Less than a year ago, Drake made history when seven songs from his 2018 double-LP, Scorpion, landed in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100. It was a staggering achievement, with Toronto’s favorite son locking up spots one, two, four, six, seven, eight, and nine.
But Drake doesn’t rest: Even when he’s not in album mode, his presence atop the charts seems practically inevitable. “In My Feelings” was inescapable during the summer of 2018, spending ten weeks at the top of the Hot 100 and officially landed Drake the most number one singles among rappers. He was also nominated for four Grammys in 2018, taking home best rap song for “God’s Plan.” Even though Drake has stayed relatively quiet on the musical front since Scorpion, instead focusing his energy on trying to singularly will the Toronto Raptors to an NBA Championship from his courtside seat, he’s still been a regular chart presence via guest turns on hits from Meek Mill, Bad Bunny, Chris Brown, among others. So it was perhaps inevitable that Drake would use the Raptors’ championship run as a springboard back to album mode, or, at the very least, back to the top of the charts.
Drake’s release of music is so reliable, so constant, that even six months without him as a lead artist atop the charts has felt like an eternity. Perhaps it’s the pace of music consumption, perhaps it’s the prevalence with which Drake has dominated the pop landscape for nearly a decade now, but the past year has been dominated by storylines outside of the 6. However, with his two-song The Best in the World Pack, released the day after the Raptors secured their first championship in franchise history, Drake has sent a warning shot to anyone aiming for the crown.