In anticipation of Drake’s new album "Views From the 6," I thought it would be appropriate to take a trip down memory lane and look at some of his older material. When most people think of Drake they think of an emotional artist who doesn’t know whether he wants to be a rapper or an R&B singer, but to me, I see a masterful storyteller. Now I know you’re probably thinking “Jalon what are you blabbering about now?” but if you listen closely to Drake’s music it tells a story that we all can relate to. In this article I am going to breakdown all of Drake’s studio albums, excluding "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" because we all know that was a mixtape.

Thank Me Later

After releasing a bevy of successful mixtapes, Drake finally graced fans with his first studio album "Thank Me Later."The theme of this album recalls a freshmen in high school who made the varsity basketball team. This album is all about being high on life and newfound fame. Numerous songs on this album embody this theme, but none better than the song "Over." A snippet from this song goes “I swear it feels like the last few nights. We’ve been everywhere and back. But I just can't remember it all. What am I doing'? What am I doing'? Oh, yeah, that's right, I'm doing' me, I'm doing' me. I'm living' life right now, man.And this what I'm a do 'til it's over 'Till it's over. But it's far from over.”

In the verse above, Drake alludes to his wild escapades as a new hot artist in the rap game. Towards the end of the verse, Drake says, “I’m doing me… I’m living life right now.” From that line, the audience is informed that Drake is now engrossed in this rock star lifestyle and that he plans to party like a rock star for some time. Just like a kid in the candy store Drake doesn’t know what to do with himself. "Over" isn’t the only song to show this new to fame theme, another good song that really embodies this concept is "Miss Me."A line that sticks out to me in this song is when Drake says “World Series attitude, champagne bottle life… nothing ever changes so tomorrow is like tomorrow night.” This reinforces the fact that Drake is really on his high horse.

I mean he’s comparing the way he parties to that of winning a World Series. Plus there is no recovery time because the party is 24/7. The last line I want to look at in this song goes a little something like this: “I will have a model wife, your b**** is as hot as ice… Every time you see me I look like I hit the lotto twice." Translation: I’m young, fresh, filthy rich and oh yeah my girlfriend is the type of girl you go to the bathroom and think about.

Now I can go all day referencing different songs and how they tie into this theme, but for the sake of the paper, I am just going to list some songs from the album you should listen to, to fully engulf yourself in the new to fame theme this album presents.

• "Fireworks" – Holy s*** I woke up in a new Bugatti.
• "Resistance" – Either join the cause or get left behind because I’m hungry for more success.
• "Show Me a Good Time" – Hey girl don’t act like that, I’m Drake.
• "Thank Me Now" – You’re welcome for all this greatness.

Take Care

To many critics, Drake’s sophomore album "Take Care" is his best work to date. Selling over 2 million copies "Take Care" is Drake’s best-selling album commercial wise. However, this accomplishment is pretty paradoxical because the album that brought him the most success is all about the trial and tribulations he is going through. Fame is like eating a lot of candy, at first, its fun and so satisfying, but eventually you get a stomachache. In "Thank Me Later" Drake was living the high life, but in "Take Care" he got a reality check because everything that shines isn’t always gold. The main factor behind the album's success was the raw emotion put in it, from every break up to make up Drake gave us an in-depth look at his life. This album was so good that it won a Grammy for Best Rap Album. Let that sink in for a minute. "Take Care" at its core was an R&B album and yet it won Best Rap Album. I digress. Let’s get back to the music and breaking down what it really means.

Drake starts his sophomore album with the song "Over My Dead Body." From the jump listeners can sense the difference in style from his rookie album. With this album, Drake seems to have something to prove to the all the haters and critics. This line can be reinforced when he says “I think it killed everybody in the game last year, f*** it I was on, though.” The most important part of that line is the ending where he says “f*** it I was on, though." Basically, Drake is saying that last year, "I was hot which is why I was atop of the rap game but will I be able to do it again." These lyrics make perfect sense because during this period Drake was being heavily criticized for his style; some critics thought his music was “soft” which Drake didn’t take too kindly. With so many people coming at him so hard Drake began to feel irritated. This sentiment can be heard when he says, “Oh, you wanna be a mother***** funny guy? Don’t make me break your Kevin Hart boy.” It seems Drake has had enough of the down talking and is ready to start laying the hands. Along with the haters and critics attacking Drake is also feeling pressure from rising artist trying to make a name for themselves, he expresses this sentiment when he says “You say I’m old news, well who's the new star." As established rappers, new artists are trying to make a name for themselves and what better way to make a name than to knock off the top dog?

