It also featured Drake just straight-up rapping in a way that pleased his die-hard fans and built up a ton of excitement for NWTS. Drakeisms working their way into everyday speech coincided with brands discovering social media, and the result years later is that a Drake song released on a Thursday night has spawned four catchphrases by Monday. Nothing Was the Same’s “Started From the Bottom” wasn’t just Drake’s biggest single to date, it marked a turning point in his career when his ubiquity reached new levels, on and off the charts. But “Best I Ever Had” is still one of the most quintessential Drake songs: other than being hugely popular, it also marked his ability to make songs that sounded like love songs but are really true player’s anthems. The jump from Thank Me Later to Take Care feels massive. It almost sounds quaint, because of how immediately his flow would become more boisterous and his singing more elastic. The Hits (Best I Ever Had, Started From The Bottom, Hotline Bling, God’s Plan)Ĭompared to some of the best Drake songs named here, “Best I Ever Had” doesn’t feature his best rapping or singing. Listen to the best Drake songs on Apple Music and Spotify. These multiple personas – singing Drake, hedonistic Drake, or embittered Drake – lets him appeal to every kind of music fan. Because of that, Drake’s biggest competitor on the charts has been himself. This ability to cross genres and maintain quality endeared him to a much wider audience than he if he’d stuck to just rapping. A Drake co-sign was worth its weight in gold, even if he showed up every collaborator. He did it on his own songs and with his guest spots. By the time he was hitting his stride, Drake was beating most of his contemporaries at both. Rapping or singing, verses or hooks, it didn’t matter. Doing both in tandem gave him the ability to show up on anyone’s song and knock it out of the park. 808s & Heartbreak had only been out for a few months, but Drake was already pushing despondent, singing-infused rap into new territory. The pliability displayed on So Far Gone was just a jumping-off point. It wasn’t just versatile - it was effortless, as he pivoted between styles. His hybrid of croon-rapping would redefine what was acceptable for rappers to sound like. So Far Gone feels like a truer release than his official debut, Thank Me Later. Sure there’s the undeniable talent, work ethic, beat selection, genius collaborators, and classic videos, but the true key to Drake’s longevity is his versatility.įolks often forget that Drake’s breakout release was a mixtape. In addition to being one of the most charting artists of all time, Drake has landed as many hit songs for other artists as he has for himself. He’s one of the only true music stars of the new millennium, and in his home country of Canada, he’s probably the most powerful person who’s not an elected official. Pound for pound, he might be the most successful rapper of all time. Drake gets nostalgic for his childhood friend Renny, an early producer.Drake has redefined rap’s sound and the way we consume pop music. In just one part, he reminiscences about a lot of what life was like growing up in a "sketchy" area of Toronto and gives a shout out to his a childhood friend turned collaborator.Īccording to Toronto Life, “ Weston Road Flows” is “a throwback to Aubrey’s younger days, growing up on the sketchier west side of town. He makes several references to his hometown throughout the album and “Weston Road Flows” is especially autobiographical for his fans and gives an inside look at his personal relationships. The song really paints a nice picture of Drake’s journey to fame. Blige in the background, "Weston Road Flows" tells a story of the complicated relationship Drake has with his hometown in Toronto since he's made it big and how he can stay true to his roots through it all.ĭrake’s entire fourth album is a shout out to his hometown in Canada and “Weston Road Flows” is a throwback to his past and is dedicated to the street he grew up on. After weeks of teasing, the Canadian rapper released his fourth studio album with hot singles like “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance” that obviously stand out and easily pump you up, but what does Drake’s throwback track “Weston Road Flows” mean? With the hazy vocals of hip hop legend Mary J.
You’re probably not alone if you’ve been listening to Drake’s new album Views from the 6 on repeat since it was released last month.