Wassup culties…theorists…you’d think we’d have this down by now. Wassup people, it’s C. Jay Williams for Culturalist Theory and today we’re ordering Drake’s seven studio albums from worst to first. You heard us right, no mixtapes, collab albums or commercial mixtapes on this one. Let us know down in the comments if thats a video we should roll out though. Does Toronto’s biggest superstar really need an intro? Let’s just jump into it.
Scorpion (2018)
Survival.Nonstop.Elevate.Emotionless.God’sPlan.I’mUpset.8Outof10.MobTies.Can’tTakeaJoke.Sandra’sRose.TalkUp(feat.JayZ).IsThereMore.Peak.SummerGames.Jaded.NiceForWhat.Finesse.RatchetHappyBirthday.That’sHowYouFeel.BlueTint.InMyFeelings.Don’tMattertoMebyDrake&MichaelJackson.AfterDark(feat.StaticMajor&TyDolla$ign).FinalFantasy.March14.
Drizzy’s 2018 double disc demonstrates a lot of the issues that these elongated projects struggle with, namely collapsing under their own weight. From the late 90s into the early 2000s, it felt like every artist worth mentioning had to have a double album under their belt. The trend died off for a while, until the mid-2010s saw its resurgence. Well, kind of. With streams diluting the revenue artists could expect to get from album sales, repackaging a deluxe edition became a popular way to extend an album’s commercial impact.
Right around 2017, the double disc snuck back into mainstream consumption. Migos, Big K.R.I.T., Rae Sremmurd, & Drizzy Drake himself would all drop their own double-disc projects. Each with varying levels of success. In Drake’s case, “Scorpion” was meant to represent the two styles of music Drake embodied the most. Side A being more Hip-Hop-focused and B being more R&B-oriented. At the time, fans thought we would essentially get a follow-up to “Take Care.” That was wishful thinking.
When stripped down to its essentials, “Scorpion” certainly has a lot to offer. However, its 25-song track list ended up about 10 tracks too long. Records like: “Don’t Matter To Me,” “Peak,” “Can’t Take A Joke” & “I’m Upset” drag the album’s 90-minute runtime into the ground. With the former containing a criminally exploited posthumous verse from the King of Pop. Sha’mon Aubrey! We’re not getting any new MJ vocals, so we got to make the unreleased ones count!
We know “Honestly, Nevermind” wasn’t received well either. Many fans calling it his worst album yet. But honestly, it holds up better as a body of work. “Scorpion’s” strongest argument has to be its impact. Specifically with “God’s Plan” experiencing immense commercial success–being his first single to go Diamond and one of three on the album to top the charts. The other two, “Nice For What” & “In My Feelings,” would further catapult the Canadian superstar into a different stratosphere of household recognition. But outside of those singles and an album cut or two, the album sees a significant drop in replay value. When’s the last time you caught yourself listening to joints like: “Summer Games,” “Survival,” “Blue Tint” or “Talk Up?” We know the answer.
We think the intended fusion of Hip-Hop and R&B would’ve resulted in a better project had it been blended rather than two standalone discs. Drake’s fifth studio album still amassed five Grammy nominations. He secured a win for Best Rap Song with “God’s Plan.” A few things to mention: we get some highly underrated DJ Premier production on “Sandra’s Rose,” Drake’s ode to his Mom and her influence on his life; “Emotionless” would be Drizzy’s official acknowledgement of his son Adonis, after his highly publicized feud with Pusha T; & “In My Feelings” would see a newly ignited chapter in Drake’s beef with Kanye. While this release would mark a streak of critical underperformance, it would see Drake enjoying the most commercial success of his career. That private 767 ain’t going to fuel itsef
Honestly, Nevermind (2022)
Intro.FallingBack.TextsGoGreen.Currents.AKeeper.CallingMyName.Sticky.Massive.Flight’sBooked.Overdrive.DownHill.TieThatBinds.Liability.JimmyCooks(feat.21Savage).
With no preceding singles or advanced notice, Drake’s seventh studio album caught everybody off-guard. However, no sooner than it dropped, did it trend for all the wrong reasons. We certainly admire his consistency and ability to step out of his comfort zone. But was anybody asking for a Drake Dance record? Heavily influenced by House & Baltimore Club music, shoutout our family in the 410, but “Honestly Nevermind” is honestly repetitive.
