Drake's 5 best features | CBC Music

Natalie Harmsen · CBC Music

· Posted: Oct 24, 2024 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 24

In the nearly two decades that Drake has been making music, the Toronto rapper has been featured on numerous songs by rappers, singers and producers. The list of his collaborators is long, as he's showcased his rapping on tracks by artists including Beyoncé and Lil Wayne, as well as his current enemies Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and more. 

But what are Drake's best guest verses? To celebrate his 38th birthday, we've selected his five greatest features that highlight the Scorpio star's prowess.

5. 'Stay Schemin',' Rick Ross feat. Drake and French Montana (2012)

Before Rick Ross and Drake were dropping diss tracks about each other, they linked up on tunes such as "Aston Martin Music," "I'm On One," "Money in the Grave" and more. One of their most memorable collaborations, "Stay Schemin'," a 2012 release from Rick Ross's mixtape Rich Forever, gave Drake the chance to diss Common: "Might look light, but we heavy though/ you think Drake will pull some shit like that? You never know," he raps, trying to sound tough after Common's shots at him on his 2011 track "Sweet." Drake sounds fired up on his verses and drops a few clever one-liners, such as, "You like the f--kin' finish line; we can't wait to run into you." It's his sassy, energetic delivery that makes it a standout feature, and although his lines are quite cutting, Common and Drake eventually made up in 2013.

4. 'Sicko Mode,' Travis Scott (2018)

Drake's infectious chorus and sharp verses added dimension to Travis Scott's bass-heavy trap banger "Sicko Mode," particularly after the song's third movement near the 3:10 mark: "I did half a Xan, 13 hours 'til I land/ had me out like a light," Drake raps, before shouting out Nike ("checks over stripes") and paying homage to rapper Sheck Wes. The dramatic yet slick beat switch amplified Drake's invigorated rapping and helped make the song a standout on Travis Scott's 2018 album Astroworld, nabbing the Houston rapper his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Drake's charisma shines through as he toes the line between besotted loverboy ("She's in love with who I am/ back in high school, I used to bus it to the dance") and blinged-out superstar ("Baguettes in my ice"). It's no wonder the track picked up two nominations at the 2019 Grammy Awards.

3. 'Look Alive,' BlocBoy JB feat. Drake (2018)

BlocBoy JB and Drake connected on Instagram, and within a day Drake had sent the young rapper his part for the Tay Keith-produced "Look Alive." The speedy turnaround time helped set the collaboration with the then-buzzy Memphis artist alight, as it climbed the Billboard charts and became BlockBoy JB's biggest single. The gritty trap song is a perfect example of how an unexpected Drake feature can be mutually symbiotic: a new artist receives some shine from a hip-hop giant, and said giant gets to tap into a younger, newer audience. 

Drake's part does not just elevate the track — it transforms it entirely. With a measured flow, he asserts his dominance in the rap game, while also nodding to his robust musical output: "I've been gone since, like, July, n---as actin' like I died," he raps. (Given that the song was released in 2018 and he'd dropped "God's Plan" earlier that year, Drake was having a great run.) United by their Memphis connections — Drake's father, Dennis Graham, is also from the city — the artists nod to local rapper Project Pat with a sample and take their time coasting along the beat. It's Drake's relaxed delivery in particular that truly makes it work: he sounds positively calm, as he waits to strike out at his foes like an ambush predator.

2. 'F--kin' Problems,' A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar (2012)

"F--kin' Problems" is one of those iconic rap collaborations where every single verse slaps because each rapper carves out their space and holds their own. The track was originally Drake's, but he decided to give it away, first to Lamar and then eventually to A$AP Rocky. Though some may have raised eyebrows at the choice to pass it along to a newer artist, this allowed Drake to be unburdened from being the song's lead, and that freedom is perceptible in the form of his boisterous yet comedic lyricism: "Ain't heard my album? Who you sleepin' on?/ You should print the lyrics out and have a f--kin' read-along." 

Drake's verse is chameleonic from start to finish as he changes gears, rapping about women, weed and other rappers that he's been "feeding on." He co-produced the song and chopped up the hook, which is also likely why his verse flows so well and fits in with the others like a puzzle piece. Over a decade later, "F--kin' Problems" has stood the test of time as a club classic and is one of A$AP Rocky's most successful songs: it's his only track to score a Grammy nomination for best rap song.

1.'Moment 4 Life,' Nicki Minaj feat. Drake (2010)

Drake's longtime collaborator and fellow Young Money star Nicki Minaj showcased her signature fierce-meets-sassy delivery on the bouncy, pop-infused "Moment 4 Life." The song is one of the best tracks to spotlight the pair's chemistry, with Drake alluding to their rumoured romance on his rapid-fire verse: "F--k it, me and Nicki Nick gettin' married today/ and all you bitches that be hatin' can catch a bouquet, ooh," he raps, playing up their relationship. It's a listen that combines camaraderie with genuine fun, and Drake's lines flow effortlessly. He matches Minaj's energy fully before closing out his part with a chef's kiss of a line: "I swear this shit is as fun as it looks, man/ I'm really tryna make it more than what it is/ 'cause everybody dies, but not everybody lives, ah." That last lyric would go on to be boldly tattooed across chests and backs and recycled in the form of Instagram captions for years to come.