I started seriously listening to this man in 2009, the first song I heard was "Find Your Love," and by the time that was out he had already made a whole bunch of music prior that I hadn't listened to yet. He had already dropped two mixtapes - Room For Improvement in 2006 and Comeback Season in 2007. Trey Songz, boi-1da and Lil’ Wayne were featured on Comeback Season. In 2009 came his third mixtape, the first Drake CD I owned; So Far Gone. While the music industry considers So Far Gone his breakthrough piece, I honestly think he already had it going for him with Comeback Season. He already established himself as a strong artist and a genre in himself during Comeback Season. His breakthrough as a major artist was set in one song - "Replacement Girl," which was on Comeback Season. That one track itself screamed - 'I’m here.'

I have been loyal to this man for the last six years, I laugh (with him) at all the memes the internet creates about him, but I just need to explain why he is a lot more than those memes.

I’ve had people pull out their, apparently, “cool” card to tell me - “I listen to J. Cole and Kendrick, Drake is just not real enough for me.”

I respect that. There is a plethora of sub-genres in Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B and it is practically impossible for all of them to resonate with everyone who listens to the bigger genres. And, to give credit where it’s due; J. Cole and Kendrick are magnificent. I listen to them all the time and their music is unmatched in the industry. Many times, I have argued that these two are the underdogs of Rap, keeping Old School alive. However, it is unfair to discuss Kendrick, Cole and Drake in one realm. They are both very different from Drake. Drake addresses himself as the “leader of the New School.” He is neither claiming, nor attempting to represent Old School today. Which is why, the Rap/Hip-Hop industry needs Kendrick, Cole and Drake.

Despite how fast the music industry grows on a daily basis, I try to keep up with it as much as possible. My observation tells me that no one is collaborating as much as Drake is. Every now and then he is featured on some song or the other, and again he has gone on to say (in Charged Up) that it’s not like he needs the money he makes off of a feature. He understands the need to maintain the position he accomplishes with his bigger drops. He follows up with random singles and features and he works hard at this. He is flooding the genre with himself, he’s everywhere. You cannot miss him! He’s dropping albums and his own singles, but even if you never heard anything that was uniquely his, you can’t miss him. If you’re a fan of Big Sean, or The Game, or Wayne, or Jay, or Rihanna, or Beyonce, or Jhene, or J. Cole, or Rick Ross, or DJ Khaled, or Timbaland, or Alicia Keys, or Kendrick, or Kanye, or Future, or A$AP Rocky, or 2 Chainz, or Nicki Minaj - these are some of the biggest, most global names in the industry currently! This guy knows what he’s doing.

What keeps me loyal to his music is that he has something for every mood. Usually if you’re in a different mood, you switch to a different artist. My Drake playlist has a song for every single thought and emotion I go through in a day, a week, a month or a year. He talks ambition, he talks exes, he talks currents, money, accomplishments, good decisions, bad decisions, friends, family, competition, being real, being fake, love, alcohol, vibes, just...everything. At 22, my life is full of all these things, and that’s why I listen to him with as much love and loyalty as I do.

P.S. Here’s a link to my Drake playlist. Hopefully, you’ll find things to listen to on here over a long drive on a rainy evening - or whenever.