We had a tough time differentiating between the end of one song and the beginning of another. While that compatibility would get high praise from us on other records, here it just feels predictable and derivative. Drizzy’s auto-tune saturated vocals, generic production & lackluster rollout amounted to just 204K first week unit sales, the lowest of any of his studio albums.
Luckily, despite the album’s many shortcomings, there are redeeming qualities to appreciate. “Jimmy Cooks,” housing the album’s sole feature, would top the Hot 100, becoming Drake’s 11th & 21’s 2nd track to do so. The music video served as the official announcement to the pair’s upcoming album, “Her Loss.” Additionally, tracks like: “Falling Back,” “Calling My Name” & “A Keeper” all caught our ear, reminiscent of a “More Life” level performance.
Being so far removed from his traditional style, its hard to objectively rank this one in the catalog. However, we think the last minute announcement, coupled with the realization that it was a Dance album, set this one up for failure out the gate. We’ve seen the Canadian born Rapper turned Popstar incorporate many genres before, usually centering them with a Hip-Hop or R&B sound. This leads us to believe that the failure with this project could primarily be attributed to his lack of versatility. “Scorpion” was too long and divided. “Honestly, Nevermind” was too haphazard and one-dimensional. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
We think this just speaks to a pattern of Drake’s otherworldly success, his one in a billion crossover ability. Obviously we’ll touch on this more later, but when you look at some of his best projects, what do they all have in common? They’re well-rounded and highlight Drake’s skill in weaving together various elements of music. We hope more artists take cues from Drake on this one. After all, Hip-Hop flourishes the most when it can branch out and reinvent itself. It’s never been a genre for the conventional. We just hope the mixed reactions to this project encourage artists to focus on the quality of said excursions into the unknown. Because if Drake had done some more fine tuning on this one, it easily could’ve moved up a spot or two in these rankings.
Funny enough, Drake went on a press run talking about this trilogy of albums. Apparently, “Certified Lover Boy,” “Honestly, Nevermind” & “Her Loss,” all fit a thematic storyline in the Drake multiverse of music. While the writing was on the wall with the progressively linear album titles, nothing about the music makes us feel these projects tell an overarching story. Other than appearances from 21 Savage, we can’t find any similarities between the albums. Drake would even go as far as to say, “Her Loss” is a top 3 album in his catalog. Let us know down in the comments where you would rank it, and if you think he was just trying to boost sales.
Certified Lover Boy (2021)
ChampagnePoetry.Papi’sHome.GirlsWantGirls(feat.LilBaby).IntheBible(feat.LilDurkandGiveon.LoveAll(feat.JayZ).FairTrade(feat.TravisScott).Way2Sexy(feat.FutureandYoungThug).TSU.N2Deep(feat.Future).PipeDown.Yebba’sHeartbreak(withYebba).NoFriendsintheIndustry.KnifeTalk(feat.21SavageandProjectPat).7AMonBridlePath.RaceMyMind.Fountains(feat.Tems).GetAlongBetter(feat.TyDollaSign).YouOnlyLiveTwice(feat.LilWayneandRickRoss).IMY2(feat.KidCudi).FuckingFans.TheRemorse.
Drake’s 2021, 21-track LP is easily his most polarizing. And arguably his most bittersweet. Drawing many comparisons to his earlier works, CLB is a strange mixture of revisiting past success while taking unexplored creative leaps.
There’s plenty of potential on this project. Features from Hov, Durk, Future & Tunechi did not disappoint. On the other hand, that potential feels stifled by a handful of unforced errors. The album’s 21 songs could’ve easily been trimmed down to allow audiences to get the full impact deep cuts that ultimately get lost in the shuffle.
- “Champagne Poetry” doesn’t set the pace for what the album would truly sound like. He made us think we were getting “Nothing Was The Same” Drake when he was aiming for more of a melodic, in-your-feelings kind of project.
- “Papi’s Home,” which contains uncredited vocals from the Young Money Queen Nicki Minaj is a missed opportunity to grab that long awaited feature, potentially reuniting the trio on “You Only Live Twice.”
- “7AM On Bridle Path” is a typical showcase of bars for the MC. But we don’t think it carries the same weight as previous time-stamped tracks like, “5AM In Toronto” or “6PM In New York.” Most likely due to the reflective nature of the song, it feels like this one falls short of the standard that Boi-1da & Vinylz had set for Drizzy.
