Drake Memes
All The Proof You Need That 2015 Was Peak Drake
In typical fashion, Kanye was one of the first to call it. In an interview with Zane Lowe back in February, Yeezy declared Drake "the hottest rapper... in the game". And he was right. Even for a man who had previously released a Grammy Award-winning album, dated Rihanna, and coined the phrase "YOLO", 2015 was a pretty big year for Drake.
But how do we know that the hip hop megastar really blew up over the past 12 months – bar the Billboard number ones, column inches and a highly coveted ranking on our 2015 Boss List? It's the memes. The ultimate symbol of pop culture relevance in the digital era, this year the internet clamoured to make, spread and devour objets d'Drake. These were his biggest memes of 2015.
If You're Reading This It's Too Late
Drake dropped If You're Reading This It's Too Late on iTunes back in February, without any prior announcement. The mixtape debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart and subsequently went platinum. But how did the internet receive it? With plenty of hype – and by parodying Drizzy's idiosyncratic cover art.
On the same day as the mixtape's release, a meme generator sprung up so that anyone could use the "Drakefont" created by graffiti artist Jim Joe, and hilarious knock-offs started circulating online. A savvy move from a rapper who understands the power of viral promotion, perhaps?
Meek Mill Beef
In July, rapper Meek Mill accused Drake on Twitter of not writing his own lyrics. As evidence surfaced (like this recording by one of Drake's alleged ghostwriters, which sounds *just like* "10 Bands") the hip hop star's talent and authenticity started to look seriously under threat.
So how did Drake respond? In the only way that a real rapper can: by releasing two diss tracks, knocking Meek Mill for being less successful and for playing second fiddle to his girlfriend Nicki Minaj. Whether you thought Meek's own diss tracks were fire or not, it was the court of the internet who gave the final verdict: Drake had owned Meek, and Meek's punishment was public image death by meme. Even politicians got involved, with Norm Kelly, a councillor from Drake's home city of Toronto, basically trolling Meek on Twitter.
In fact, Drake's resounding win of "Rap's Civil War" made everyone forget about him maybe not writing his own raps. Once again, his sorcerer-like powers over public opinion had been proved.
Thirst-Trapping
2015 was the year Drake got buff. Like, really buff. The rumblings of a mass sexual awakening began to stir in the comments section underneath Instagram photos, on Twitter, and in frank discussions among fans who had previously never looked at the "sensitive rapper" in such a way before. Damn, papi...
Serena Williams
When Serena Williams won the Women's Singles at Wimbledon this year, Drake was there to cheer her on. But it was when TMZ spotted the pair apparently making out in an Italian restaurant that the rumour mill really went into overdrive. Although neither of the two ever confirmed their romance, that didn't stop the internet from blaming Drake when Serena suffered a shocking loss at the US Open semi-finals.
Hotline Bling
Beyond anything else this year, Drake demonstrated his consummate understanding of viral success with "Hotline Bling". Released at the end of July, it was held up by music critics and listeners as one of the songs of the year. But it wasn't until October, when the video hit the internet, that it became a truly defining moment of 2015.
Drake's dorky dad-dancing, set against a backdrop of minimal, contemporary art-inspired sets, made the video instantly iconic. Immediately, the internet spewed forth a plethora of parodies, including attempts to #DanceLikeDrake and edited videos featuring Poké Balls, Mr Bean, and Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Even Donald Trump had a go.
Merchandise
If there's one thing that signals cultural capital, it's when actual capitalism starts taking notice of you. People have produced (and have sold) a game where you have to "run through the 6" in order to win "woes", Drake bookmarks that say "If you're reading this keep reading", and "Hotline Bling" Christmas jumpers. When there's economic demand for apps, mugs and slippers with your face on them, that's when you know that people really do love you.
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