By K.B. Tindal
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
After putting out albums in 2010 and 2011, fans expected Drake to drop an album in 2012 and he hinted at putting one out. But, in the end, Drake ended up being one of the most-popular guest features in the game. Drake had a powerful year in 2012, but he needed to shake the critics’ take on him being “soft.”
When 2013 came, Drake rededicated himself to the game and he hit the game hard with his “Started From The Bottom” single. Early in the year, Drake had the biggest song of the year and several artists began remixing it. Even though “Started From The Bottom” was a big hit, it was only the beginning.
Soon after Drake released “Started From The Bottom,” he revealed Nothing Was the Same would be the title of his third album. He dropped the “5 AM in Toronto” street single and continued his strong run of guest appearances in the summer of 2013. Late in the summer, Drake delivered the single, “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” which cemented Drake’s 2013 run.
A lot of artists had big years in 2013, but Drake made this year his own and he dominated the year from the start to the finish with his music. In addition to just the music, Drake had one of the most-popular hip hop tours of the year with Would You Like a Tour? with Miguel, Future, and more. This tour helped push “Hold On, We’re Going Home” to top five status and the music video was filled with cameos from A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg, among others.
When it came to the guest appearances, Drake held the game down with his “Started From The Bottom” sequel, “No New Friends,” which was DJ Khaled’s single. The single featured Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, reuniting the foursome since the “I’m On One,” which was released in 2011. Two years ago, Drake had a big 2011, which Hip Hop Vibe deemed worthy of Artist of the Year, and his 2013 was a similar, if not more spectacular year, where Justin Bieber also called on Drake.
Back in 2011, it was said that Drake “silently dominated the year,” but in 2013, he dominated the year openly and loudly. Following the release of Nothing Was The Same, Drake found success with the “Pound Cake” outro with Jay-Z that a lot of people decided to jump on and remix, as several artists and fans flocked to it. This effort has made him the Artist of the Year for Hip Hop Vibe.
Watch “Started From The Bottom” by Drake below:
Watch “5 AM in Toronto” by Drake below:
Watch “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake ft. Majid Jordan below:
Follow K.B. Tindal on Twitter @KBTindal.
