“Certified Lover Boy” vinyl: Drake’s Decade of Hits

Certified Lover Boy vinyl is Drake’s 6th studio album, released on September 3, 2021. To understand how he became the best streaming artist of the last decade, we have to trace back to where it all started: Canada.

Aubrey Drake Graham, born on October 24, 1986, was born in Ontario, Canada. During his childhood, he flew in and out of his country to the United States to visit his American father.

Ever since a young age, Drake became interested in acting. Half his dreams came to fruition once he got a role on the Canadian TV series “Degrassi: The Next Generation.”

On the other hand, the other half of his aspiration was to become a rapper. Thus, he debuted his CD mixtape “Room For Improvement” (2006) followed by “Comeback Season” (2007).

• Music and its evolution: Compact Disc (1/2)

Nevertheless, balancing acting and longing for a music career was arduous to maintain. So, in 2008, he exited the show solely to focus on rap.

Way before hashtags, mixtapes would only reach a limited audience. Firstly, they were challenging to obtain, and secondly, as an artist, the return on investment to get signed was slim.

Luckily for Drake, one of its listeners was none other than Lil Wayne. Throughout 2008, they linked to work on his third mixtape, “So Far Gone.” Afterward, Nothing Was The Same (get it?).

“Dropped a mixtape that CD sounded like an album.
Who would have thought a wide tour would be the outcome?“

-Drake, Forever (2009)

Eventually, after the mixtape slash album dropped, Wayne signed him to his label, “Young Money Entertainment.” His debut LP, “Thank Me Later,” arrived in the summer of 2010 and topped the Billboard charts.

Admittedly, he later confessed that the outcome of his first full-length project was rushed. Therefore, for his sophomore, “Take Care” (2011), he invested much-needed time to explore other genres such as R&B.

By then, Drake had a meticulous album roll-out. However, in 2015, he surprise-released his mixtape “If You Are Reading This It’s Too Late” and collaborated with Future on “What A Time To Be Alive.”

Indeed, the mixtapes paved the way for his third endeavor, “Views“ (2016). Its singles (e.g. “Hotline Bling,” “One Dance,” “Pop Style,” and “Controlla“) catapulted the record atop.

In addition, on his second commercial mixtape slash playlist, “More Life” (2017), he expanded his curiosity to delve more into Pop, trap, and again R&B.

Once again, the tapes prepared him for his 5th LP, “Scorpion” (2018). It’s singles (e.g. “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” “I’m Upset,” etc.) shot the album to the stars.

Analogous to 2015 and 2017, the mixtape and extended play, “Dark Lane Demo Tapes” (2020) and “Scary Hours 2” (2021), respectively, served as an appetizer for what was next.

Finally, after a 9-month delay, on September 3, 2021, “Certified Lover Boy“ hit online platforms. Similarly, on “CLB,” he uses the same formula by incorporating R&B, pop, rap, and trap.

Certified Lover Boy

Particularly, in an extended interview with “Rap Radar” (2019), he explained that he can’t deliver a full hip-hop-driven project because he has to please all audience’s tastes.

More so, if that formula has worked for over a decade, why stop now? For instance, let’s look at the tables below, which certify his dominance as an artist.

It is worth mentioning that before online platforms, only physical compact disc sales were taken into consideration. Hence, this meant that its listeners had to go to the store and buy the music.

In contrast to the table above, the second one includes a column called “album-equivalent unit,” which sums the physical CDs plus the online streamings for a total combination.

• Music and its evolution: Online Streaming (2/2)

Of course, you don’t reach the top without making enemies. That is, from beefing with Meek Mill (2015) to feuding with Pusha T (2018) to competing for a release spot against Kanye West’s “Donda.” Regardless, he has prevailed at the top.

Whether singing, rapping, or trapping, Drake has certified a 10+ year run in the game to become the most-streamed artist of the 2010s. Two years into the new decade, can he go back to back?

At this point, if you haven’t been a part of it, at least you got to witness it. Undoubtedly, next to Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, the trio has put Canada on the map.

Watch the album teaser and stream the “Certified Lover Boy” vinyl down below.

1. “Certified Lover Boy” trailer by Drake (OVO, 2020). ↩︎
2. “Certified Lover Boy” album by Drake. Cover artwork by Damien Hirst (OVO, 2021). ↩︎