Drake came into our hearts in the early aughts as a teenager with a really bad haircut on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

His musical talent is, at this point, undeniable and many people think he and his signature pout are very attractive. In all the talk, and ample punchlines, Drake has no shortage of quotes that are actually pretty powerful. 

1. "Live without pretending, love without depending, listen without defending, speak without offending."

Drake tweeted out a small stanza back in 2011, the year his second studio album,Take Care, dropped. While Take Care is considered by some to be hist best artistic offering to date, there was a lot going on in his personal life at the time. This Drake era saw the beginning of an on-and-off again love affair with Rihanna that later led to a club brawl with Chris Brown. Everyone has matured now but it's inspiring to see how positive Drizzy stayed during the chaos.

2. “You know it’s real when you are who you think you are.”

"Pound Cake" was featured on Drake's 2013 album Nothing Was The Same. Fitting the theme of the album, the quote speaks to the power of coming into yourself, and the person you grow into being exactly who you knew you were. Drake's early confidence from obscure child actor to mixtape up-and-comer showed a person who never wavered in his belief he'd be who he is today. It's beyond inspiring to see. 

3. "Last name ever, first name greatest."

Ok. So maybe this isn't a long manifesto on life and confidence. It's not even a very witty line, but it's still a hilariously on-brand quote. Plus, it's really fun to say whenever you need that extra boost of feeling yourself. 

4. "I'm trying to do better than good enough."

Drake is a 33-year-old who was the youngest rapper to make the Forbes list last year. He's built an empire by relentless work ethic and carving out a lane for himself. It's hard to really appreciate, because he makes it look so fun but his legacy is far from over. 

5. “I don’t measure my success anymore by the Grammys. I can’t because I’ll just end up crushed.” Billboard, 2011

Drake said back in 2011 that he couldn't measure his success by Grammy nods because he knew the genre wasn't typically appreciated. Ironically, Drake won a Grammy in 2019 where he immediately threw shade at the awards ceremony and was unceremoniously cut off during his speech. Tyler, The Creator called out the Grammy's this year for what he found to be a racist "urban" category. It seems like more artist should adopt Drake's 2011 philosophy because it doesn't look like the Grammys are changing soon. 

6. “Life can always change, you have to adjust.”

The "You Know You Know" quote is so appropriate during these days where we find out the most radical news instantly. It's hard to constantly feel that you're not on even footing, but this is a great reminder most times we just have to adjust.

7. “I learned working with the negatives could make for better pictures.”

Some pretty insightful "HYFR (Hell Yeah F***ing Right)," even if the hook and name of the song lives little to be desired. There's beauty in being able to turn a bad situation into a good one. Most times, all it takes is a change of perspective. 

If you're reading this, remember Drake can be a major key when you need a quick confidence boost. 

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