One Dance" (ft. Wizkid and Kyla)
The key-pounding dancehall beat, Kyla's sultry coo, Drake's unusual turns of phrase and Wizkid's echoing refrain meld together seamlessly on "One Dance," creating an immediately infectious earworm that only gets better with repeated listens. The Afrobeat-infused track is a fine example of the "keep it simple, stupid" principle, a perfect summer dance floor jam about, well, getting lost in music on the dance floor. Its breezy, tropical vibe instantly transports the mind to a far-off beachfront paradise — even if the body remains stuck in the 6.
Sarah Murphy
32. "Weston Road Flows"
Long before Drake had a home in Calabasas, and even before he was living in a basement apartment in Forest Hill, he was playing minor league hockey for the Weston Lions. As a love letter to Toronto, "Weston Road Flows" pays tribute to everything from locations and people (Big Apple, Glenn Lewis, Fluid Nightclub) to rap classics like Jelleestone's "Money Can't Buy Me Happiness," but "Weston Road Flows" is much more than a storytelling rhyme; it's a one-shot lyrical experience that highlights his road to success — which, of course, started on Weston Road.
Erin Lowers
31. "November 18th"
This So Far Gone deep cut became a cult classic in Houston and beyond in no time. The beauty lies in its Southern simplicity and, of course, because of the timeless DJ Screw sample. Drake, getting exponentially more comfortable with singing by this point, mixed whispered vocals with very minimalist production, using a dangerously charming cadence that manifests itself with lines like "I sent ya girl a message, said 'I'll see ya when I can' / She sent me one back, but I ain't never read it."
Scott Glaysher
30. "Passionfruit"
The overwhelming success of VIEWS' one-two punch of "Controlla" and "One Dance" (the latter, in particular) only furthered Drake's quest to soak up the sonics of dancehall with More Life. "Passionfruit" stands as that tape's intro to an entire five-song suite of pure, unadulterated riddim, though it's also the section's most melancholic entry.
Over the steady shuffle produced by Nana Rogues, Drake sings softly of a long distance relationship falling to pieces, not unlike the petals of a wilting passionflower. The pettiness comes in his alleging that his interest is "Leavin' / You're just doing that to get even," but he's willing to take his share of the blame here, too.
Calum Slingerland
29. "Gyalchester"
Drake by no means invented the winning combination of an eerie trap beat and intentional pauses designed for stadium-sized call-and-responses, but he certainly perfects the art on "Gyalchester." It's ironic that the rapper chose such a trend to record yet another documentation of his increasing obsession with leaving a lasting legacy (and even more ironic that he uses tattoos as a metaphor here, given some of his own questionable ink decisions), but it sounds so good it's hard to care.
Sarah Murphy
28. "Controlla"
Okay, we get it; Drake is going through a dancehall phase. But if it's going to keep spawning tracks like "Controlla," we don't want it to end. The track often gets compared to Rihanna's Drake-featuring smash "Work," though on "Controlla," we finally hear Drake willing to give up the reins in a relationship (at least emotionally, if not in bed).
It remains mystifying that Drake ended up cutting out Popcaan in favour of a Beenie Man sample on the final version of VIEWS, but the initially leaked version certainly served its purpose in revving up album anticipation.
Sarah Murphy
27. "The Motion" (ft. Sampha)
A Nothing Was the Same slow-burner that snowballs its appeal upon repeat listens, this 40-produced gem benefits from a sweet assist by UK background vocalist Sampha. Before the track drifts off into a house-y electro space in its third chapter, "The Motion" finds Drake blending his R&B and rap sides right, as he rides within the beat in both modes, never fighting it. The lyrical themes here are all the same — fame keeps nagging, that girl won't leave his imagination — but the effortless delivery places the emphasis where it should be: on writing a good song.
Luke Fox
26. "From Time" (ft. Jhené Aiko)
Nothing Was the Same's poignant, reflective centrepiece is "From Time," a minimalist, piano and snap percussion-based piece that finds Drake weighing in on his parents' separation and wondering if he's making the same mistakes in love they did.
Things take a turn in the second verse when Drake airs out the dirty laundry of past relationships in problematic ways, but you can't say it's not compelling. The specifics here map out Drake's troubled love life, and by the end, even he seems to see the problems, as he admits to "acting out in the open" and reaches out in desperation: "Who you settling for? Who better for you than the boy, huh?"
