Beyond the hits: 25 of Drake’s essential deep cuts

It was just a year after Drake released his debut album, Thank Me Later, when he returned with his sophomore album, Take Care. One of the standout tracks is “Cameras” that samples R&B singer Jon B. track “Calling On You.” Drake uses the track to describe how his relationship with his partner isn’t always what it’s depicted to be, it’s evident on the second verse as he says, “It look like we’re in love, but only on camera.” 

Throughout Drake’s career, he’s known for working with some of the hottest artists, and he’ll even team up with a few on joint projects. That was the case in 2015 when he dropped a collaobrative mixtape with Future. One of the standout tracks “Scholarships,” which was produced by Metro Boomin, finds the two detailing their rich lifestyles. 

Although Drake would release his usual albums and mixtapes across all streaming services, there were times when he would only drop “loosies” that could only be found on platforms like SoundCloud or his OVO blog. He did just that when he teamed up with J. Cole on “Jodeci Freestyle,” a track that he eventually added to his compilation project Care Package. It was the second collaboration the two rappers teamed up on after Cole’s 2010 track “In The Morning.” 

One of the creative styles evident across Drake’s early discography is his love for ‘90s R&B. It was evident on his track “Weston Road Flows” in which he uses a sample of Mary J. Blige’s track “Mary’s Joint.” Drake doesn’t structure the song in its usual way, it’s one long verse to describe his upbringing and his road to fame. 

Drake’s 2018 track “Emotionless”  samples Mariah Carey’s 1991 hit single “Emotions.” On the song, Drake describes the ups and downs of dealing with fame such as falling out with aritsts he looked up to and dealing with people constantly talking on social media. As he says on the second verse, “Missin' out on my days / Scrollin' through life and fishin' for praise / Opinions from total strangers take me out of my ways / I try and see who's there on the other end of the shade.”

“Champagne Poetry” is the opening track on Drake’s 2021 album Certified Lover Boy. With a sample of Masego’s track “Navajo,” Drake uses the song to describe how he’s trying to manage his professional and personal life. As he says on the track, “My therapist's voice is making the choices for me / And I always censor myself 'cause no matter what, they reporting on me / The pressure is weighin' on me / Career is going great, but now the rest of me's fading slowly.”

Drake initially released “The Motion” on SoundCloud in 2013 to promote his album Nothing Was The Same, but the song wasn’t included on the album. He eventually placed the song on his 2019 compilation album Care Package. On the track, Drake describes how people close to him tend to move or act differently once they see he’s doing better in life. His feelings are evident from the song’s opening lines as he says, “It's not me and you, it's not me it's you / You're reckless and you know it, they don't love you like I do / Say you're moving on, well, I guess that's just the motion.”

“Over My Dead Body” is the opening track on Drake’s sophomore album Take Care. On the track, the rapper describes how his music career grew quickly over the previous year. As he says in the first verse, “Are these people really discussing my career again? / Askin' if I'll be goin' platinum in a year again? / Don't I got the **** the world wanna hear again? / Don't Michael Jordan still got his hoop earring in?”

In 2013, Drake released his third album Nothing Was The Same, which included a few collaborations. One of the songs that stood out was his joint track “From Time” with R&B singer Jhene Aiko. Drake uses the track to describe the relationships he has with partners and his parents. His feelings are evident on the first verse, “You don't even know what you want from love anymore / I search for something I'm missing and disappear when I'm bored / But girl, what qualities was I looking for before? / Who you settling for? Who better for you than the boy, huh?”

In 2021, Drake released his sixth album Certified Lover Boy, which featured the deep cut “Fair Trade.” With assistance from Travis Scott, Drake uses the track of being strategic with people whom he calls friends. As he says on the hook, “If I ever heard one and I'm still here / Outside, Frontline, Southside / I've been losin' friends and findin' peace / Honestly, that sound like a fair trade to me.”

For the longest time, Drake fans could only find “Girls Love Beyoncé” on platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud, until he added it to his compilation album Care Package. Using an interpolation of Destiny’s Child hit single “Say My Name,” Drake uses the track to describe the ups and downs of finding love. 

In 2021, Drake teamed up with frequent collaborator Future on “N 2 Deep.” On the track, Drake switches between his rapping and singing flow as he describes having a too good of a time with a potential lover at a club.

In 2010, Drake released his debut studio album Thank Me Later, which featured the fan favorite “Show Me a Good Time.” Produced by Kanye West, No ID, and Jeff Bhasker, Drake uses the track to detail how sometimes he just wants to unwind after a hard day working.

Drake uses a sample of Floetry’s hit single “Getting Late” on his dance-heavy track “Flight’s Booked.” On the track, Drake highlights how long he’s been waiting to spend some quality time with a lover. As he says on the track, “When last did we feel this closе together? / Chasing sunsets in California / Don't makе me wait, babe, it's been forever / Don't take forever.”

Drake and Future were both in their prime in 2015 when they released their joint mixtape What a Time to Be Alive. One of the standout deep cuts is “Big Rings,” in which the two detail how them and their team are reaching successes. The production gives of a celebratory feel, it’s no wonder that many sports teams have used it as a hype song. As Drake says on the hook, “And I got a really big team / And they need some really big rings / They need some really nice things / Better be comin' with no strings.”

When Drake released his 2016 album Views, he took a departure from his usual sound and incorporated more elements of dancehall and pop into his music. That sound is evident on “Feel No Ways” in which Drake uses the track to describe a relationship that went sour. As he says on the track, “I tried with you / There's more to life than sleeping in and getting high with you / I had to let go of us to show myself what I could do / And that just didn't sit right with you.”

In 2018, Drake released his double album Scorpion, in which the first side was focused more on hip-hop, and the second side was tailored around more R&B elements. On his track “Finesse,” Drake utilizes more of his singing talent to describe a woman he’s constantly thinking about. His feelings are evident in the first verse as he says, “I want my baby to have your eyes / I'm going against my own advice / Should I do New York? I can't decide / Fashion week is more your thing than mine.”

In 2022, Drake surprised audiences when he decided to drop a full dance album with Honestly, Nevermind. One of the standout tracks is “Calling My Name,” in which Drake yearns for some affection from a potential lover. 

In 2023, Drake released his eighth album, For All The Dogs, which featured the track “Gently.” He teamed up with Bad Bunny to add some reggaeton flair as the two trade verses to highlight their successes and lifestyles. 

In 2022, Drake and 21 Savage teamed up for the joint album Her Loss, which included the track “BackOutsideBoyz.” Although the song doesn’t feature a verse from 21, it’s a club banger that uses ad-libs from the rapper’s friend Lil Yachty. 

“All The Parties” is a standout track from Drake’s eighth album For All The Dogs. Teaming up alongside Chief Keef, Drake uses the track to reflect on his career and the type of people he keeps in his close circle. 

Let’s face it, Drake and Future both know how to make anthems on their own, which is why they were the perfect pairing on their mixtape What a Time to Be Alive. On the track “Diamonds Dancing,” the two trade bars to highlight their lifestyles of being rich and famous. 

A key theme across Drake’s discography is loyalty, and it was no different when he teamed up with 21 Savage on their 2022 track “Treacherous Twins.” On the song, Drake describes how close friends of his have become more like family. It’s evident on the hook as he says, “You my treacherous lil' twin, and you know that we locked in / And I love you like my kin, it's whatever for you / I go up and down that road, I go anywhere you go / When you tell me life is good, I want better for you.”

In 2015, Drake released his mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, which included the track “6 God.” Throughout Drake’s music, he often refers to his hometown of Toronto as the 6, which is shortened for its area codes. He refers to himself as the “6 God,” because he views himself as an almighty presence in Canada, which is evident in the song. 

In 2017, Drake released his fifth mixtape More Life, with the closing track “Do Not Disturb.” With a sample of Snoh Aalegra’s track “Time,” Drake uses the track to reflect on his upbringing, his state of mind making previous albums, and dealing with the ups and downs of celebrity life.