How Drake took over the music industry
Aubrey "Drake" Graham has been able to accomplish just that: Since the beginning of his career, he has rarely struck out.
Mainstream-music listeners are always looking for who or what's next, but Drake has already arrived and is here to stay.
All three of the rapper's studio albums reached platinum status quickly, selling over 2 million copies each in the US alone.
His 2011 album "Take Care" has sold 4.6 million copies worldwide, and he followed that up in his 2013 "Nothing Was the Same," moving over 7 million copies.
His "Worst Behavior" video has over 50,000,000 plays on YouTube:
Earlier this year Drake released a mixtape, "If you're reading this it's too late"; it produced record numbers and went platinum basically overnight.
He was most recently featured in Meek Mill's song "R.I.C.O.," which blew up.
Billboard hits
In 2014, Drake landed on the Billboard Top 100 chart for the 72nd time and passed the Beatles for the eighth most hits ever, a feat he accomplished in five years.
He tied a Beatles record earlier this year by posting 14 hits on the Billboard 100 at the same time - basically his entire mixtape.
But the most incredible stat of Drake's career has to be from 2012, when he passed hip-hop legend Jay Z for most No. 1 hits ever on Billboard's hip-hop chart in just over two years.
Everyone around him who starts small makes it big
Each time Drake puts out a collaboration with a new artist the song does well. "The Weeknd," a singer who has become mainstream since 2011, debuted his big-time voice on Drake's second album, "Take Care," in multiple songs, and his career has never been the same.
He went on to chart multiple times on billboard and now has been on multiple tours with Drake.
Artist "PartyNextDoor" has been on multiple songs with Drake, and became a celebrity over night after being featured on Drake's discography.
Migos, a group out of Atlanta, started their careers in 2009 but were largely unknown until their 2013 single "Versace," which featured Drake. They have gone on to produce a mixtape that was certified gold and have collaborated with other major artists.
And most recently Drake collaborated with little-known artist Ilovemakonnen in "Tuesday," a club banger that reached 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
What's next?
Drake's highly anticipated "Views From the 6" is due out this year, and many think it could be his best yet.
He announced he would be releasing "Views From the 6" on Apple Music. Now, releasing an entire album on a streaming platform is a venture not many artists have tried, and it could be Drake's first hiccup. It allows only a certain number of people to hear the music, and without a physical release sales might suffer.
But when it comes to who's the face of mainstream music, Drake's name has to be thrown in with the likes of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and other artists who produce musical gold and sell out crowds every night.