Drake rose to the top — now he's staying there with the help of new artists
'Drake listens to hip hop like a critic listens to hip hop.' — Jon Caramanica
Over the course of a decade, Drake has gone from a Toronto up-and-comer looking for a way to break into the hip-hop scene south of the border to one of the world's most famous stars. But once he became a global force, he had to find a way to maintain his dominance. And one of the keys to his success is his ability to stay on top of hip-hop trends by teaming up with new talent.
In the eighth and final episode of the CBC Gem series, Drake's Plan, we look at the rapper's musical strategy, from his curated collaborations to his approach to albums and navigating the world of streaming.
"Drake listens to hip hop like a critic listens to hip hop," New York Times critic Jon Caramanica explains in the episode. "He thinks like, 'OK, that record doesn't sound like anything that I've heard before. I'm a good rapper, I want to test myself against that style, I want to get involved in that style.'"
As radio personality Charlamagne tha God notes: "He definitely got that from Jay Z. That was Jay Z's go-to move." But if Jay Z pioneered that method, Drake perfected it.
Over the years, a Drake guest verse or remix has helped skyrocket a song to the top of the charts and has even helped launch the careers of artists like Migos, ILoveMakonnen and Lil Baby.
"These are big moments for these artists just because he can kind of curate their sound towards what he needs," says Toronto journalist Erin Lowers. "But at the same time, they're taking away so much from him and they're learning about the business."
Watch a clip from the episode, above, and head to CBC Gem to view the full thing. For all of our Decade of Drake coverage, go to cbc.ca/music/decadeofdrake.