Most of the record finds the young rapper (23 at the time of release) conflicted about his growing stardom and fame. Thanks to the rich and nuanced production and Drake's thoughtful, playful, and intense lyrics, Thank Me Later is a radio-friendly, chart-topping collection of singles but also a serious examination of Drake's life that holds up as an album. Thank Me Later had the tough assignment of living up to the anticipation and further Drake as an artist, and it totally lives up to the hype. Buy the album Starting at kr150,69īy the time of the release of Drake's first full-length album, the Canadian rapper was already a star thanks to his huge single 'Best I Ever Had,' his celebrated mixtape and then EP So Far Gone, and his spots on hits by Young Money and Eminem. His career had a few stumbles during its infancy, but after a successful run on Lil Wayne’s 2008 Carter III tour and the release of his mixtape ‘So Far Gone’ in 2009, a bidding war for Drake’s signature followed.Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs. The Prince of hip-hopĪfter being on the show for eight years, Drake attempted to cross over into the hip-hop world.

Fifteen-year-old Drake played “Wheelchair Jimmy”, a basketball star who becomes wheelchair-bound when he is shot by a classmate. Drake would later explain: “His dad would say, ‘If there’s anyone in the class that makes you laugh, have them audition for me.’” Photo by Scott Gries/Getty ImagesĪ show not heard of by those outside of Canada and North America, it followed the dramatic lives of a group of teens at Degrassi High School. In 2001, the One Dance hitmaker was propelled into early celebrity status when he scored a role on Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation after amusing the son of an entertainment agent in his class.

Drake thank me later album release date