While Drake first entered the show business at 15 with a Canadian drama television show, notable rappers like Jay-Z inspired him to create music. He began his career by releasing mixtapes on his MySpace account, which caught the attention of Lil Wayne. After being featured in one of his songs, he was later signed onto Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment and released his debut album Thank Me Later in 2010.
Since his debut album in 2010, Drake has released six more studio albums and several collaborative albums. Due to his music, the rapper became one of the highest-paid musicians in the world and even became a popular face for collaborations. Over the years, many artists have been friends and worked with Drake to produce music. Let’s look at what celebrities have said about working with Drake.
9 21 Savage: He Shares A Special Bond With Him
Drake and 21 Savage have been both collaborative partners and close friends for many years. They released their collaborative album Her Loss in November 2022, which debuted at the No.1 spot on Billboard 200. Their collaboration is always special for 21 Savage, who admits that their friendship is deeper than just making rap songs.
8 DJ Khaled: His Verses Are Unbelievable
DJ Khaled has stated that his likes are similar to Drake’s, which is not surprising as the rappers have collaborated on 7 songs together. Khaled believes that Drake’s music is perfect every time they work together. When Drake sends over his parts for his songs, Khaled never changes anything from the track, as his lyrics are always unbelievable.
7 French Montana: He Gives Opportunities To Others
Over the years, Drake and French Montana have had hit collaborations, including No Stylist and Pop That. Montana revealed that Drake was open to giving opportunities when asked about their working relationship. Drake offered Montana two tracks after bumping into him at the mall and telling him to come to the studio. The tracks with music hits For Free and No Shopping.
6 Lil Wayne: He Has A Lot Of Potential
Lil Wayne knew there was a special spark in Drake before signing him onto his record label. Wayne said that when he first heard Drake’s music, it sounded different than generic songs and raps that were of interest. He saw potential beyond creating the next big artist, and Drake lived up to Wayne’s expectations.
5 Nicki Minaj: He Helped Her Recover From A Writer’s Block
Along with having successful rapping careers, Nicki Minaj and Drake have one more thing in common: they got their big breaks with Young Money Entertainment. As a part of the same label, Drake and Minaj have known each other for many years. The duo has collaborated multiple times, and Minaj has mentioned that Drake helped her work through difficult times. She faced writer’s block after giving birth to her son, and Drake inspired her to start writing again.
4 Meek Mill: He Is Supportive
Drake and Meek Mill once released diss tracks about each other in 2015, and their beef ended after the release of their 2018 collaboration Going Bag. Drake has always supported Mill during the low points of his career and even released a single to create some hype about him as an artist. Meek Mill is also open to collaborating on tracks again in the future.
3 Young Thug: He Is Nothing Like The Other Rappers
A long-time collaborator, Young Thug was also the opening act for Drake’s world tour in 2017. Thug has praised Drake on multiple occasions, thanking for the opportunities and even calling him a true rapper with a genuine love for music. Young Thug said that Drake was nothing like the other rappers in the industry and offered chances to people.
2 Adele: He Is A Supportive Friend
Drake has not directly worked with Adele but has influenced her music and style. The pair have been best friends for many years as they support each other's releases on their social media. Adele admitted that Drake was one of the first to hear her album 30 a year before its release. He encouraged her to release music as it was something people needed.
1 Rick Ross: He Has A Good Flow
With over 16 collaborations, Rick Ross and Drake only have nice things to say about each other. Drake has even gone on the record to say that Ross is the greatest rapper alive for him. Ross has stated that Drake has classic tunes, and no matter the lyrics, he has a nice flow to make the perfect verse.
Other notable artists like Rihanna and Chrisette Michele have also discussed their love for Drake’s songwriting abilities and his talent for easily switching into different genres. His skills have continued to develop with the release of each album. Drake released his latest studio album, Honestly, Nevermind, in June 2022 and his collaborative album with 21 Savage Her Loss in November 2022.
Sources: Billboard, HypeBeast, Complex, GQ
