User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 334 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 56 out of 334

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  1. Jul 28, 2019
    6
    The album is a bit cookie-cutter and sappy. It is certainly not as cohesive or well put together as it's follow up, but it still has a few great tracks and features a unique approach to pop rap at the time.
  2. Apr 6, 2021
    7
    this album is a 7 this album is a 7 this album is a 7 this album is a 7 this album is a 7
  3. Jul 18, 2017
    7
    good album........................................................................................................................................................................
  4. Mar 2, 2016
    1
    the material after awhile runs thin instead of branching off and talking about other things. hard to say this guy has singing talent. he sounds auto tuned.
  5. Apr 5, 2015
    6
    This album isn't bad but it really doesn't show Drake's talent as a rapper. This album mostly consists of songs that are just slow R&B with very few songs that show him rapping. Honestly it gets a B- from me. Highlights: "Up All Night", "Miss Me". Worst song: "Find Your Love"
  6. Dec 11, 2010
    7
    This album was good. I like this album but too much singing in it. This album was more rnb than hip hop. I think Drake did a great job with his first album. Really good songs. I think this is one of the best hip hop album of the year.
  7. Nov 9, 2012
    5
    There's some deep stuff here on Drake's debut. There's also a lot of trash, probably because Lil Wayne mentored him.
  8. Jun 17, 2021
    9
    This was Drake's second album and also his second best. He still utilizes production from 40 and Boi-1da, so the sound of the instrumentals is similar to his last record. Drake is one of the best rappers around, and his hooks are infectious. It's impressive how he has great vocal range for a rapper and can sing. Over, Up All Night, Fancy, Miss Me, and Find Your Love are the stand outThis was Drake's second album and also his second best. He still utilizes production from 40 and Boi-1da, so the sound of the instrumentals is similar to his last record. Drake is one of the best rappers around, and his hooks are infectious. It's impressive how he has great vocal range for a rapper and can sing. Over, Up All Night, Fancy, Miss Me, and Find Your Love are the stand out tracks on the album. Expand
  9. Jan 13, 2016
    6
    Drake was very corny back then ahahahah some of the punchlines on here are hilarious and so are some of the love themed lyrics. Still a good album though , plus it introduced the world to a sound that is now being repeatedly copied.
  10. Aug 14, 2010
    5
    Drake is right. We still have to thank him later.

    Last year, Drake was the most talked-about star. He built up an incredible amount of hype with his mixtapes. HE signed on to the Young Money vessel. He had Lil Wayne's support. He had Jay-Z's support. So Far Gone sounded like an album. Fans were SO DAMN anxious for the release of his debut album. Like a rising basketball star on his way to
    Drake is right. We still have to thank him later.

    Last year, Drake was the most talked-about star. He built up an incredible amount of hype with his mixtapes. HE signed on to the Young Money vessel. He had Lil Wayne's support. He had Jay-Z's support. So Far Gone sounded like an album. Fans were SO DAMN anxious for the release of his debut album. Like a rising basketball star on his way to slam dunk, Drake had fans anticipating that moment of truth.

    That ball hit the board.

    Of course his diehard fans will applaud this album so much they'll campaign for it to be a classic. Trouble is, music lovers like myself know that would be a waste of time. This album is not bad but not great either. It's average.

    Drake isn't a half-bad rapper. He is better than many of the craploaders out there. But he isn't great. While some of his rhymes are good punches, his flow is a weakness. It rarely varies, and Drake sounds monotonous and uninteresting halfway through the album. His content too could be better. He isn't the best at braggadocio. But he could talk a little more. Pretty much the whole album is about his rise to fame, money, cars, and girls. Pretty mainstream.

    Another weakness is the beats. There are rarely any beats that stand out, save for "Over". Otherwise, all the beats are bland and quiet, really slowing the pace of the album. Yet another common weakness is the superior guest spots. Many times MCs are faced with the fact that their guest feature rip them up on their own track. Drake is no different. His blunder? All his rap guests outshine him.

    But the key to Drake's success is his ability to sing. He may not be trained but his voice is smooth, easily recognizable, and catchy. Find Your Love is the best track on the album because his singing really gives the song mood and pop sensibility.

