Artist Playlists
- Drake achieved hip-hop dominance in the most unexpected way possible: by baring his soul. While the Canadian rapper/singer can drop battle-ready bars and swag-fuelled club jams with equal ease, he's more likely to kick verses that take you inside his complicated life, one where even party-hopping excess is no defence against real heartbreak. He also digs in some truly global crates in his search for killer beats, flipping between the moodiness of late-night R&B ballads, the thump of Southern hip-hop bangers, the grooves of dancehall, the thrills of UK club music and much more.
- Drake's best videos reliably make for milestone moments in the pop-culture zeitgeist—striking, stunning, destined to become memes. Whether he's being bar mitzvah'd (“HYFR”), channeling ‘80s Miami (“Hold On We're Going Home”), donning turtlenecks (“Hotline Bling”), or reuniting with his Degrassi castmates ("I'm Upset") he's nothing if not of-the-moment.
- Drake can go from being a crooning R&B loverman to spiky rapper in the blink of an eye, and that knack for stylistic shifts is particularly apparent on his less famous cuts. The inflatable synths of The-Dream duet “Shut It Down” tease out one of Drizzy's prettiest ballads; meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum is the ghostly beat of barbed hip-hop cut “Charged Up”, a ruthless diss track aimed at his rival Meek Mill.
- Lean back and relax with some of their mellowest cuts.
- Two of hip-hop's heaviest hitters are touring North America together this summer, performing with a suite of next-level visuals including a giant statue of the late Virgil Abloh. The set list, which has varied slightly from show to show, has tended to lean heavier on hits from Drake, although the energy peaks when he and 21 Savage take the stage together (several tracks from their 2022 joint album <i>Her Loss</i> made the cut). Whether you're prepping for an upcoming show or reminiscing about one you recently attended, explore the tour-inspired set list here.
- While the worlds of R&B and hip-hop have long been filled with players and heartbreakers, Drake established another male persona, one who expressed strength by actually showing vulnerability. And whether the track itself is as sly and swaggering as “One Dance”, as sensitive and brooding as “Shot for Me” or straight-up celebratory as “Best I Ever Had”, Drake’s love songs are full of compelling contradictions.
- Drake's influence can be felt across the pop waterfront, from Lorde wrestling with the downsides of fame to Swedish duo JJ absorbing Auto-Tuned melancholy into their electronica. However, his impact is strongest on artists blurring the boundaries between hip-hop and R&B, from 6lack's crepuscular rumination on relationship troubles (“Prblms”) to the insanely catchy hook on Childish Gambino's “V. 3005”—originally written to go over the beat Drake rode on “Trophies”.
- Drake emerged as a major voice in hip-hop by fluidly combining the influences of superstars who came before him, most significantly Lil Wayne's relentless wordplay and the brooding emotion of Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak. But more subtle guideposts, like the conscious rap of Little Brother and the sumptuous R&B of Aaliyah, also reveal themselves as key ingredients to the OVO recipe.
- Founded in 2012 by Drake, his producer Noah “40” Shebib and his manager/business partner Oliver El-Khatib, OVO Sound has become one of the preeminent pacesetting labels in hip-hop and R&B, propelling the likes of fellow Torontonians Majid Jordan and PARTYNEXTDOOR to international renown. From spaced-out meditations to sleek club tracks, this playlist doubles as both an introduction to the Drake-iverse and a snapshot of the collective's constantly evolving vibe. Our editors update these tracks regularly. If you hear something you like, add it to your library.
- Breaking down the samples that have inspired one of music’s most vital artists.
- Grab the mic and sing along with some of their biggest hits.
- On 2 February, just days before Super Bowl LVIII, Drake and J. Cole kicked off their massive co-headline tour in Tampa, Florida, and filled the Amalie Arena with football-inspired fanfare: There was a marching band, cheerleaders, a locker room stage and even live commentary from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Throughout the night, the long-time friends and hip-hop heavyweights drew parallels between rap and sports, particularly each industry’s inherently competitive nature (“You do your best to make people happy,” Drake told fans. “You do your best to compete”). But the show has plenty to offer those who are less athletically inclined, including several eye-popping props and special effects (among them: a giant floating bra, a replica of Drake’s personal plane and an enormous sculpture of Travis Scott’s head that shoots lasers from its eyes). An added bonus: On 5 February, Drake announced that Lil Durk would be joining the tour. This playlist reflects the songs from Drake’s portion of the show.