The 25 Best Drake Hooks

Let's kick off October with our very own compilation of the 25 Best Drake Hooks. Thank us later.

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Image via Complex Original
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From Canadian TV actor to one of rap's most sought-after stars, Drake has made the leap from D:TNG to YMCMB. As he prepares to drop his highly anticipated sophomore disc, Take Care, we're still trying to wrap our heads around how Drizzy actually did it.

He's racked up three critically acclaimed mixtapes, one platinum-selling album, and countless features on other artists' hits—with no sign of slowing down. So what's the secret to Drake's chart-topping success? No, it's not his sensitive relationship talk or his vast sweater collection. As he reveals on his song "Money To Blow," dude really is really on that Disney shit—when it comes to songwriting, call him "captain hook."

Whether it's Timbaland or Alicia Keys or Lil Wayne himself, Drake has proven time after time that he can make melodies that stick in fans' ears like bubble gum. And because he loves lists oh so much, we put this together just in time for his upcoming 25th birthday. So let's kick off October with our very own compilation of the 25 Best Drake Hooks. Thank us later.

RELATED: Drake's Albums Ranked

Written by Anthony Osei (@ILLIONAIRE)

Stunt Hard

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25. Lil Wayne f/ Drake & Kidd Kidd "Stunt Hard" (2008)

Complex says: Before Drake threatened that the throne was for the taking on DJ Khaled's "I'm One One," he was already watching the throne on the Lil Wayne and Kidd Kidd-assisted "Stunt Hard." Drizzy flexed his rap/singing versatility on this 2008 leak, and you'd best believe he did it all on his own.

Still Fly

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24. Page f/ Drake "Still Fly" (2008)

Complex says: Drake threw an assist to fellow Canadian rapper Big Page for his single "Still Fly" and absolutely killed it. The record—and Drizzy's hook in particular—was so hot, he later made it his own in a freestyle. Sorry, Page. Young Angel flew right over you with this one.

Brand New

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23. Drake "Brand New" (2008)

Complex says: On this So Far Gone EP bonus track, Drake's wondering whether his love interest has already experienced all the things he's doing for her. The layered harmonies on the hook really show off Drake's versatility as a vocalist, making for a flawless ballad. But since it was leaked nearly a year before appearing on the EP, it probably wasn't brand new to her. Sorry to break it to you, B.

A Night Off

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22. Drake f/ Lloyd "A Night Off" (2009)

Complex says: Drake takes total control on this Isley Brothers-sampling bedroom ballad "A Night Off," easily one of the stand-outs from his critically acclaimed So Far Gone mixtape. Fellas, cuff your chicks.

Cece's Interlude

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21. Drake "Cece's Interlude" (2010)

Complex says: Whoever this "Cece" might be, Drake seems to have deep feelings for her. (What woman doesn't he have deep feelings for?) Anyway, Drizzy dedicated this emotionally vulnerable falsetto-fueled interlude on the Thank Me Later to Miss Cece. Oh-oh-oh, would you just give ol' dude a chance, girl?

The Resistance

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20. Drake "The Resistance" (2010)

Complex says: Drizzy raised the bar on this Noah "40" Shebib-helmed track off his debut LP. Singing about the perceptions of the people around him, Drake notices that his newfound money and fame are changing how they relate to him—if not changing who he is. Definitely one of his most slept-on and truest choruses to date.

Houstatlantavegas

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19. Drake "Houstatlantavegas" (2009)

Complex says: The So Far Gone stripper ballad "Houstatlantavegas" tells the story of a pole-dancer who just couldn't leave the life. And who better to tell that story than Captain Save-A-Hoe Mr. Save-a-Stripper himself? Another great melodic hook—plus how clever is he for merging three of America's hottest gentleman's club cities into one word? Throw your ones up in the air.

Uptown

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18. Drake f/ Bun B & Lil Wayne "Uptown" (2009)

Complex says: Once again teaming up with Bun B and Lil Wayne, Drake sends out a fair warning saying, "You can run and tell your city I'm on" over the So Far Gone banger, "Uptown." Catchy? Definitely catchy. That's what made this chorus so choice.

Fear

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17. Drake "Fear" (2009)

Complex says: No Auto-Tune, but you could definitely feel the pain on this one. Just as his career was taking off—and his life was becoming all types of crazy—Drake dug down deep inside and made one of his best all-around songs to date. "Fear" was a welcome addition to the So Far Gone EP. The only thing we can't figure out is who Drake was talking to.

Aston Martin Music

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16. Rick Ross f/ Drake & Chrisette Michele "Aston Martin Music" (2010)

Complex says: The Teflon Don tapped both Chrisette Michele and Drake for the chorus of this chart-topping single. Although Chrisette Michele sang a flawless "Bonnie & Clyde" hook, Drake definitely took the thing to another level. We'll be riding to this in our '98 Toyota Corollas all day.