Tracks like, “Girls Want Girls,” “No Friends In The Industry,” & “IMY2” are throwaways, making us question if Aubrey’s focus on streams had superseded his ear for quality control. Were we the only ones wondering how these collabs with Baby & Ross ended up on the studio album when “Wants And Needs” & “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” were both better songs and better fits for the final cut?
Above all our other critiques, the album cover by far is the biggest impediment to the project’s success. When it initially dropped, everyone thought it was just a conversation starter, giving the odd impression of a reach for relevancy. But when the clock struck midnight on September 3, 2021 and this was the cover fans saw while streaming the project, our expectations immediately took a nosedive.
We did leave the album with some positive takeaways however. “In The Bible” demonstrated just how dangerous a duo Drake & Durkio can be on the pair’s second collab following “Laugh Now, Cry Later.” Drake & Hov notch one of their better tracks together with “Love All.” And we really enjoyed the sound Drizzy employed on “TSU” & “N 2 Deep.”
Our hidden gem on this one however, has to be “Race My Mind!” Sounding unlike any other song in his expansive discography, “Race My Mind” has easily enjoyed the biggest boost in replay value when we look at what songs are heavy in our rotation. The album would earn a Best Rap Album nomination at the 2022 Grammys before being withdrawn from consideration. We’re still waiting to see the impact this project is going to have on his music moving forward, we just hope the 6 God goes back to crafting the Hip-Hop albums that got him off the ground.
Thank Me Later
(2010)
Fireworks(feat.AliciaKeys).Karaoke.TheResistance.Over.ShowMeaGoodTime.UpAllNight(feat.NickiMinaj).Fancy(feat.T.I.andSwizzBeatz).ShutItDown(feat.TheDream).Unforgettable(feat.YoungJeezy).LightUp(feat.JayZ).MissMe(feat.LilWayne).Cece’sInterlude.FindYourLove.ThankMeNow.
Steeped in a hunger and humility that we’ll never hear from Aubrey again, “Thank Me Later” is the blueprint for a 2010s debut album done right. Mixed with a newcomer’s ambition and the limitless resources of a big label backing, Drizzy’s first studio LP plays out like a diary spilling the rapper’s thoughts on fame, fortune and the potential fallout his success could have on his relationships.
Throughout his career we’ve seen Drake be hesitant to embrace the roles the industry expects from him, most evident in his claim to be a rookie and vet all at once. This project sees him straddle the fence between being a self-proclaimed backpack rapper while enjoying industry plant levels of success. If you tapped in with his mixtapes, then you would know Drizzy is certainly a student of the game. Spitting over Dilla beats, grabbing Bun B features and incorporating flows of legends like Ye & Tunechi. We just find the underground route to be SLIGHTLY exaggerated. How many backpack rappers do you know that got Alicia Keys to open their album?
Still, there’s a lot to love about this record. Starting with the authenticity to Drake’s pen that we’ve been looking for in his music ever since. Almost like he knew he had an opportunity that needed to be seized at all costs, you know that last resort pressure hits different. Then add in features on this one include Lil Wayne, T.I., Nicki, Jay & Jeezy with additional appearances from The-Dream & the aforementioned Ms. Keys. These contributions lead to the blend of Hip-Hop, R&B and Pop that would quickly turn Drizzy into a household name. “Make Friends With Mike But Gotta AI Him For Your Survival.” Given the nature of their relationship throughout the years, we can’t help but to wonder if this was Drake’s first jab at Hov.
When comparing this project to its vast pool of peers, “Thank Me Later” has definitely held up better than most. Bangers like: “Fancy,” “Unforgettable,” “Karaoke” & “Shut It Down” could all easily be thrown into a 2024 setlist and nobody would bat an eye. 40 & Boi-1da would put in considerable hours behind the boards on this one, with Kanye, No I.D., Swizzy & Timbaland also grabbing high-profile producer credits. The emerging Young Money/Cash Money superstar would move nearly 450K in his first week, demonstrating immense staying power and appeal out the gate.
This one makes it to #4 on our list due to its consistency and impact over the projects lower down the line. However, these next 3 clearly display Drake’s full range of creativity, influence and quality in ways none of his other albums could match. We know how often the three get grouped together, so down in the comments let us know how you would rank Drake, Cole & Kendrick’s studio debuts.