Stephen Carlick
25. "All Me" (ft. 2 Chainz and Big Sean)
Originally intended for Big Sean's Hall of Fame LP and relegated to "bonus track" status on Nothing Was the Same, producers Key Wane and 40 unite to craft a hypnotic, keys-based thumper for three spitters at the peak of their fame to spazz out. As usual in these team-ups, Drake pulls double-duty by singing the hook as well as lending a verse in which he confesses to having sex with a girl he used to babysit ("but that was years later, on some crazy shit"). It's Sean, though, who bats clean-up and wins the day; go see Chainz or Sean in concert today, and we guarantee they'll still recite their parts.
Luke Fox
24. "Successful" (ft. Trey Songz and Lil Wayne)
"Successful" was an early indication that Drake and 40's deep underwater lo-fi sound was a winning formula. Exclusively produced by 40 and placed within the confines of his moodiest project to date, So Far Gone, it perfectly countered the flash and flagrance of "Best I Ever Had" with lines about crying with his mom and self-consciously leasing luxury cars, all while depicting the life he so desperately sought. Plus, a verse from Lil Wayne and a hook from Trey Songz in 2009 were two smoking hot commodities that brought the song to an even higher level.
Scott Glaysher
23. "Trophies"
Triumphant from the get-go, "Trophies" bursts out of the gates with a horn intro fit for royalty. Then the keys and thumps of bass kick in for the hook, as Drake heaps praise on himself — not for the industry accolades and chart success, of which he's received plenty, but for laying a foundation for career longevity and being able to provide for his day ones. Narcissistic? Sure. But also well deserved.
Sarah Murphy
22. "The Language"
Fired up in the booth after frenemy Kendrick Lamar called out his name in his vicious "Control" verse from summer 2013, Drizzy flings subliminal poisoned darts at his competitors over a slick Boi-1da beat and sandwiches his slick lines between an addictive chorus that winks at his female followers. "Fuck any n**ga that's talkin' that shit just to get a reaction," he fires at what must be Lamar; "I am the kid with the motor mouth / I am the one you should worry about / I don't know who you're referring to, who is this n**ga you heard about?"
Luke Fox
21. "Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2" (ft. Jay-Z)
Appearing on Nothing Was the Same, this song — according to Drizzy himself — was a follow-up to "Light Up," which also featured Jay-Z. Notably, Jay seemed to take a snide jab at the 6 God with the line "I had Benzes before you had braces." Easily chalked up to a 'big bro schooling little bro' situation, Drizzy seemed to drop a response of sorts, as the song's beat switches up for "Paris Morton Music 2."
"I'm the big homey, they still be tryna lil bro me," he raps before noting, "I'm the greatest of my generation." Well played.
Riley Wallace
20. "The Motto" (ft. Lil Wayne)
Drake is known for creating cultural movements, and "The Motto," the fourth single released from his sophomore Take Care, was no different. Looser conceptually than the previous three singles, the Grammy-nominated banger gave birth to the term YOLO, which became the most overused term ever almost immediately. Washington Post famously described it as "the newest acronym you'll love to hate."
Many artists dedicated bars shortly thereafter, putting an end to the problematic mindset. Why? Some young adults apparently made it an actual motto and threw it around amid performing dangerous, often life-threatening acts.
Riley Wallace
19. "10 Bands"
It's safe to say Drake secured a little more than "10 Bands" when choosing to bring If You're Reading This It's Too Late to the masses through Apple's iTunes first, but this song serves as a perfect picture of how wealthy he is. 10 Bands? 50? 100? Fuck it, man, let him tell you about getting free pairs of Jordans and making it rain in strip clubs across America.
As effortless as he sounds flowing his way through the track, hard work was indeed involved. He raps, "I'm still awake I gotta shine this year," choosing success over sleep to "never let the streets down."
Calum Slingerland
18. "Hold On, We're Going Home" (ft. Majid Jordan)
As revered an MC as he is, Drake also knows that he's "got the Billboard melodies, rap is something I do on the side." An undeniable example from his arsenal of crossover hits is "Hold On, We're Going Home." The simply structured song has been covered by Arctic Monkeys, Dev Hynes and more, pushing Drake's plaintive pen game into different musical territory.
On his own version, Drake's vocals are buoyed by steady four-on-the-floor production that splits the difference between R&B and electronic. Those soft synth stacks that hang on Drake's every word come courtesy of OVO crewmates Jordan Ullman and Nineteen85.
