How Drake Created His Legacy
It’s not unreasonable to say he’s the standard all artists aspire to meet. From his start on Degrassi and even his first mixtape Thank Me Later, it would have been impossible back then to predict the impact Drake would make on music, fashion, and popular culture. After bursting onto the scene with his first solo effort, he quickly became known as rap’s resident introspective sad boy, his verses as emotional as they are vicious. The timeless album Take Care, his first masterpiece, still endures today. Packed with hits like Marvin’s Room, Headlines, Crew Love and of course Take Care, his first and definitely not last collaboration with Rihanna, who’d later become the subject of heavy dating rumours. Proving he wouldn’t stop there, he followed up with Nothing Was The Same, and then his second masterpiece, Views. This album modernized Drake’s sound and reaffirmed that he was not only at the top of his game, but that he still hadn’t peaked yet. More Life saw him play with Caribbean and island influences, but Scorpion was a return to the quintessential Drake that fans came to know and love. Scorpion spawned viral hits, dance challenges, paid tributes to his mother and his son, and was certified 5x Platinum to boot. From a slew of unreleased tracks as well, it’s hard to deny his affinity for hit-making and for giving his fans what they don’t even know they want.
Of course, he’s a lyrical mastermind, but he’s conquering more than just the music world. He’s created iconic fashion moments like the bevy of custom Louis Vuitton vests he’s worn on his Scorpion tour, or when he and his entourage were featured on an episode of the YouTube channel The Unknown Vlogs, and Drake himself boasted a million-dollar-plus outfit. He’s a huge supporter of the NBA, further deepening the long-running relationship the league has with hip-hop. He’ll attend as many Toronto Raptors games as he can, and when they won the championship in 2019 he released a single pack titled The Best In The World. He also celebrated the win with a custom Raptors ring valued at US$150,000, just because he could. Perhaps the latest thing he’s shocked the world with are the recent photos of his son Adonis, who fans were stunned to discover looks nothing like the rapper. Drake even said he had to take 2 DNA tests to make sure he was the father.
He’s founded OVO Sound, and given spotlight and attention to rising stars that may not have had it otherwise, such as PARTYNEXTDOOR, dvsn, Majid Jordan, and Roy Woods. In short, nobody’s changed the rap game like Drake has. There are playlists called Post-Drake, proving how far he’s pushed the envelope for rap and hip hop. With his son Adonis, his legacy secured, Drake is easily one of the biggest artists on the planet, and one we’ll still be talking about for years to come.
Written by: Grayson Harris-Paul