Find Your Love

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15. Drake "Find Your Love" (2010)

Complex says: Whether or not the chorus to Drake's second single off Thank Me Later was penned by Kanye West, it still made for a chart-topping megahit. Yes, it was a little repetitive, but don't act like this wasn't playing out of your little sister's iPod Nano at least twice a day. Thought so.

Put It Down

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14. Bun B f/ Drake "Put It Down" (2010)

Complex says: Drake puts it down effortlessly blending rapping and singing into a simple hook on Bun B's Trill OG single, "Put It Down." Pimp woulda loved this shit.

4 My Town (Play Ball)

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13. Birdman f/ Drake & Lil Wayne "4 My Town (Play Ball)" (2010)

Complex says: Drizzy's hook on Birdman's 2009 single, "4 My Town (Play Ball)" was sorta like a verse. He rapped a brief monotone-voiced story of his come-up from not even graduating high school to watching female strippers pick up his money off the ground. He's saying a lot, but we bet you can repeat everything he rapped. It was that hot.

She Will

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12. Lil Wayne f/ Drake "She Will" (2011)

Complex says: This strip-club banger off Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV didn't feature a verse from his Young Money broski. Drake did, however, lace the song with a unforgettable chorus. Sorry, but are we really questioning the authenticity of this stripper's assets? We should already know the answer to that.

Marvin's Room

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11. Drake "Marvin's Room" (2011)

Complex says: The internets were set ablaze when Drake dropped "Marvin's Room." Many called Aubrey a sucker for the sappy chorus, but let's be real: we've all had our drunken phone and text moments. Except Drake's drunk calls get 22 million views on Youtube. I'm just sayin—could you do better?

Say Something

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10. Timbaland f/ Drake "Say Something" (2009)

Complex says: On Timbaland's 2009 single Drake sings about how he's doing everything to satisfy his girl, but she just feels as if he's working too hard. Yes, it's yet another story of fame making women miss "the old Drake." Why won't these ladies just give Heartbreak Drizzy a chance? On second thought, at least they're inspiring some sweet hooks.

Light Up

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9. Drake f/ Jay-Z "Light Up" (2010)

Complex says: After hearing their very first (disappointing) collabo "Off That," we all glued our ears to the Jay-Z-featured "Light Up." And it was everything we'd ever hoped for: Great verses, a great beat, and a catchy chorus. We're definitely lighting up to this one.

Up All Night

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8. Drake f/ Nicki Minaj "Up All Night" (2010)

Complex says: "Up All Night" was a fan favorite off Thank Me Later and definitely one of ours too. Drizzy preaches loyalty on the song's super-sticky chorus and we totally respect that. Definitely the kind of cat you want on your team.

Money To Blow

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7. Birdman f/ Drake & Lil Wayne "Money To Blow" (2009)

Complex says: Weezy said it best: "And we gon' be alright if we put Drake on every hook."

Over

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6. Drake "Over" (2010)

Complex says: Drake rapped a celebratory hook on his first single offThank Me Later. Although many hated it, many more loved it. He then influenced a hundred wack remixes and freestyles using the exact same melodic chorus. Rappers: Stop biting. For the right price, Drizzy can make your shit hotter too.

Killers

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5. Nipsey Hussle f/ Drake "Killers" (2009)

Complex says: Easily one of Drake's rawest hooks to date, the "Killers" chorus was absolutely murderous. However, Drake proclaiming that he is a "ma'fuckin' killer" may be interpreted many ways. Is Aubrey really catching bodies?

Miss Me/All Night Long

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4. Drake f/ Lil Wayne "Miss Me" (2010)

Complex says: Originally a track for Bun B's Trill OG album, Drake had no choice but to make this Boi-1da-produced banger his own after Lil Wayne heard it. And so we got another Young Angel/Young Lion classic. But was the new "Miss Me" hook better than the original "All Night Long" hook? We'll let you be the judge of that.

I'm On One

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3. DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne "I'm On One" (2011)

Complex says: The latest DJ Khaled smash had everyone singing that they were "on one" but not exactly knowing what the heck being "on one" meant. Either way, Drake's rapid-fire chorus gave the whole song a rebellious feel and possessed an "I don't give a fuck" attitude. Not to mention the hook was so nice, he did it twice. Fuck it, we're on one.

Forever

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2. Drake f/ Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem "Forever" (2009)

Complex says:  The mere presence of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem made "Forever" a monster hit, but in no way can we overlook Drake's undeniable hook. The song—originally recorded back in 2008 with Lil Wayne and Kidd Kidd—made for the perfect soundtrack track to the Lebron James documentary, More Than a Game. And you already know Drake is not playin' with these hooks.

Best I Ever Had

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1. Drake "Best I Ever Had" (2009)

Complex says: Hate all you want, but "Best I Ever Had" will go down as Drake's most memorable hook ever. Just about every tweenage girl in the world was singing the PG-13 radio edit "You-da-you-da best." Drizzy may be capable of topping this, but he just hasn't gotten around to it yet. Until then, like the song says, it's the best he ever had.

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