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 has redefined rap’s sound and the way we consume pop music.

Drake own it sample