Throughout his career, Drake has drawn many comparisons to the King of Pop for his insurmountable pop and commercial appeal. While he doesn’t have a multi-diamond album under his belt, since dropping “So Far Gone” 12 of the 13 projects he’s headlined have hit the top of the Billboard charts. The 1 that DID fail to top the charts was a collection of leaks and scraps that would make it to #2. So in his nearly 15 year career, Drake’s secured over a dozen #1 commercial projects. Who could y’all see accomplishing a similar feat? Our money’s on Future Hendrix, but with his current count at 8, he’s still got a ways to go. Just goes to show how difficult it can be comprehending the numbers these artists amass. Where were we? That’s right, the top 3.
Views (2016)
KeeptheFamilyClose.9.UwithMe?.FeelNoWays.Hype.WestonRoadFlows.Redemption.WithYou(feat.PartyNextDoor).Faithful(feat.PimpCandDvsn).StillHere.Controlla.OneDance(feat.WizkidandKyla).Grammys(feat.Future).ChildsPlay.PopStyle.TooGood(feat.Rihanna).SummersOverInterlude.Fire&Desire.Views.HotlineBling(bonustrack).
Our pick for the 6 God’s most underrated album, “Views” is Drake’s strongest conceptual offering to date. Breaking up his hometown of Toronto according to the various seasons, “Views” blends Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Dancehall & Afrobeats in ways that depict the city’s diversity to a tee. The album would hold a lot of firsts for the Canadian Superstar, including: his first single to top the Hot 100 & his first album to sell 1,000,000 units in its first week.
It’s easy to forget now, after seeing the commercial heights he would continue to ascend, but “Views” was easily his most anticipated project up to that point. We still don’t think a Drake album has amassed that level of hype since, which would lead to its career-high numbers. Originally titled “Views From The 6,” the album cover quite literally sees Drake taking in the views from the city atop the CN Tower.
This one has a very different supporting cast, with Future contributing the only traditional Hip-Hop feature. We also see appearances from Rihanna, Dvsn, PartyNextDoor, Wizkid & Kyla, and we also can’t forget the posthumous Pimp C vocals. This project was instrumental in popularizing Dancehall & Afrobeats to the American mainstream, serving as a jump-off point for Wizkid and giving us an insight into what “More Life” would offer, even if we didn’t know it at the time.
Honestly, when this one first dropped we were pretty disappointed. Keep in mind we’re not the biggest fans of “What A Time To Be Alive” either. But we think the general consensus was that Drizzy should’ve been dippin more into that trap-heavy, “If You’re Reading This” bag. In hindsight, Drake was playin Chess while everyone else was playing Uno. Off our most recent listen, we really couldn’t find a weak link. There are some sleepers we gotta highlight though: “Weston Road Flows,” “Redemption” & “Feel No Ways” all would make you think Drake’s core audience isn’t Hip-Hop based. Considering how this one has aged, does “Views” have a stronger argument as his best blend of genres when compared to “Take Care?” Share your thoughts down in the comments. Speaking of “Take Care.”
Take Care (2011)
OverMyDeadBody.ShotforMe.Headlines.CrewLove(feat.theWeeknd).TakeCare(feat.Rihanna).MarvinsRoom.BuriedAliveInterlude(performedbyKendrickLamar).UnderGroundKings.We’llBeFine(feat.Birdman).MakeMeProud(feat.NickiMinaj).LordKnows(feat.RickRoss).Cameras/GoodThingsGoInterlude.DoingItWrong.TheRealHer(feat.LilWayneandAndre3000).LookWhatYou’veDone.HYFR(feat.LilWayne).Practice.TheRide.TheMotto(feat.LilWayne).HateSleepingAlone.
