Never in Drake’s nearly decade-long run as a pop culture mainstay has he had a year of such astronomical highs and ego-crushing lows. All of 2018’s adversity was hard on The Boy for sure, but it was even harder on fans like me. Since the eighth grade, when I first downloaded So Far Gone, defending Drake in lunchroom and online debates has been simple because his wins always outnumbered his losses. But this year there were L’s that even die hard fans couldn’t make excuses for. And although he reached career highs, he was also embroiled in constant drama—losing control of his own carefully-crafted narrative like never before. That’s why we had to run through Drake’s hectic year in its entirety—season by “SZN”—to determine if the beleaguered Torontonian strutted away with another W for the loyal OVO bredren or if Drake caught an indelible L in 2018.
The Boy Is Back
For me, the 10-month wait between the releases of March 2017’s More Life and Scary Hours in January felt like the 14-year break old heads suffered through waiting for the follow-up to D’Angelo’s Voodoo. I was used to a steady stream of Drake content flooding the market. Then, in January, Drake made his “long-awaited” return with a project that took its name from a phrase he coined back in his OVO blog era—Scary Hours—code for the wee hours of the night when Drake dropped new music and captured the attention of night owls on social media. For his opening salvo, Drake released two new tracks and we got the “real-rap-tough-guy” Drake of “Diplomatic Immunity” and the anointed mama’s boy Drake of “God’s Plan.” Foreshadowing the A-side/B-side structure of Scorpion, the songs gave us two sides of Drizzy and allowed fans to choose which one they gravitated to more. “God’s Plan” was the one, and it literally became an overnight sensation. Drake was back like he never left.
Win or Loss: W
Drake Is . . . a Memphis Rapper?
He raps, he sings, he acts, but Drake’s greatest gift might be his ability to spot talent, identify waves, and attach himself to them. In February, he connected with the “Shoot”-dancing Memphis rapper BlocBoy JB for “Look Alive.” Drake reminded everyone that although he’s claimed London, Houston, and Miami, as homes, his Memphis roots—his father is a native of the city–are still solid. So much so that nobody cared that he jacked some Project Pat lines for his verse.
Win or Loss: W
God’s (Marketing) Plan?
Early in the year, videos of Drake handing out Pat Sajak style oversized checks at high schools and colleges, and dropping a stack at the grocery store for Miami shoppers began to surface online. The videos went viral, as Drake had reinvented himself as an oily-bearded, Nike sweatsuit-rocking Oprah Winfrey. Soon after, it became apparent that Drake was using this as part of his video for “God’s Plan.” The video featured Drake maneuvering through the streets of Miami giving away nearly 1,000,000 dollars in cash. On IG he would call the music video “The most important thing I have ever done in my career.” The endlessly parodied clip tugged at heartstrings: kids dancing, families kissing the OVO ring, and a son overcome by the Torontonian overlord’s generosity crying in his mother’s arms. Like usual, it was another calculated and well-thought-out plan from the 6 God. After the video dropped public sentiment swelled in favor of Drizzy and 2018 was shaping up to be the year Drake could do no wrong.
Win or Loss: W
The Worst Drake and Travis Scott Collab of 2018
With “God’s Plan,” Drake had a No. 1 song and became known as the most generous Canadian to set foot on U.S. soil, but that wasn’t enough to satisfy his thirst. He had to hop on Twitch and play “Fortnite” with popular streamer Ninja and Travis Scott. Drake, Ninja, and Travis wound up shattering the Twitch live stream record that night, despite the whole interaction coming across contrived and weird. It was a moment that was followed by Drake having to deal with months of Ninja invoking him every time he pulled a publicity stunt. Sometimes staying in your lane is the best move.
Win or Loss: L
Drake Puts Women Center Stage
A year ago, who could have predicted that Drake and the shaggy-haired producer Murda Beatz would team up for a New Orleans bounce-inspired, women’s empowerment anthem? The “Nice for What” video is the star-studded vision of Karena Evans, the 22-year-old director who previously directed videos for another Canadian, Belly, turning a song that could have been a dud into a rallying cry. The video featured a who’s who of Hollywood A-Listers including Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, and Tracee Ellis Ross. Drake plays the background in the video to let the female celebs shine, his presence limited to brief shots of him on skates, like he was Bow Wow in Roll Bounce.
Win or Loss: W
Drake’s IG Clout Thrives
“Atlanta” did an entire episode about Zazie Beetz’ character, Van, and her friends going on a Goonies-style quest for a selfie with “Champagne Papi” at a mansion. The episode led Drake to a self-aware moment in which even he had to admit that his life is surreal.
