Will Drake top "Thank Me Later" with "Take Care"

By Hardcore Critic
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

When Drake signed with Young Money, his mixtape fans could not wait for him to release his debut album. In 2009, Drake collaborated with many big names. His "Forever" single displayed Drake's abilities against the likes of Kanye West, Eminem, and Lil Wayne.

In 2010, Lil Wayne began his prison sentence and Drake was told to hold the Young Money team down. Right before spring, Drake released his debut single, "Over." Quickly, the song became a hit, getting significant radio play.

During the summer of 2010, Drake released Thank Me Later and it was met with mostly-positive reviews, plus the two summer singles, "Find Your Love" and "Miss Me." Aside from the singles, the album did well with collaborations with Jay-Z and Young Jeezy. Before the end of 2010, Drake was already discussing his next album, saying it would be much better than his debut.

Despite not having any music of his own out, Drake still dominated during the summer of 2011. Being featured on all the biggest songs helped Drake keep his name out there. Before the end of summer, Drake released his "Headlines" single, which has received moderate radio play. On his second album, Drake is not going to benefit from dropping during the summer. Instead, he is going to drop in the fall.

From a sales-wise standpoint, can Drake top his previous effort. With his debut album, Drake already had two singles generating significant radio play. So far, his second album only has one single out and it is not receiving much play as his initial singles did. Still, he has another top twenty hit and his lyrical abilities have vastly improved.

However, overall, will Take Care do better than Thank Me Later both sales-wise and with critical reception.

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Drake wins award from Canada's Walk of Fame

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

The past year has been incredible for Drake. In 2009, he established himself as the mixtape king. While his mixtape was well-received by critics, Drake was still an outsider. This all changed when Lil Wayne signed him to Young Money. Drake immediately made the jump from to prominence.

Last year, Drake dominated the game. Starting early in the year with his single, "Over," to his summer anthems, Drake dominated the radio waves. During his time off, Drake returned to the mixtape scene, working on an R&B mixtape. Currently, Drake is gearing up for the release of his second album.

In preparation for his new album, Drake has been pushing the first official single, "Headlines." The song is quickly becoming a hit and now Drake is hoping to win more awards. Already, Drake has won several awards, including a Grammy. Now, Drake is set to receive an award from the Canada Walk of Fame. The Toronto rapper will receive the Allan Slaight Award.

Because Drake is one of the biggest stars and currently located in Miami, fans tend to forget he is actually a Canadian entertainer. Drake said he is proud to be from Canada and he hopes he continues to make his home country proud.

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Drake - "Over"

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Drake samples Dead Prez in "Over"

The past few years have consisted of finding a new rapper to inherit the throne. Many people have assumed that it was up to them to take that spot. The most-notable rapper to claim king was Lil Wayne. To boost the effort, he went out and found a crew.

Drake was one of the first rappers to join Young Money and he is now a bigger star than Wayne. Now, when most people speak of the future of hip hop, they speak of Drake. His debut album, Thank Me Later, is right around the corner. Drake has made it because his lyrics are now quoted.

When fans start quoting rapper's lyrics, the hip hop heads jump in and read the lyrics. Drake's single, "Over," has become the first hit of the summer. Now, the lyrics have been analyzed. It turns out that a few of the lyrics in the hit have been sampled.

The line "one thing 'bout music, when it hits you, you feel no pain" is a direct quote from Dead Prez off of their 2000 hit, "Bigger Than Hip Hop."

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