08/13/2026
Drake’s rise from Toronto mixtapes to one of the biggest artists in the world reshaped what mainstream rap success could look like. After breaking through with So Far Gone in 2009, he built an unusually consistent run across the 2010s and 2020s, combining rap, R&B and pop while helping bring Toronto’s sound into the center of global music. Albums such as Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, Views and Scorpion produced records that dominated streaming, radio and the Billboard charts.
His legacy extends beyond sales and chart positions. Drake helped normalize the melodic, emotionally open style of rap that became increasingly prominent throughout the 2010s, while his ability to move between traditional rap records and massive crossover hits influenced an entire generation of artists. With hundreds of Billboard Hot 100 appearances, multiple No. 1 albums and a catalog spanning more than 15 years at the highest level of popular music, his place among the most commercially successful and influential rappers of his era is firmly established.