Win or Loss: W
The Toronto Raptors’ Unofficial Mascot Almost Gets His Ass Beat
When Drake, the Global Ambassador of the Toronto Raptors, appears at basketball games he’s often a trash-talking menace. This time, 6-foot, 10-inch Kendrick Perkins had enough of Aubrey’s shit and stepped to him. Drizzy was a second away from looking like Martin after he got knocked out, before Jose Calderon and J.R. Smith intervened. Thankfully for Drake, he only had to deal with a warning from the NBA instead of getting two-pieced on national television.
Win or Loss: L
Pusha-T Interrupts Drake’s 2018 Victory Lap
In May, Drake was sprawled on his cushiony Toronto throne being fed grapes by Majid Jordan and PARTYNEXTDOOR until a venomous Pusha-T had to come and ruin his fun. Drake was on his way to being untouchable in 2018, but a couple of vicious Pusha bars on “Infrared” reignited a war that would change Drake’s narrative.
Win or Loss: L
Drake Returns Fire
“I’m in shock/The nerve, the audacity” is such a calm, dismissive, and utterly disgusted way to begin a diss track. When Drake dropped his Pusha diss “Duppy Freestyle” it felt like a breath of fresh air in hip-hop. The “Twitter-finger” wars were over, and Drake was letting the chopper loose on Pusha. On “Duppy,” Drake called out Pusha’s lost cause of a boss, Kanye (“I could never have a Virgil in my circle/And hold him back ’cause he makes me nervous”) and questions Pusha’s street cred (“Man, you might’ve sold to college kids for Nike and Mercedes/But act like you sold drugs for Escobar in the ’80s”). But Drake underestimated his opponent’s capability and wrath, needlessly getting personal by uttering the name of Pusha’s fiancée at the time: “I’ma let it ring on you like Virginia Williams.”
Win or Loss: W ( . . . But a fleeting victory.)
Pusha-T Gets Surgical
“Duppy” was good, but with it, Drake awakened a monster. Pusha-T got on his “True Detective” grind and calmly returned with the most well-researched and foul-spirited rebuttal in hip-hop history, “The Story of Adidon.” Pusha attacked Drake from every angle, picking apart his entire identity and promising a “surgical summer” if Drake wanted any more smoke. He made Drake rush out an apology and clowned his friend’s illness. But the death blow was when Push revealed that Drake had a child in secret before he could announce it himself. For a minute Pusha had the world thinking Drake was the world’s worst deadbeat since Will Smith’s pops on “The Fresh Prince.”
Win or Loss: (A big) L.
There’s No Coming Back From a Notes App Apology
The Notes app apology is reserved for the most desperate, last-gasp image rehabs. Pusha left Drake with no choice once he used a very real photo of Aubrey Graham from his acting days wearing blackface and doing jazz hands like a 1920s caricature as his “The Story of Adidon” cover art. Drake had to explain himself, apologize, and mend a brand that was suddenly no longer invincible.
Win or Loss: (Can’t spell “apology” without the letter … ) L
Degrassi With the Hockey Save
After Pusha-T attempted to lyrically dismantle Drake’s legacy, Drizzy followed it up with weeks of silence before emerging from the shadows with a feel-good “Degrassi: The Next Generation” reunion music video for “I’m Upset.” The video featured all of the characters from our favorite teenage soap opera and, briefly, it felt like Drake may be able to wash away that wretched stink Pusha had left on him with the cleansing lather of nostalgia.
Win or Loss: W
90 Minutes, 25 Songs, and a Double Album = Drake WYD?!
In June, Drake put 25 damn songs into the world. Scorpion was longer than the line at a Supreme box logo hoodie drop, but it broke every streaming record they could concoct and went platinum in a day.
Win or Loss: W
It Ain’t “Just The Two of Us”
“March 14”—which Drake says was recorded before the drama—saw Drake penning some words for his son to hear when he’s older. It’s essentially Drake telling the kid that he kind of fucked up his brand, but he’ll put up with him. He even expressed his devotion to his son with a repurposed tattoo (“I got this ‘11’ tatted for somebody, now it’s yours”)—heartwarming stuff.
Win or Loss: L
Viral Dance Challenges > Merciless Rap Disses
Pusha-T’s diss was a distant memory once Instagram comedian Shiggy flipped the Scorpion standout, “In My Feelings,” into an irresistible dance challenge. The song itself was just as alluring, with its earworm of an opening line (“Kiki, do you love me?”), City Girls’ guest vocals, and a beat that dove even further into New Orleans bounce territory. Karena Evans’ video for the song was at once another visual love letter to a city from Drake and a clever way to immortalize the “Shiggy Dance.” Even after Pusha’s assassination attempt the hits kept coming.
