Photo: Young Money/Cash Money Records
Day-one fans should recall the first time they heard Drake's major label debut when it dropped 14 years ago today.
On June 15, 2010, Drizzy Drake delivered his debut LP Thank Me Later via Young Money/Cash Money Records. The 14-track album contains some of Drake's most memorable hits like "Over," "Miss Me" featuring his mentor Lil Wayne, and "Find Your Love," all of which dropped in the months leading up to its highly-anticipated release. The album features appearances from Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj, JAY-Z, T.I., Jeezy and The-Dream. It also contains production by Noah "40" Shebib, Timbaland, No I.D., Boi-1da, Kanye West and more.
Each track on the album takes fans back to the beginning of Drizzy's reign on top of the charts. Beginning with the Keys-assisted "Fireworks," the album features a slew of classics like "Show Me A Good Time," "Up All Night" with Nicki Minaj, "Fancy" with Tip and Swizz, "Light Up" with Hov and "Shut It Down," which remains his sole collaboration with The-Dream. Even the album's deep cuts like "Karaoke," "The Resistance," and the title track produced by Timbo still resonates with fans today.
The album was the follow-up to his wildly successful breakthrough project So Far Gone. According to MTV, Drake he was inspired to make the album after he studied both Nas and Andre 3000's work.
"I went back and I really studied Nas," Drake said. "Nas was somebody that I used to listen to his raps and never understood how he did it. I always wanted to understand how he painted those pictures and his [rhyming] bar structure. I went back and really studied Nas and Andre 3000 and then came back with this album."
Revisit Drake's debut album below.
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE