Author: Amy Nicole
Drake’s latest album Views has officially been certified double-platinum by the RIAA, racking up over two million in sales. I wouldn’t say I’m a diehard Drake fan but I do enjoy most of the music that he releases. Views has several hit singles including the popular radio hits: Controlla, One Dance, and the ultimate club banger Hotline Bling.
Drake gets a lot of slack from male listeners who criticize him singing on albums but I personally think he is the only rapper who has successfully mastered being able to do both on an album cohesively. He has the style of rap that a guy can listen to but that a woman can appreciate too.
At 29 years old Drake is old enough to appreciate and reference old school samples from previous hip hop artists but he is also young enough to appeal to the younger culture. On the song “U With Me” he samples DMX’s song “How’s it Goin’ Down” while still making the song authentic.
Overall Views is a good album. Drake is successful because his music is able to appeal to listeners outside of the hip hop community and because he has commercial appeal. The RIAA has revised the certification qualifications of albums to include streaming as part of its album award determinations. Since the revised certification qualifications went into effect only 28 rap albums have earned a gold, platinum, or multi-platinum award; 5 of them being Drake albums. This fact alone speaks volumes about his talent as an artist.
Photo Credit: Rap-Up