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Drake

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Drake


Drake
It’s not everyday that a rapper comes along & breaks arecord for most Top Ten singles by an artist or band, a record held by The Beatles for 54 years. Drake released his first mixtape in 2006 but he first bust onto the scene (not including his acting career on Degrassi High) with 2009’s timeless-single “Best I Ever Had,” which, with the help of its sexist (but still sexy) video, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, not bad for a song off a  mixtape: 2009’s So Far Gone. With the unexpected success of the mixtape, the debut album 2010’s Thank MeLater quickly arrived. I didn’t jump on the band wagon until his second album, 2011’s Take Care, which, I will still argue is his best. It probably helps that the title track was produced by one of my favorite DJ’s, (Jamie xx). 2013 gave us Nothing Was The Same,  which proved Drake could really spit bars. His lasting power could no longer be questioned. 2015 gave us If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, with the timeless track “Energy.” 2016 gave us Views, his commercial peak, with “Hotline Bling.” If Drake wasn't everywhere before, he surely was everywhere now. Even being certified as a meme. 2017 & 2018 gave us More Life: A Playlist By October Firm & Scorpion, respectively, each with hit singles: “Passionfruit” & “God’s Plan.” Then this year [2020] Drake dropped Dark Lane Demo Tapes, with another smash with "Tootsie Slide," a Tik-Tok dance-challenge that went viral. Just as easy as it is to dismiss Kanye as crazy, I understand how it’s easy to hate on Drake; A pretty-boy from Toronto who sings & raps over R&B… but when the man has been consistently putting out great music for over a decade…well... ya' gotta' show some respect because not a lot of people can say that. What Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak and Kid Cudi did to bring emotion back into rap- Drake has done with blending rap, R&B, and 21st-century-soul. For that, we thank you.
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Drake

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