When he wasn't dropping one of his own five Scorpion music videos, Drake was popping up in somebody else's this year. As 2018 comes to an end, we're looking back at the best and worst music videos starring and featuring Drake.
There were collaborations with Migos, BlockBoy JB and Travis Scott; homages to Soul Train, Hollywood women and Degrassi: The Next Generation; and inescapably viral dance crazes.
Check out our ranking of Drizzy's whopping 11 music video appearances below.
If Drake lists are your thing, revisit last year's 101 Best Drake Songs. For the rest of Exclaim!'s 2018 lists, head over here.
11. Trouble ft. Drake and Mike WiLL Made-It
"Bring It Back"
(Dir. Derek Schklar)
The black-and-white video features clips from a then-upcoming film called Edgewood. The Trouble-led visual project was released in October, but it's pretty hard to follow any sort of plot in the shortened music video version. There's still plenty to watch, though, trips to the strip club and Drake playing videogames.
10. French Montana ft. Drake
"No Stylist"
(Dir. Glenn Michael and Christo)
French Montana boasted about his own fashion prowess on "No Stylist," showing it off in the accompanying video by sporting ostentatious jackets and chunky gold chains, as models parade past him. For his part, Drake opted for looks including a white denim jacket and a black winter parka. There's nothing particularly bad about this video, it just plays back like a promo for America's Next Top Model — and does anyone even watch that anymore?
9. Drake
"Nonstop"
(Dir. Theo Skudra)
The least exciting of his Scorpion visuals (and the only one not directed by Karena Evans), Drake's "Nonstop" clip captures a whirlwind trip to London. Drake stepped up as a last-minute replacement headliner for Wireless Festival, but he still found some time to cruise around London in a double-decker bus and sip tea.
8. BlocBoy JB ft. Drake
"Look Alive"
(Dir. Frederick Ali)
Less narrative than most of Drizzy's recent music videos, "Look Alive" mostly just sees the pair of rappers hanging around in a high school gym dance circle and flashing stacks of hundred dollar bills.
The track shot BlocBoy JB to stardom, but he made sure to shout out underground punks Green Day on his way up.
7. Bad Bunny ft. Drake
"MIA"
(Dir. Fernando Lugo)
The Latin crossover smash hears Drake showing off his Spanish singing, and joining Bad Bunny for a wild block party in Bad Bunny's native Puerto Rico. Barbecues, red cups and games of dominoes abound. Even a parrot turns up to the party.
6. Drake
"In My Feelings"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
One of many Karena Evans' short films from the year, "In My Feelings" opens with Drake pathetically declaring his love for Keke, before getting told off by Claire Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad). "Get your Jordans off my walkway," she starts, before reminding him, "This is not a Taye Diggs movie, sir. You're a grown man!"
After that, it's just one big dance party filled with viral moves.
5. Travis Scott ft. Drake
"Sicko Mode"
(Dir. Dave Meyers and Travis Scott)
A technicolour trip from the opening shot, "Sicko Mode" sees Scott and Drake playing with psychedelic colour palettes and wild special effects, making for a video that's as much of a rollercoaster ride as the song itself.
4. Drake
"God's Plan"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
What do you do when you have a million dollars just sitting around? If you're Drake, head to Miami and hand it out to random people. That's exactly what he did for his "God's Plan" video, picking up tabs at local grocery stores, handing out scholarships to high school students and putting stacks of cash in the hands of total strangers.
3. Drake
"Nice for What"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
"Nice for What" was given the star treatment, enlisting cameos from some of Hollywood's fiercest females. Amongst those who appear in the video are Olivia Wilde, Misty Copeland, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Jourdan Dunn, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tiffany Haddish, Yara Shahidi, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth and Victoria Lejonhjärta, Letitia Wright, Bria Vinaite, Emma Roberts, Syd and Michelle Rodriguez — so it's no wonder the video so easy to watch over and over again.
2. Migos ft. Drake
"Walk It Talk It"
(Dir. Daps and Quavo)
Before Migos and Drake were best known for postponing joint tour dates, they were our tour guides through time, taking us back to the '70s in the video for "Walk It Talk It." It pays homage to Soul Train with their own variety show dubbed Culture Ride. Hosted by Jamie Foxx, the show brings out Drake, Quavo, Offset and Takeoff for a ridiculously fun retro performance.
1. Drake
"I'm Upset"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
The high point of both Drake and Evans' huge year, the clip for "I'm Upset" more than made up for Drake's most lacklustre single in a long time. The music video was a full-blown Degrassi reunion, bringing back alumni of Toronto's most dramatic high school like Spinner, Paige, Ashley, Snake, Rick, Jay and Silent Bob, and, of course, Jimmy Brooks once again portrayed by Drake himself.
