No one knew for sure, There was so many artists blowing up in 2007-2009 and losing their spotlight just as fast due to the nature of the ringtone era.

Drake was able to leverage that era though and successfully ride the tides into the new school rap renaissance in 2010-2013

October 24 1986. I remember it vividly

Brooo been known Aubrey would’ve been a star! that’s my boy from time G haha

ngl I didn’t get into him into NWTS (his best album), didn’t like take care at the time it dropped cause I wasn’t listening to that type of music but obviously knew he was gonna be a thing

the week Club Paradise and Marvin's Room dropped

Comeback season when I finally listened to it after I gave it the when I saw the cover that summer(wayne released C3)
I heard his A milly remix was like Wheelchair jimmy nigga??!!!! Then I went to see he made mixtapes saw that cover and went he probably not serious about this s*** with that peacoat cover wennt on my summer

Later end of summer Heard that Ransom track when it came out saw he was with Wayne then Iistend to Comeback Season and was WITH THE WAYNE EXPOSURE HE GON BE GOD DAMN

DONT Judge a mixtape by its cover

When he dropped "Dreams Money Can Buy".

let the young boys live

On The Radar Freestyle

from firsting hearing so far gone i became an instant fan in 09. but it think the combination of best i ever had taking off, “bedrock”/“every girl”, “forever” and the feature run he has that year, it was very clear he was gonna be the biggest rap star of his generation

bro was kinda dominating the radio without an album out, and the hype around him was insanely palpable. felt like the first artist at the time that could genuine carry the creative torch from kanye, while also carrying the hitmaking omnipresent torch from wayne

i would listen to lust for life, houstatlantavegas, let’s call it off etc and feel like i was being transported to a different place as a listener

the sample choices and 40s production were just super dreamy and otherworldly. at 12 years old it was like another rap artist was opening a door that only kanye west had opened in recent times. then you see the rest of the world actively catch on not too long afterwards? yeah it became very clear lmao

As soon as I finished Take Care

he was considerably more popular than literally every rapper outside of wayne/kanye/jay z/eminem literally from the gate.

every single was either considerable hit or a smash, and his albums were massive. drake was instantly a big part of the conversation of hip hop at large, more than any of his peers.

i can’t speak to anyone else’s thoughts but i always imagined him being bigger than wayne because he could do R&B in a more earnest way than wayne. his R&B didn’t sound like a rapper experimenting. he legit just sounded like a talented dude inspired by tank, the-dream, aaliyah etc. so his wider reach musically, safer/more relatable background, and looks (being lightskin in a colorist world, and also just being a chameleon. like people say drake could be literally any race. i think that factors into support, when anyone can see themselves in you) all had me thinking he would be bigger than wayne.

now biggest rapper of all time? i didn’t see that coming tbh idk if i ever thought he would get more popular than kanye specifically

Move to drake sxn

Ye but I’ve been on ktt since nwts era or a lil after. Stop hatin…

Stay Schemin verse

The Ride

When I heard Over My Dead Body I think

I bumped Forever, Light Up and Headlines without knowing the name before that probably

Loved him since Degrassi and then was shook when he blew up

I didn’t make the connection and was like oh s***. Jimmy? Lol

His first album era was so unique and special. He was everywhere and killed every feature

Truly his best and most special era to me

Everybody in this thread is wrong

Its clearly when Drake did Successful

That was one of his first if not the furst serious look at as a Rapper at least in states

Shout out that rando and forgotten early ass drake era where him n trey songz were basically a duo

And Drake had a lot of controversy & hating lotta niggas capping itt

Again at least in the states

He was the first Rapper i ever seen get meme'd tf on with the fake corny quotes n drake type of nigga jokes

Even Rappers & radio stations would come for his head from sfg to deep tc era publically & heavy

Take Care tour & everything to do with NWTS is what really solidified him on a major scale n general public s***s wild to see where it continued to go up to today

GOATED

I knew of Drake since Comebavk Season, didnt pay attention to him till SFG & didnt really care about him until TC besides a song n feat here n there

TC was the first modern Rap cd i ever bought too in HS, then GKMC next lmao

Class of 2014 HS is such a crazy music era bro I cant stress it enough