Whether you love him or hate him, Drake knows his lane. He’s always been unabashedly melodramatic – both on his romantic and tough-guy sides – and has highlighted countless thousands of Instagram captions. As his discography and continues to grow, it’s worth taking a look back not only at how much of a goober he’s always been, but also at how calculated these titles are in their marketing – especially with one as ridiculous as For All the Dogs impending.
So Far Gone, Views, More Life, Scorpion
While there’s a bit of charm in some of these titles (More Life has obviously become a de fact “happy birthday” substitute), they aren’t particularly memorable or complex. So Far Gone might still be among his best work musically, but “Best I Ever Had” kind of steals the show as far as titles go.
Views‘ original, full name, Views From the 6, might have been a bit more special and matched the album’s iconic art, despite being among his worst projects.
Then there’s Scorpion. A stupid title for a stupid album. It’s supposed to reference his birth sign, but not even the astrology chicks could get with this one.
What a Time To Be Alive
This is where Drake’s titles start to get a bit more interesting. What a Time To Be Alive is a generic enough phrase that it doesn’t rank higher, but it fits the tape’s content very well. It helped to cap off a legendary run by Future, the toxic king (insert nail polish emoji), and is represented in their hedonistic lyrics.
Take Care
Like much of his earliest work, Take Care‘s title isn’t quite as complex and subject to abbreviations since he was likely still discovering how subject he would be to breakup posts, for example (the viral success of “The Motto” would likely influence his subsequent work).
Again, this title does fit the music itself very well since Take Care remains among his softest work and has so much heartbreak on it.
Thank Me Later
Again, not a very standout title on its own, but Thank Me Later is pretty funny in context. Essentially his debut album and coming from a soft kid that hadn’t really won any credit among hip-hop heads yet, naming your album Thank Me Later comes across as so cocky that it deserves recognition. Maybe an underrated project these days too.
Certified Lover Boy
This is where Drake jumped the shark. Certified Lover Boy‘s title and art are widely hated (the album’s worst crime musically is just being average, and the reception of it’s title likely didn’t help), but some find it hilarious in how direct and over the top it is. He obviously knew what he was doing with the whole thing and making a joke of himself. Just look at his hair.
But given Drake’s character, that self awareness can be both endearing and great meme material.
Nothing Was the Same, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Arguably Drake’s most beloved projects, this run in 2014-15 became iconic between the album cover edits and “running through the 6 with my woes” memes. While these titles are again common adages, their acronyms have become a part of hip-hop’s online lexicon and it was clear how hard he was trying to capture that reflective, soft imagery despite some bangers (which themselves always have a melodramatic charm).
Honestly, Nevermind; Her Loss
It’s just gotten so blatant and hilarious, perfectly befitting his caricature. “Honestly, nevermind. It was her loss“. #Expert marketing.