5 Reasons Why Drake Dominated This Decade Of Music
Since dropping his breakout mixtape So Far Gone, Drake has been a permanent fixture on the charts and at awards shows. Drizzy’s BET Awards numbers alone show just how dominant he’s been since taking the game by storm in 2009. If you count his 3 nominations in 2021, Drake has already won 15 BET Awards out of an incredible 65 nominations. His first wins came in 2010 for Best Male Artist and Best Group alongside Young Money, and his run hasn’t slowed down since. This year, Drake’s up for Best Male Hip Hop artist, yet again, and he’s also in the running for Best Collaboration and Best Music Video for his hits with DJ Khaled (“Popstar”) and Lil Durk (“Laugh Now Cry Later”). Be sure to catch this year’s Awards on June 27 at 8/9C to see if Drake picks up more for his collection. While we wait for the results, here are fives reasons why Drake won big with BET over the past ten years.
He Was The Rookie Of The Year
Drake’s dominant awards show run started way back at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2009 when he won Rookie of the Year. He’s gone on to claim 20 BET Hip Hop Awards out of 100 nominations, including Best Hip Hop Video with Future for “Life Is Good.” That rookie year set the tone, thanks to hits like “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful,” which took over the Internet and the airwaves and set up the decade of dominance that was to come.
He’s The Viewers Choice MVP
When the people choose you, there’s nothing more to argue about. That’s why the Coca-Cola Viewers Choice awards lets fans reward the artist they love the most each year, no matter what critics or charts have to say. Drake has claimed two Viewers Choice awards and earned a record-setting 18 nominations over the years. His first win was in 2013 for “Started From The Bottom,” and his 2015 win was for the collaboration “Only.” Will Drizzy come closer to his mentor Lil Wayne’s all-time high four Viewers Choice wins at this year’s BET Awards?
His Versatility Makes Him Very Dangerous
Drake’s astounding vocal versatility is one of the main reasons he’s remained on top for over a decade. Whether he’s singing slow jams or spitting bars with the best of them, Drake’s talent as a singer and rapper helped define the sound of popular music for the 2010’s and beyond. The proof is in the streaming data: Drake consistently tops the charts no matter what genre of music he releases. That level of talent is rare and it continues to pay off. In 2015 alone he won five BET Hip Hop Awards out of 12 nominations for a wide range of sounds including pop hits (“Truffle Butter”) and hip hop bangers (If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late).
- advertisement
He Shines Brightest With The Stars
Drake’s secret weapon to longevity is his knack for collaborating with other great artists. Every year, Drake uses his platform to lift up new artists and in exchange he’s the center of every conversation about the hottest new tracks. This year’s nominations include collabs with Lil Durk and DJ Khaled which have kept Drake on the airwaves and in our heads despite the delay of his highly-anticipated sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy.
We Can Count On His Consistency
Drake refuses to give the game a rest. Since first being nominated for a BET Award in 2010, Drake has been nominated every year since, winning at least one every year after 2011. In 2020 he was the most nominated artist with six total nominations, despite not releasing an album that year. That didn’t stop him from topping the charts and taking home the Best Collaboration for Chris Brown’s “No Guidance.” With five nominations at the BET Awards 2021, including ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist,” we’ll see if his awards marathon continues with more big wins.
Watch the 2021 BET Awards on June 27 at 8/9C p.m.
