Drake has earned 12 No. 1 full-length projects on the Billboard 200. He has earned a record-tying 13 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. And, as of two weeks ago, he is the first artist in RIAA history to surpass 200 million certified sales units. With all this being said, it’s hard to even fathom that he has songs in his catalog that could be labeled “overlooked.”
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However, believe it or not, there are some Drake songs that truly did not get the recognition they deserved. So, we’ve compiled our five favorite Drake deep cuts below, most of which have a relatively low amount of streaming numbers.
5. “Over My Dead Body”
The intro track for Drake’s now-iconic sophomore album Take Care (2011), “Over My Dead Body” sees the then-blossoming MC make a wise juxtaposition. Having fellow Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk elegantly delivers the They’re trying to take you away from me / Only over my dead body hook, Drake uses his verses to compare his disgruntled significant other to his standing in the rap industry, saying he won’t be disregarded easily in either situation.
4. “The Motion”
Released as a SoundCloud exclusive single before his highly-anticipated 2013 album Nothing Was the Same, “The Motion” signifies just how special Drake’s creative prime was. With a confident, melodic flow throughout, “The Motion” sees the Toronto icon swallow realizations about the cruel world he’s living in. And to top it all off, the track contains dazzling background vocals from Sampha.
“The Motion” earned an official release on digital streaming platforms in 2019 as part of Drake’s Care Package project.
[RELATED: Drake’s Last 4 Albums Ranked—From ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ to ‘Her Loss’]
3. “Glow” with Kanye West
When Drake released his 2017 LP More Life, he insisted that it be called a “playlist” instead of an official album or mixtape. Chock full of radio bops like “Passionfruit,” “Fake Love,” and “Portland” with Travis Scott and Quavo, though, More Life still made as much noise as any standard album he has released.
But, a song that slipped through the cracks for many was the tape’s eighteenth track “Glow,” featuring Drake’s idol Kanye West. One of only four times the duo have collaborated vocally in their careers, “Glow” contains a sincerity and earnestness that their other joint songs lack. With Drake’s short but sweet Watch out for me, I’m about to glow hook and West’s fervent verses, it’s curious why the song has the least amount of Spotify plays on the entirety of More Life.
2. “You Only Live Twice” with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross
Also placed eighteenth on the track list of its respective project, “You Only Live Twice” from Drake’s 2021 LP Certified Lover Boy features severely undervalued performances from hip-hop legends. Over an inspiring sample of The Brothers of Soul’s 1968 song “Can’t Get You Off of My Mind,” Drake and his accomplices Lil Wayne and Rick Ross—who he has made many magical hits with before—all do their part to make the collaboration one of the most eventful moments on the album.
1. “I Guess It’s Fuck Me“
Combining his underrated ability to use high-pitched vocals with stern, low-toned raps, “I Guess It’s Fuck Me” makes for an impactful outro for Drake’s 2022 collaborative album with 21 Savage, Her Loss. Though melodramatic and, at times, whiny, the song perfectly exemplifies the self-absorbed character Drake has been honing in on in his more recent work, which has resulted in music that’s both entertaining and headline-fueling.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