    So the album isn't a complete disaster in no way. It was kind of what was expected, which isn't good because Drake is capable of doing so much more.
    Expand
  11. Apr 17, 2017
    8
    A very strong project that does lack some cohesion. That being said, the songs on there own are very good and the project is certainly worth many listens.
  12. Mar 11, 2015
    7
    Continuing to demonstrate the widespread effect hip hop has gained globally, Drake is the first international hip hop artist. He has a much more impressive pedigree once you peel back a layer or two. Not only does he write and co-produce a lot of his own material, he has just as much validity as a singer.....as he has with his flow.
  13. Feb 23, 2015
    7
    Drake has finally put a footprint in the rap industry after the release of this album. There is a perfect mix of slow, melodic beats and fast-paced jams that you can nod your head to.
  14. Jan 9, 2011
    3
    I couldn't even listen to the whole album. I've heard better albums and rappers. But I'm going to give him a 3 because his singles (Over, Find Your Love) are epic.
  15. Mar 3, 2012
    7
    A Solid Debut With Phat Rhymes, Beats, And Flow And Delivery Are All It Really Takes For A MC Like Drake. But Those Rhymes Could Be Improved. And His Delivery Could Be Better As Well.
  16. Aug 28, 2010
    7
    This is the use of autotune we need. To make it sound good. Wayne uses autotune but we dont criticize him on that. This kid is good, but not as good as up and comers like Kid Cudi and J Cole
  17. Nov 16, 2010
    9
    In this album, Drake voices his opinion on fame, fortune, and women. From his strong to soft voice, to his excitement in the lyrical raps that he writes, this album shows a promised future for the X Degrassi star. I wish him all the best.
  18. Dec 17, 2010
    8
    Good positive debut album in my opinion from Drake. When first listening to it, i enjoyed the album and admired the talent he had. Granted there are a few tracks that arent fantastic but Drake wil only learn for the next time. However i do feel that he may need to show off his rapping more than what he showed cos he clearly has it. If he does that he will definitely earn even more respectGood positive debut album in my opinion from Drake. When first listening to it, i enjoyed the album and admired the talent he had. Granted there are a few tracks that arent fantastic but Drake wil only learn for the next time. However i do feel that he may need to show off his rapping more than what he showed cos he clearly has it. If he does that he will definitely earn even more respect than he already has. Expand
  19. Dec 10, 2013
    7
    Drake truly announced himself to the world. From the previews that were seen in So Far Gone, to this is a big step but I felt he was lacking something.
  20. Oct 21, 2011
    9
    This man and J. Cole will lead hip-hop into this decade. Nov. 15 Take Care
    Best Tracks
    "Karaoke"
    "Fireworks"
    "Over"
    "Fancy"
    "Miss Me"
    "Shut It Down"
    "Light Up"
  21. Mar 10, 2015
    7
    Drake is so versatile and this is a good start from him as I look forward to bigger and better things from him.

