Opinion: Drake is not as overrated as some listeners might think

Ankush Kecht, Columnist

Many polls and articles on the internet ask a very controversial question, “Who is the most overrated rapper?” Social media pages and prominent online outlets have posted surveys and written articles attempting to answer this dilemma. When seeing these posts, I have seen that Drake consistently makes the list in the top five, and is often at number one. This blatant disrespect completely dismisses the immense influence Drake has had on rap. The “Degrassi” star has been one of the most listened-to rappers for over a decade. I think we all still remember how much “Best I Ever Had” was played back in 2009 when his album “So Far Gone” was released. Then, he came right back with his second album, “Thank Me Later” featuring hit songs like “Over” and “Find Your Love” which are still played even today. 

I remember growing up listening to “Headlines” from the legendary “Take Care” album on repeat on my old iPod shuffle. Ever since then, his releases have been some of the most anticipated and discussed in most friend groups across the country and the world. Even his newer albums that “flopped” such as “Certified Lover Boy” contain hits like “Knife Talk,” “Fair Trade,” and “Way 2 Sexy” which are still fan favorites and definitely make their way into my gym playlist. 

It is easy to go on and list Drake’s hits, which proves the point once again that his being overrated makes very little sense. The more you look back at older albums you don’t listen to anymore, you will find gems that you’ll add back to your most recent playlist in a heartbeat.

I think what shows Drake’s class even more than simply citing album after album is the influence he has had on the rap and overall music industry. His use of drum patterns and beats has remained a sound that other artists try to emulate. He also has the ability to branch out and enter different genres of music with ease. This can be seen in the fact that he has teamed up with artists from many genres. 

In his career, he teamed up with Bad Bunny’s Latin Urbano/Reggaeton music, UK Drill with artists like Skepta and Giggs, took the dancehall flavor with “One Dance,” and recently attempted to do an electronic mixtape.

Nowadays, it is always difficult to make such claims about music when it is so subjective to the listener. Even if you are not a particular fan of his stuff, Drake’s influence on our generation’s popular rap music cannot be disputed, and calling him overrated makes no sense at all.