Despite being one of the biggest mainstream successes in recent rap history, Drake is no stranger to haters, who long to bring him down once and for all: he’s too sensitive, he’s played out, his Caribbean accent sucks (Okay, that one is kind of fair). The ghostwriting accusations didn’t help, and have made critics even more quick to downplay Drake’s success, and even more reluctant to give credit where credit is due.
Thankfully, there are still plenty of fans and admirers ready to remind the world how much we’d be suffering without the force that is Champagne Papi. Whether he’s turning around a quick dis track or casually dropping a 22-song “playlist,” Drake has blessed us with banger after banger in the eight-plus years since he released “Best I Ever Had.” He’s worked to master many things over the years, and has moved through a wide range of sounds. But what has always come naturally to The Boy, what has always been constant, is a hook.
Whether or not dissenters will admit it, a Drake hook is something magical. The magic isn’t necessarily found in his lyricism (repeating “Houstatlantavegas, Houstatlantavegas,” leaves a little something to be desired, poetically), but instead in his ability to propel something unassuming into an absolute smash. No disrespect to Rick Ross, but the most memorable part of “Diced Pineapples” isn’t his brag about going to Cannes Film Festival, or even the (admittedly incredible) euphemism in the title; it’s “Call me crazy, shit, at least you’re callin’.”
A Drake hook sounds like unabashed confidence. It sounds like the hypest of hypemen. It sounds like a text from your friend convincing you to come out, even though you swore you were gonna chill out this weekend—or weekday. It’s your favorite part of the song, even if you don’t play favorites. It’s the reason we’re here today. These are the best Drake hooks, ranked.