    Best songs:
    1. Light Up
    2. Miss Me
    3. Unforgettable
    4. The Resistance
    5. Fireworks
  22. Sep 8, 2015
    10
    Perhaps the most anticipated hip-hop album of the 21st century, TML was Drake's opportunity to prove to the world that he was worth the hype. This album was not perfect but proved that Drake was in fact worth that hype. TML is probably the weakest album Drake has released, but without it he would not have set himself up for improvement on Take Care & NWTS.
  23. Oct 26, 2010
    7
    Drake is probaly one of the most talented Canadian artists I have ever seen, (I wouldnt be surpized if a "Best New Artist" Grammy came his way soon) but some of the songs on this album are just plain boring. And I'm not saying all slow music is boring, but it should at least keep the listener engaged while listening to the music.
  24. Dec 20, 2012
    1
    At its best, this album is mediocre. Is Drake trying to be a pop artist, or a hip hop artist? "Thank Me Later"? I can't be thankful for something I'm reasonably ungrateful for.
  25. Apr 21, 2022
    10
    Thank Me Later is the rise of Drake as we all remember it. Full of memorable songs, nostalgia, great A-list features and Drake at his most “I got all the hits, boy". Classic all the way through!
  26. Aug 31, 2010
    8
    I was expecting more from him his mixtape was just great and he did good for an debut album there are songs that caught my eye such as the swagger filled song "Fancy" and the boastful "Show Me A Good Time" but those that lack substance is "Karaoke" which seems so bland and kind of pointless Drake has shown us he has potential but let's face it this is no where near better than "So FarI was expecting more from him his mixtape was just great and he did good for an debut album there are songs that caught my eye such as the swagger filled song "Fancy" and the boastful "Show Me A Good Time" but those that lack substance is "Karaoke" which seems so bland and kind of pointless Drake has shown us he has potential but let's face it this is no where near better than "So Far Gone" it is However a good album I gave him an 8 due to his intro and outro songs being attention grabbers in sum you will not be disappointed as long as you don't have the mixtape on your mind Collapse
  27. Jun 12, 2011
    8
    This album is almost perfect. I find that most of the songs are wonderful, though occasionally you might notice the same beats in the background. This album represents, and lives up to the hype that is Drake, the lyrics are what get me, they are deep, well thought out and at times witty. Drake let's us into his mind and soul for this album, and describes the very essence of who he is. TheThis album is almost perfect. I find that most of the songs are wonderful, though occasionally you might notice the same beats in the background. This album represents, and lives up to the hype that is Drake, the lyrics are what get me, they are deep, well thought out and at times witty. Drake let's us into his mind and soul for this album, and describes the very essence of who he is. The album is good, I wouldn't say great, because a couple of the middle tracks aren't incredible, and don't fit in, but most of the songs are fabulous tunes, that fans of almost any genre can enjoy. I'm not using this argument as an excuse, but Drake himself knew the album wouldn't be perfect because Motown Records pushed him to make the album date, and wouldn't allow an extension. Expand
  28. Apr 5, 2016
    7
    Em seu álbum de estréia, Drake exala confiança e maturidade, se mostrando a altura de outros grandes nomes do Rap. Sendo produzindo pelas editoras discográficas Young Money e Cash Money, “Thank me later” apresenta um material concreto e resoluto. Os versos explícitos de Drake são claros e sólidos, e de fato ele os pronuncia muito bem, mas por outro lado, a harmonia contida entre umasEm seu álbum de estréia, Drake exala confiança e maturidade, se mostrando a altura de outros grandes nomes do Rap. Sendo produzindo pelas editoras discográficas Young Money e Cash Money, “Thank me later” apresenta um material concreto e resoluto. Os versos explícitos de Drake são claros e sólidos, e de fato ele os pronuncia muito bem, mas por outro lado, a harmonia contida entre umas poucas faixas é involuntariamente ofuscada, e em alguns momentos se tornam tímidas e até mesmo irrelevantes. Drake por sua vez, consegue se adaptar excepcionalmente entre as transições de ritmos, e leva consigo ao decorrer do disco uma turminha de peso no cenário musical, como Jay-z, Lil Wayne, The-Dream e até mesmo Nick minaj, até então outra novata em meio a indústria, entretanto, é nas faixas “Over” e “Find your love” que o canadense mais se destaca, mesmo estando desacompanhado. Mesmo que inibido em alguns pontos, “Thank me later” consequentemente irá proporcionar aos fãs do Hip-Hop um ótimo divertimento, seja do primeiro verso até o último. (B) Expand
  29. May 19, 2011
    8
    This is a good album. Really. He opens up with the incredibly emotional & fantastically worded "Fireworks (f. Alicia Keys)", and continues his flow with tracks like "Up All Night (f. Nicki Minaj)", as well as "Fancy (f. Swizz Beatz & T.I.). However, this album sinks with some of his weaker tracks, such as "The Resistance" & "Thank Me Now", which ends the album on a shaky (and annoying)This is a good album. Really. He opens up with the incredibly emotional & fantastically worded "Fireworks (f. Alicia Keys)", and continues his flow with tracks like "Up All Night (f. Nicki Minaj)", as well as "Fancy (f. Swizz Beatz & T.I.). However, this album sinks with some of his weaker tracks, such as "The Resistance" & "Thank Me Now", which ends the album on a shaky (and annoying) note. However, this album shines, and I hope he nails "Take Care" like he did with this. I also hope to see some more material like his "So Far Gone" mixtape. Key Tracks: "Fireworks (f. Alicia Keys)" "Fancy (f. T.I. & Swizz Beatz" Expand
  30. Jan 6, 2015
    10
    Not half bad. The album explains how Drake feels about fame success. It's totally worth a listen. My two favorite tracks are the last two ("Find Your Love" and "Thank Me Now") because they are both extremely catchy and make a lot of sense, in my opinion.
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 26
  2. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Given his limitations, his famous friends are a mixed benefit, because they show him up.
  2. Thank Me Later may not have been the game-changing release everyone was hoping for, but we now have every reason to believe that the hype will ring true on his next album.
  3. Because of his relatively privileged upbringing (he's from a wealthy part of Toronto), Thank Me Later is less about chronicling and rising up out of his environment (like basically every rap debut since Illmatic) and more about how Drake is uncomfortable being famous.