There are few artists as globally important as Drake. The singer and rapper has become one of the ultimate draws in the world of hip-hop, with an astounding set of record sales and the kind of star power to make the entire solar system blush. Here, Canadian rapper Drake outlines the hip-hop albums that he considers some of the best ever made.
Drake, widely credited as a pioneering figure in the popularisation of the Toronto sound, has established himself as one of his class’s prominent and influential rappers. That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t, like other hip-hop heads, mulled over his top five favourite albums. While many of his selections are pretty standard, there are some ultimate bangers too.
When speaking with The Source back in 2011, Drake picked out some of the best hip-hop albums ever made. While the obvious dating of the article suggests that Drizzy could have added a few more titles to his list by now, the selections are all entirely timeless. The first two albums would make most people’s lists, Jay-Z’s classic record Black Album and the iconic Clipse LP Lord Willin.
However, Drake’s next few picks showcase the Toronto rapper’s penchant for the more expressive side of hip-hop: “Uh, this is not an album, but The Little Brother/[Mick] Boogie mixtape, that was like pivotal in my life. And then I would have to say, uh, I say Life After Death. And then I will say a toss-up between The Love Below and Aquemini.”
Selecting Outkast’s two most prominent records notes that Drizzy has always been a fan of Adre 3000 and Big Boi. But there is also room on the list for an icon of hip-hop; Snoop Dogg and his old friend Lil Wayne. “And then that’s without….that’s life changing. That’s without, you know, Tha Carter II and other things that pushed me to rap. Those were definitive albums that opened my sound.
“Oh, and Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle,” notes Drizzy. “Those were just definitive albums that opened my mind to sound and melody and cadences and flows, and you know. Those were like really important to me.”
See Drake’s full list of favourite hip-hop albums of all time below.
Drake’s favourite hip-hop albums:
- Black Album – Jay-Z
- Lord Willin – Clipse
- Life After Death – Biggie Smalls
- The Love Below – Outkast
- Aquemini – Outkast
- Doggystyle – Snoop Dogg
- Boogie Mixtape – Little Brother
- Tha Carter II – Lil Wayne