Yea, we put Drake’s sophomore studio LP at the runner-up spot. Trust and believe this was not an easy decision. But, while we acknowledge its unparalleled impact and prominence when discussing his discography, the album isn’t as cohesive and collected as its successor. Coming into ranking these albums, this was definitely our favorite for the top spot, but there’s just a loose end or two on here that we couldn’t overlook. Obviously, Birdman shouldn’t have been featured for a second on any album that takes itself seriously, with all due respect. But “We’ll Be Fine” deals with its own problems before he even jumps on the track. Personally…a lot of the Hip-Hop joints on here kinda fell flat when looking back over a decade later. I mean “Headlines,” “Make Me Proud” & “HYFR” all went crazy back in 2011 for sure, but we haven’t consistently had them in rotation in years. The vocals on this one can be pretty underwhelming too, given the album’s emphasized R&B undertones. Despite these flaws, we think the album houses some of Champagne Papi’s best material. “Over My Dead Body” is easily a top 3 Drake intro, and we’re not just talking solo albums either. “Crew Love,” “Lord Knows,” with impeccable Just Blaze production by the way, “Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude” it’s no question why this would secure Drake’s only Grammy for Best Rap Album. “Look What You’ve Done” is in our top 2 for sure, with the positions switching on any given day. There’s been back and forth on how much of the project The Weeknd contributed towards, with Abel claiming to have basically given Drake half of the album. He grabs writing credits on 5 of the album’s 18 songs. So while we’re a little sketchy on the specifics, we’re certainly pleased with the final product. Where else in music history have we ever seen a project get an André 3000 feature and a Stevie Wonder appearance? The album would surpass its predecessor both critically and commercially, serving as a benchmark of his impact and success throughout his career. Ultimately, while we would understand if this album was at the top of your rankings, we think the followup to his moody atmospheric R&B breakthrough would show an even greater leap in artistry and sound.
Nothing Was The Same (2013)
TuscanLeather.FurthestThing.StartedfromtheBottom.WuTangForever.OwnIt.WorstBehavior.FromTime(feat.JheneAiko).HoldOnWe’reGoingHome(feat.MajidJordan).Connect.TheLanguage.305toMyCity(feat.Detail).TooMuch(feat.Sampha).PoundCake/ParisMortonMusic2(feat.JayZ).ComeThru.AllMe(feat.2ChainzandBigSean).
Once we heard Drake spazzing for 6 minutes straight on “Tuscan Leather,” we knew this album was going to be a scorcher. Coming in just shy of an hour, Drizzy’s 3rd studio LP is condensed to 13 songs, with each one packed full of cocky self-assurance, melancholy introspection or a mixture of both. As an MC, this is definitely Drake at the peak of his powers. “Wu-Tang Forever,” “Worst Behavior” & “Pound Cake” all solidify Aubrey’s ambitions for the crown. He even said it himself on “6PM In New York,” “Why you think I got my head in the clouds on my last album cover.” “Nothing Was The Same” isn’t some ambiguously hard to decipher statement, it’s a declaration of a shift in music for every generation that succeeds it. Received to slightly better reviews than “Take Care,” “Nothing Was The Same” would also slightly outpace its predecessor. Granted, “Take Care” leaked 9 days early but still. The production on this joint is criminally underrated, Drizzy wasn’t lying when he said 40 was looking like Scorsese on this one. Mike Zombie, Boi-1da, Detail & DJ Dahi all added all-star performances of their own as well. Interesting to note, Jay would claim the only rap feature on the standard cut of the album. After her feature on “From Time,” we’d really see Jhené Aiko start to take off, and deservingly so. Again, we don’t know why Birdman got any vocals on the project 😭but at least it was an uncredited appearance…if that makes any difference. The album would snag another Grammy Nomination for Best Rap Album, controversially losing to “The Heist” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Checkout our video about times the Grammys got it wrong if you want to hear our thoughts on that. As of 2018, “Nothing Was The Same” is currently quadruple platinum, which is surprisingly misleading when you see how many of his albums sold more units. When it comes down to the difference between first and second in our rankings, we can’t help but to appreciate the structural and conceptual maturity of this album and how well its aged. Not only does it house his best intro & outro, but it balances his hit making and songwriting prowess better than any of his other projects. We don’t know if it was the Grammy snubs or fallout from ghostwriting accusations, but it’s safe to say Drake just doesn’t make albums like this anymore. Drizzy if you’re watching this, it’s not too late, keep cooking bruh.
Theorists that’s it for this one. Are you feeling the longer video platform? Let us know down in the comments, make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already. Turn on them notifications, because we ready to crank up this output for more than just Tuesdays. And hit that super thanks if you got good taste in music. One more thing, if you made it to the end of this video, let us know who you would want to see Drake drop a collab album with next. Personally, we’re still hoping for something between Him & Wayne. C. Jay checking in for the Culture, we out✌🏽.
