2023 was a big year for Drake. In addition to spending the summer on tour with 21 Savage, he dropped his eighth studio album For All The Dogs, and reunited with frequent collaborators like J. Cole, Nicki MInaj, and Travis Scott. He even got the key to the city of Memphis, something that confused fans who weren’t aware of the Toronto native’s connections to the city.
He also made his customary round of guest features, although he did fewer this year than he has in the past. While he still blessed at least one rising artist with the coveted Drake stimulus feature, for the most part, it seemed he reserved his guest appearances for longtime friends and collaborators. Here are Drake’s best features of 2023:
J Hus — “Who Told You”
Drake’s affinity for British music turned out to be a boon for rising Afroswing pioneer J Hus as the lead single from his third album, Beautiful And Brutal Yard, became his highest-charting single yet. The song contrasts the tough-guy image men from the African diaspora all over the world must project with the simple joy of dancing to an infectious riddim, which Drake does with a loopy, crooning verse that once again stands with a foot planted on each side of the rap/R&B divide.
Nicki Minaj — “Needle”
Picking up a similar thread from his appearance on “Who Told You,” Drake continues to utilize a Caribbean-accented singsong flow on his reunion with Nicki Minaj. While Nicki sticks to her rapid-fire staccato raps, Drake sings the hook of this dreamy, dancehall-influenced standout from Nicki’s new album Pink Friday 2.
Popcaan — “We Caa Done”
Drake’s dancehall/Afrobeats fascination kicked off early in the year as he teamed up with Jamaican singer Popcaan, who signed with Drake’s record label OVO Sound in 2016. The single marks Drake and Popcaan’s fourth collaboration, continuing their chemistry from “Controlla,” All I Need,” and “Twist & Turn.” Say what you want to about Drake’s prolific use of Jamaican slang, but he and Popcaan blend naturally on records such as these.
Travis Scott — “Meltdown”
A spiritual successor to 2018’s “Sicko Mode,” the standout from Travis Scott’s new album Utopia is more menacing and slightly cracked, less interested in making listeners dance than in conveying the “tensions are definitely rising” Drake warns on the intro. It’s one of Drake’s most technical verses of the year, with subtle jabs for rivals like Kanye West and Pusha T. His threats aren’t very believable but they sound cool anyway.
Young Thug — “Parade On Cleveland”
In June, Drake blessed the incarcerated Young Thug’s new album Business Is Business with two guest verses. While “Parade On Cleveland” is the slower of the two, featuring an overdose of Drake’s syrupy falsetto, the subject matter remains the same throughout both tracks. “Parade” is dominated by Drake’s singing, with a beat switch preceded by a quick snippet of a phone call between the two rappers.
Young Thug — “Oh U Went”
Of the two Drake features on Business Is Business, “Oh U Went” is superior, pairing the gangster topics with a much more fitting beat. Metro Boomin offers a block-beating backdrop that allows both to slot comfortably into their well-worn roles, executing a flawless two-man weave without any need for extras.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