Win or Loss: W
“Roadman” Drake Returns
The groundbreaking thing about Drake’s appearance on popular BBC radio host Charlie Sloth’s show was not his spicy verse but his shirt. He has to be the first rapper to freestyle in a velvet polo. Other than that, Drake whipped out his best “Top Boy” impression and reminded us that Drake hopped-up on Nando’s is one of his most powerful forms.
Win or Loss: W
The Best Drake and Travis Scott Collab of 2018
Drake and Travis Scott turned a six-minute, three-part “Sicko Mode” into a Billboard Hot 100 number one. The song made Drake the first person to rap about taking the prescribed amount of Xanax—very responsible. It was also his fourth number one of the year.
Win or Loss: W
Drake Is a Reggaeton Star Too
Four years ago, Drake showed off his Spanish-speaking chops on a song with Romeo Santos. In 2018 he showed us that he hadn’t lost his Latin-adjacent touch with his guest appearance on Latin trap god Bad Bunny’s “MIA.” The collab left fans asking, “What can’t this man do?!” Answer: Rockin’ his fave college basketball player’s full high school uniform.
Win or Loss: W
LeBron Lends a Shoulder to Cry On
“You could never ever let me down. Ever,” LeBron said to an emotional Drake in one of the wildest TV moments of the year. Drake appeared on LeBron’s HBO show “The Shop” to reveal his side of the Pusha beef. Rarely emotional in on-camera interviews, Drake was visibly upset on the show as he described his reaction to Pusha’s below-the-belt digs at 40’s health issues: “Someone’s gonna punch you in the fuckin’ face!” But in a moment of earnestness, Drake lets LeBron know that he held back what he claimed was an earth-shattering “Story of Adidon” rebuttal that was too foul to release, knowing he might disappoint people he admired, like LeBron. It was a sweet and tender television moment, one that had no place in the world of vicious rap beef.
Win or Loss: L
The G.O.O.D. Music Emperor Strikes Back
At this point, Drake should have just stopped poking the beast, because Pusha was living for the airtime as he took to the Joe Budden Podcast on Spotify to address things. On the show, Pusha revealed that the main source for his Pulitzer-worthy investigative journalism was a woman with whom 40 shared pillowtalk.
Win or Loss: L
Drake’s Unofficial Defense Force Gets Stomped Out
At Pusha’s show in the Toronto in November some mandem from “The 6” tried to throw water and beer at the G.O.O.D. Music president, thinking they were somehow defending The Boy’s honor. Things did not go as planned, as their disruption and attempt to rush the stage resulted in one of them getting stomped into wine while Pusha-T remained unharmed. Push later returned to the stage for a furious rendition of “Infrared” in front of an invigorated crowd.
Win or Loss: L
Drake Joins Blueface’s “Meat Show”
Drake was definitely too thirsty in Blueface’s IG DMs. But showing enough courage to co-sign the Famous Cryp is a worthwhile cause.
Win or Loss: W
Drake and Meek End Beef Like Nothing Ever Happened
Once sworn enemies, Drake and Meek squashed their beef and joined forces on “Going Bad” from Meek’s recent Championships album. The iconic duel that left both with hurt reputations was now a thing of the past. The damage that was done during the fray—the revelation of Drake’s ghostwriting and the embarrassment of Meek’s weak response—may continue to haunt them, but for now, they have reduced those headlines to footnotes.
Win or Loss: W
Drake Is Petty
Late in the year Kanye got fed up at Drake’s pettiness and took to Twitter, hot at Drake. Drake’s pettiness included: sending Kris Jenner messages to “check” on the fam, badgering Ye with purple emojis, and buying up the front two rows at Pusha shows. But really all Kanye wanted was for Drake to hit him up so they could air things out. Kanye may be in the right here asking for a simple apology, but his rambling tweets aren’t making him seem like it.
Win or Loss: W
Final Summation
When 2018 began, Drake seemed untouchable; as the year went on, the numbers supported that: four number one records, a chart-topping album, and landmark music videos all helped him remain one of the year’s most relevant artists. But his beef with Pusha-T left Drake looking like a chump at times. The rivalry was so lopsided that it caused Drake to make decisions that weren’t calculated as much as they were desperate. But if Drake’s reconciliation with Meek Mill teaches us anything, it’s that it’s easy to get caught up in the momentary drama of rap beef. A year from now Drake and Pusha could very well make amends. Just like Drake and Meek, the harsh words will be a part of their legacies, but the magnitude of those exchanges will diminish. As the year comes to an end, Drake leaves it looking surprisingly human and flawed but there’s no way Drake lost 2018. This year he proved that no matter what he’s always just one video, nostalgia trip, dance challenge, or velvet polo away from making us forget everything but the music. Win.