As to be expected, the party gets wild pretty quickly, delivering the dream reunion for anyone who grew up watching Degrassi: The Next Generation.
There were collaborations with Migos, BlockBoy JB and Travis Scott; homages to Soul Train, Hollywood women and Degrassi: The Next Generation; and inescapably viral dance crazes.
Check out our ranking of Drizzy's whopping 11 music video appearances below.
If Drake lists are your thing, revisit last year's 101 Best Drake Songs. For the rest of Exclaim!'s 2018 lists, head over here.
11. Trouble ft. Drake and Mike WiLL Made-It
"Bring It Back"
(Dir. Derek Schklar)
The black-and-white video features clips from a then-upcoming film called Edgewood. The Trouble-led visual project was released in October, but it's pretty hard to follow any sort of plot in the shortened music video version. There's still plenty to watch, though, trips to the strip club and Drake playing videogames.
10. French Montana ft. Drake
"No Stylist"
(Dir. Glenn Michael and Christo)
French Montana boasted about his own fashion prowess on "No Stylist," showing it off in the accompanying video by sporting ostentatious jackets and chunky gold chains, as models parade past him. For his part, Drake opted for looks including a white denim jacket and a black winter parka. There's nothing particularly bad about this video, it just plays back like a promo for America's Next Top Model — and does anyone even watch that anymore?
9. Drake
"Nonstop"
(Dir. Theo Skudra)
The least exciting of his Scorpion visuals (and the only one not directed by Karena Evans), Drake's "Nonstop" clip captures a whirlwind trip to London. Drake stepped up as a last-minute replacement headliner for Wireless Festival, but he still found some time to cruise around London in a double-decker bus and sip tea.
8. BlocBoy JB ft. Drake
"Look Alive"
(Dir. Frederick Ali)
Less narrative than most of Drizzy's recent music videos, "Look Alive" mostly just sees the pair of rappers hanging around in a high school gym dance circle and flashing stacks of hundred dollar bills.
The track shot BlocBoy JB to stardom, but he made sure to shout out underground punks Green Day on his way up.
7. Bad Bunny ft. Drake
"MIA"
(Dir. Fernando Lugo)
The Latin crossover smash hears Drake showing off his Spanish singing, and joining Bad Bunny for a wild block party in Bad Bunny's native Puerto Rico. Barbecues, red cups and games of dominoes abound. Even a parrot turns up to the party.
6. Drake
"In My Feelings"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
One of many Karena Evans' short films from the year, "In My Feelings" opens with Drake pathetically declaring his love for Keke, before getting told off by Claire Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad). "Get your Jordans off my walkway," she starts, before reminding him, "This is not a Taye Diggs movie, sir. You're a grown man!"
After that, it's just one big dance party filled with viral moves.
5. Travis Scott ft. Drake
"Sicko Mode"
(Dir. Dave Meyers and Travis Scott)
A technicolour trip from the opening shot, "Sicko Mode" sees Scott and Drake playing with psychedelic colour palettes and wild special effects, making for a video that's as much of a rollercoaster ride as the song itself.
4. Drake
"God's Plan"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
What do you do when you have a million dollars just sitting around? If you're Drake, head to Miami and hand it out to random people. That's exactly what he did for his "God's Plan" video, picking up tabs at local grocery stores, handing out scholarships to high school students and putting stacks of cash in the hands of total strangers.
3. Drake
"Nice for What"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
"Nice for What" was given the star treatment, enlisting cameos from some of Hollywood's fiercest females. Amongst those who appear in the video are Olivia Wilde, Misty Copeland, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Jourdan Dunn, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tiffany Haddish, Yara Shahidi, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth and Victoria Lejonhjärta, Letitia Wright, Bria Vinaite, Emma Roberts, Syd and Michelle Rodriguez — so it's no wonder the video so easy to watch over and over again.
2. Migos ft. Drake
"Walk It Talk It"
(Dir. Daps and Quavo)
Before Migos and Drake were best known for postponing joint tour dates, they were our tour guides through time, taking us back to the '70s in the video for "Walk It Talk It." It pays homage to Soul Train with their own variety show dubbed Culture Ride. Hosted by Jamie Foxx, the show brings out Drake, Quavo, Offset and Takeoff for a ridiculously fun retro performance.
1. Drake
"I'm Upset"
(Dir. Karena Evans)
The high point of both Drake and Evans' huge year, the clip for "I'm Upset" more than made up for Drake's most lacklustre single in a long time. The music video was a full-blown Degrassi reunion, bringing back alumni of Toronto's most dramatic high school like Spinner, Paige, Ashley, Snake, Rick, Jay and Silent Bob, and, of course, Jimmy Brooks once again portrayed by Drake himself.
As to be expected, the party gets wild pretty quickly, delivering the dream reunion for anyone who grew up watching Degrassi: The Next Generation.