Critics weren’t the only thing giving Drake problems during this time of his life. Drake is notoriously known for embodying what it means to be a “nice guy," but in 2011 Drake hit rock bottom in the love department. From women breaking his heart to dishing out dirt, Drake went through it all and definitely let the fans know. I could literally pick from about the half the album and show just how low Drake’s love life went. Naturally I want to pick "Marvin's Room"to show just how bad things got but I could literally write a three-part novel about how that song shows how miserable Drake’s love life was. Instead, I’m going to look at a snippet from "Lord Knows," which goes “And this girl right here, who knows what she knows? So I’m going through her phone if she goes to the bathroom. And her purse right there, I don’t trust these h*** at all. But that’s just a result of me paying attention. To all the women who think like men with the same intentions.” Where do I start? Basically, with his newfound success women see Drake as a piece of meat rather than a person. He has grown so weary of their ulterior motives that he has now become paranoid to the point where he is going through their phones in their absence. Drake longs for companionship but all the only thing women in his life want to do is mooch off of him. He longs for a relationship with substance; this concept can be seen in the song "Doing It Wrong"where he states “But I need something different. You know it, oh ho, you know. Oh ho, you know it, we both know it”. Pretty much Drake has come to regret the plethora of women he so eagerly bragged about in his last album. I bet at this point he would much rather settle for the girl who is as hot as ice over that model.

The overall theme of this album is growing pains. Being a superstar isn’t easy and Drake is learning it firsthand. Contrary to his first album which is more upbeat Drake gives his audience a wonderful symphony filled with raw emotion.

Just like before, here are some more songs to check out.

• "Crew Love" – Drake’s not the only one she has her eye on.
• "Marvin’s Room" – Do not play this song after a breakup.
• "Good Ones Go" – Why do I keep missing out on these good women and getting stuck with the bad ones?
• "Underground Kings" – Drake’s city really loves him.

Nothing Was the Same

After experiencing the joys of fame and going through the growing pains of success Drake has finally come of age. In his third album Drake has come to terms with the life he lives and the things that come with it. The first track titled "Tuscan Leather" reflects Drakes new attitude. A line from the song reads, “Coming of the last record, I’m getting 20 million of the record. Just off the record, n***** that’s a record. Living like I’m out here on my last adventure.” When Drake released "Take Care" back in 2011 he was having doubts about his career and his ability to stay relevant. However after the success of "Take Care" Drake is more assured of himself than ever. He’s back having fun with life and doesn’t plan on looking back.

Along with this new influx confidence, Drake seems more mature in his approach to his career choosing to record new songs instead of clubbing. He reinforces this sentiment in his song "Furthest Thing"when he says, “Y’all n***** party too much, man, I just chill and record.” Earlier on in his career Drake was all about the fast life, but as he has grown older he understands that if he doesn’t take care of his career it will wither away and die. Before I move on to the next section I want to highlight one more line from this song, “I had to Derrick Rose the knee up before I got the re-up.” Besides being a low blow to Derrick Rose (may his knees R.I.P) Drake is acknowledging that the growing pains he experienced were a necessary step in his growth as an artist and a person.

What about the women? 2011 was filled with heartbreak for Drake as he couldn’t find a nice woman, however in 2013, the future looks bright. In songs like "Own It" Drake is telling the women in question that he is finally ready to settle down and be the man she knows he can be. This sentiment is expressed when he says, “And next time I spend I want it all to be for you. Peaking, I’m peaking. Wake up with me this weekend, we can.” Basically, Drake is pouring his heart to a girl telling her I’m ready to leave all the gold diggers alone and bring you home to mom. Drake is growing up right before our eyes, with his first album he couldn’t get enough of all the beautiful women, with his second album he disgusted by ways of these beautiful, and with his third album he can’t wait to bring a nice lady home.

As always here are some more songs that reinforce Drakes growth.

• "Started From The Bottom" – Look how far I’ve come.
• "From Time" – Dang, what was I thinking letting her go?
• "Come Thru" – Bye friend zone.

Drake’s evolution as an artist and a person has truly been remarkable to watch. I hope his new album "Views From the 6" keeps in line with this trend so fans can once again be treated to the life and times of Drake.