Calum Slingerland
17. "Started From the Bottom"
Following his immense success, Drake was met with an overwhelming amount of criticism from a sect of the hip-hop community that felt his "authenticity" to be lacking. Though he'd never changed his backstory, many proclaimed him to be a rich kid who bought his way into a world he didn't belong in. "Started From the Bottom" was a multi-platinum response to naysayers.
Over the most brilliantly obscure sample ever, Drizzy shatters the misconceptions about his childhood in Toronto, detailing — among other things — monthly fights with his mom, and driving his uncle's car.
Riley Wallace
16. "Under Ground Kings"
"Live a little, cause n**gas die a lot, and lie a lot," Drake proclaims on the opening of this Take Care sermon. Taking a trip down memory road, "Under Ground Kings" reflects on the growing pains of being a successful rapper, straight down to his 'Acura days' and Ridge Crest, a Memphis, Tennessee housing project. However, the song also introduces the sense of paranoia that comes with success, one that questions the intentions of those around Drake. Despite the unwelcome paranoia, he still manages to wear the crown for his city.
Erin Lowers
15. "Furthest Thing"
Fame's effect on his mental well-being has been a constant thread in Drake's oeuvre, and he explores it tentatively in the opening lines here — "somewhere between psychotic and iconic / somewhere between I want it and I got it" — before getting to the heart of it a few bars later: "Promise to break everybody off before I break down."
Drake reflects on past transgressions and admits his imperfections over twinkling reversed synths and a shuffling, ruminative beat that reflects his melancholy before the beat switches and he plays his mind's other side, acknowledging life's complexities and his own: "Naked women swimmin', that's just how I'm livin' / Donate a million to some children, that's just how I'm feelin."
Stephen Carlick
14. "Tuscan Leather"
Nothing Was the Same's intro, "Tuscan Leather," sounds like a soulful record on the surface, but it's actually a dynamic launchpad into some of the most confident and boastful lyrics seen from the Toronto rapper following the release of Take Care. Throughout the six-minute intro, Drake goes bar-to-bar with himself, comparing his success with his mentors and his lyrical ferocity with the best in the rap game.
"I'm tired of hearing who you checking for now, just give it time and see who's around a decade from now," he asserts before noting he's also working on his own karma. Closing out with Curtis Mayfield's "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go," "Tuscan Leather" manages to nourishes minds, entice ears and silence critics in the same breath.
Erin Lowers
13. "Childs Play"
Equal parts condescending and obnoxiously 'playerific,' "Childs Play" finds Drake mocking the shallowness of an immature girlfriend's desire things that could be considered "basic" in his world. What's a new outfit to someone who could buy the factory? As long as she's giving 6 God what he needs, nothing.
However, his "I should give you back to the hood" bravado eventually reverts to classic softy Drake. And his Cheesecake Factory shoutout was probably the best thing to happen to the franchise in 2016. Perhaps we have Drizzy to thank for the new Toronto location.
Riley Wallace
12. "Know Yourself"
Speaking to the FADER months after releasing If You're Reading This It's Too Late, Drake revealed he was envious of Wiz Khalifa for creating a hometown anthem as infectious as "Black and Yellow." Of course, listeners in Toronto and beyond now know how impactful and ubiquitous "Know Yourself" became.
From house parties, to bars, to packed stadiums, the song's iconic hook is rarely ever left unsung. An urgent second half following the beat switch finds Drake name-dropping a slew of crew members, acting as if he were a Canadian Atlas by hoisting his crew and city onto his back on his ascent to greatness.
Calum Slingerland
11. "Too Much" (ft. Sampha)
One of the first Drake tracks produced by Nineteen85, "Too Much" is a quiet storm of passionate bars and moving vocals. Using UK singer Sampha's sampled single of the same name, "Too Much" evokes a level of maturity that could only be achieved by countless heartbreaks and lessons, much of which was spoken about on Drake's sophomore album Take Cake.
By this point, though, it bears weight and wisdom. In comparison to previous introspective records, "Too Much" gives the platform for Drake to challenge his internal dialogue and run directly towards it, instead of hiding in the high-life.
