This Canadian rapper has released eight studio albums, three compilation albums, one collaborative album, four extended plays and seven mixtapes. His first album was released in June of 2010, and he has only been on the up since then. Selling over 170 million records worldwide, he is one of the best-selling music artists in history. His name is Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake.
His debut album, “Thank Me Later” is filled with classics like, “Find Your Love” and “Over,” but what sets his early albums apart from his current works is his openness and vulnerability. His lyrics speak to what it is like rising to fame in his early twenties. At this stage in his career, he was viewed more as a singer who raps, rather than a rapper who sings. According to The New York Times, he blurred the line between singing and rapping, which changed the music scene forever.
Drake continued to sing about his feelings in his multi-platinum album, “Take Care.” As his sophomore album, it is notorious for him being in his feelings. From “Marvin’s Room” to “Doing It Wrong,” Drake uses this album to express his emotions from past situations with women, and the people who doubted him and to reveal his vulnerability in his familial relationships. While this album contains slower beats with rather sad lyrics, the second half of the album takes an upbeat turn with songs like “HYFR” and “The Motto,” which shows Drake’s fast-paced rap side.
As his career progressed, he took a step back from singing to focus on his rapping abilities. Each of his albums has singing on some tracks, but oftentimes it is done by a featured artist and not Drake himself. His most recent album, “For All The Dogs” is almost entirely rap with only a few melodic songs. He has also dabbled in other genres such as house music with his album “Honestly, Nevermind.”
Although his style has changed over time, there is one thing that has always remained the same: his acknowledgment of his female fanbase. Even though his albums vary in different ways, Drake has a song for the girls within each one. From his first album with “Fancy” to his most recent album with his hit, “Rich Baby Daddy” which features both Sexyy Red and SZA, Drake knows how to make music that women enjoy. Throughout his career, he has always recognized the admiring love of his female fans. As he says in his song “BBL Love,” “Love that man like you say you love Drake.”
Millions have witnessed the evolution of Drake, and regardless of the way his music changes, people always listen. He has fans of over a decade while continuing to gain fans from younger generations. Drake has become a household name within the past decade, and he is only going to progress further. He is currently on tour for his It’s All A Blur Tour, and he just announced the second leg of the tour will take place in 2024 with J. Cole. Drake is one of the biggest artists of our time, and it doesn’t seem like he will be stopping anytime soon.
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