Erin Lowers
10. "Lord Knows" (ft. Rick Ross)
For someone so young, Drake had an awfully dim view of humankind by the release of Take Care; he sounded like a cantankerous miser in the making. In this context, "Lord Knows" stands out as a party unto itself, a rambunctious good time of the sort we once came to expect from Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella ilk. In fact, Justin "Just Blaze" Smith (for many years the pride of Roc-A-Fella HQ) produced "Lord Knows"; the song returned him to his trademark strutting, orchestral pomp.
M.T. Richards
9. "Take Care" (ft. Rihanna)
Just one of many high points from the album of the same name, "Take Care" remains Drake and Rihanna's finest collaboration to date (and if Rih alone isn't enough of a namedrop for you, the song also features a sample of Jamie xx's remix of Gil Scott Heron's "I'll Take Care of You").
It hears both stars earnestly pledging their affection for the other, promising to try to piece one another back together after respective failed relationships (Her: "I know you've been hurt by someone else" / Him: "Dealing with a heart that I didn't break") — all the while retaining the drama and moving parts of a drunken dance floor.
Adrenaline kicks in as the opening string flourish gives way to a pounding drum beat, and it doesn't subside until the final piano fades out, your heartbeat thumping in time with AubRih's the entire time.
Sarah Murphy
8. "Back to Back Freestyle"
Anyone can make a diss record; in the pantheon of hip-hop, there have been plenty of notable lyrical spars. When Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill accused Drake of — among other things — using ghostwriters, Drake didn't just unleash possibly the most well-timed response ever; he affected Billboard charts, took over the radio and made sure that Meek would hear the searing lyrical beat down everywhere he went during the latter half of summer 2015.
It was the second of two songs aimed at Meek, and mocked the fact that someone the Philly rapper considered so soft was able "body him" with such ease. He famously performed the track during 2015's OVO Fest while a plethora of epic memes flashed on a large screen. Also, the cover art was (quite cleverly) a still from the 1993 World Series in which Philly were dismantled by Toronto after Joe Carter slammed a monster homerun.
Riley Wallace
7. "Energy"
After opening If You're Reading This It's Too Late with the languid "Legend," a spray of gunshots and ominous piano signals force Drake to shift into a new gear. As he lays out in "Energy," being too big to fail comes with a price: specifically, people looking to sap his star power at every turn in an effort to leave him a little less "Charged Up" than he'd like.
Whether it's women and family or handling multiple mortgages, there's undoubtedly a lot on Drake's plate. But he sees this particular set of problems as more of a challenge: "Run up when you see me, then, and we gon' see," he goads before warning, "y'all don't wanna hear me say it's a go." He also values the real over the fake, proclaiming, "my actin' days are over, fuck them n**gas for life" and "fuck goin' online, that ain't part of my day."
Calum Slingerland
6. "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" (ft. Lil Wayne)
Slamming the world at a time when a new Drizzy-Weezy duet could change your life, or at least make traffic more bearable, "HYFR" packed an indelible hook ready-made for rowdy parties and profane arena tours.
Yet it has so much more to offer. Producer T-Minus, who steals elements of Paula Abdul's "Knocked Out" and E.S.G.'s "Swanging and Banging" for this triumph, allows Take Care's loudest track to breathe in the early going so Drake can engage in a tongue-twisting text-message fight with an ex: "She asked what have I learned from getting richer / I learned that working with the negatives can make for better pictures."
Then Wayne, who handles chorus duties, ups the frenetic energy, sounding off on lame interviewers and lamenting a relationship that could never work: "She said she hate that she love me and wish I was average / Shit, sometimes I wish the same and I wish she wasn't married." That the anthem's video featured Drake's repeat bar mitzvah celebration and Wayne rapping his face off underneath a panda balaclava only adds to the joyous defiance.
Luke Fox
5. "Crew Love" (ft. the Weeknd)
There are few songs in Drake's catalogue that hit as hard as the opening bass and cymbal pulses of "Crew Love," but the fact that they're a red herring is even more delicious; after just four measures, it melts away to reveal the sweet croon of the Weeknd's Abel Tesfaye, then Drake's protégé and not yet an international superstar.
Nihilism abounds in Tesfaye's verse as per usual, but Drake is in a celebratory mood, boasting that "seeing my family have it all took the place of that desire for diplomas on the wall" and that he "might blow like 50k on a vacation for all my soldiers just to see the looks on all they faces."
But for anyone from Toronto, one line hit the hardest: "That OVO and that XO is everything you believe in." In late 2011, Toronto felt indestructible, and no track summed up the city's potential better than Drake and the Weeknd's camaraderie here did — "loving the crew," indeed.
Stephen Carlick
4. "Worst Behavior"
In a city where hip-hop culture has always been misrepresented and underfunded, "Worst Behavior" is a middle-finger anthem to the doubters and the system that has kept artists like Drake in less-than-perfect positions. While yelling "Remember, mothafuckas never loved us" across the stadium-rousing anthem, Drake offers a blinding and unapologetic take on being neglected not just as an artist, but as a movement too.
He also manages, once again, to address the critics and artists who've simultaneously slept on him lyrically. Though situated early in his discography, "Worst Behavior" should be considered a calculated warning that Drake's career is far from over, even all these years later.
Erin Lowers
3. "5AM in Toronto"
"You underestimated greatly / Most number ones ever, how long did it really take me?"
That's the line that kicks off "5AM in Toronto," a one-off, Boi-1da-produced non-single that preceded Nothing Was the Same and serves as one of Drake's best braggadocio tracks. Here, he's on top of the world, bragging about his Grammy for Take Care, brushing off the bad press of his club run-in with Chris Brown and spouting some of the most golden lines of his career: "Sinatra lifestyle, I'm just being Frank with ya" never gets old, and his line about owl sweaters inside your girl's luggage was both a taunt and a remark on the success and ubiquity of his famous OVO merch.
Between the lyrics, the insistence of the beat and the lack of a chorus here, "5AM in Toronto" oozes confidence, the kind of drunken swagger you'll find anywhere in the 6 when folks are partying beyond last call.
Stephen Carlick
2. "Marvin's Room / Buried Alive (Interlude)" (ft. Kendrick Lamar)
Imagine if drunk dials sounded this good in real life?
The song starts with ex Erika's groggy voice through a fuzzy phone speaker, before Drake's voice shifts into focus and embarks on a post-club odyssey to reconnect with an ex.
As his drunken ramble goes on, he crosses all the boundaries and shows a total lack of respect for other people's relationships — and yet, there's something so vulnerable and desperately lonely about his whole sorry story that we end up taking Drake's side, even when he's still hopelessly trying to win back his former flame on the third verse by boasting about the other women he sleeps with and showers with money.
That said, next time you drunk dial an ex who's in a new relationship, you probably shouldn't open with: "I'm just saying you could do better."
Sarah Murphy
1. "Headlines"
2011 Drake was in a precarious position. Although he was, without argument, one of the game's hottest commodities after his multi-platinum debut, some noted the departure from his mixtape days.
For listeners who fell in love with singles like "Successful" and "Best I Ever Had," the first taste of Take Care wasn't what they were hoping for. "Marvin's Room," a lush, downtempo record produced by Boi-1da and 40 helped to open that divide even further, causing day-ones to question the darker, more emotional direction his music seemed to be drifting in.
The "Drake fell off" rumblings among the hater section fuelled the Boi-1da-produced "Headlines," a calculated, sing-song acknowledgment of his position — and influence — in the game. Above all, though, the song was a clear message to detractors: the 6 God is watching, and gives zero fucks what you think, because he's winning.
Riley Wallace
0. "0 to 100 / The Catch Up"
Multi-part tracks and beat switches are by no means unheard of in Drake's catalogue, but there's a lot going on "0 to 100 / The Catch Up": a pile of hip-hop quotables, a plucky instrumental loop from Frank Dukes and BADBADNOTGOOD's Chester Hansen, a haunting James Blake-led outro, shout-outs to Steph Curry before it was cool and a distinctly different Drake penning the lyrics for each section. Hell, this track is so powerful that it even started beef with Diddy, whose hands reportedly went from 0 to 100, real quick after he caught wind of Drake's finished version.
"0 to 100" finds Drake taking his boasting to new heights: he's the rookie and the vet; the Toronto Raptors pay all his bills; he has "all the hits, boy." However, those trademark "Toronto sound" synths seem to always tell a different tale, placing Drake in the hazy, self-doubt-fuelled soundscape of "The Catch Up," where he's perhaps "too focused on people's feedback and provin' 'em wrong." Three years later, Drake's still on the move like the lease is up, no longer 27 but still getting better, building on his status as a Canadian icon in a genre where there are far too few Canucks succeeding and daring others to catch up now.
Calum Slingerland