Drake Album Take Care Tracklist: Why This 2011 Run Still Hits Different

Music eras come and go, but honestly, it’s rare for a tracklist to basically rewrite the rules of a whole genre. When the drake album take care tracklist leaked back in late 2011, people weren't just looking at song titles. They were looking at a shift in the tectonic plates of hip-hop.

Aubrey Graham didn't just drop a collection of songs; he handed us a blueprint for the "sad boy" aesthetic that has dominated the charts for the last decade plus. It was moody. It was atmospheric. It was deeply, uncomfortably personal. If you were around for the "Marvins Room" era, you remember exactly where you were when you first heard that muffled, underwater production.

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The album didn't just happen. It was a calculated risk that turned a former child actor into the biggest force in music.

The Drake Album Take Care Tracklist: A Song-by-Song Breakdown

Most people remember the big hits, but the real magic is in the sequencing. The way the album flows from the cold, wintery intro of Toronto to the gospel-heavy finish is a masterclass in pacing. Here is the official lineup that changed everything.

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1. Over My Dead Body – Chantal Kreviazuk’s haunting piano and vocals set the tone. It’s the ultimate "I’ve made it but I’m still stressed" opener.
2. Shot For Me – This is Drake at his most petty and confident. He’s literally telling an ex that her next man will never be him.
3. Headlines – The big single. It’s catchy, but the lyrics "I had someone tell me I fell off, ooh I needed that" showed he was reading the comments even back then.
4. Crew Love (feat. The Weeknd) – This was the world’s introduction to the XO sound. Abel Tesfaye essentially dominates the first half of the track, turning it into a dark, drugged-out anthem.
5. Take Care (feat. Rihanna) – Sampling Gil Scott-Heron (via Jamie xx), this title track is high-art pop. The chemistry between Drake and Rihanna was already legendary by this point.
6. Marvins Room / Buried Alive Interlude – The quintessential "drunk dial" song. It’s followed by a blistering Kendrick Lamar verse that many forget is even on this album.
7. Under Ground Kings – A rare moment of pure, high-energy rapping where Drake pays homage to UGK and the Houston influence on his sound.
8. We’ll Be Fine (feat. Birdman) – A T-Minus produced banger. It’s one of the few tracks that feels like a traditional 2011 radio rap song.
9. Make Me Proud (feat. Nicki Minaj) – The synergy between the Young Money titans was at its peak here.
10. Lord Knows (feat. Rick Ross) – Just Blaze on the beat. This track is massive. The choir, the maximalist production—it’s the heaviest moment on the record.
11. Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude – My personal favorite. It’s a 7-minute journey through the paranoia of fame and the girls left behind in Toronto.
12. Doing It Wrong – Stevie Wonder on the harmonica. Enough said. It’s the ultimate breakup song for people who don't want to be the "bad guy."
13. The Real Her (feat. Lil Wayne & André 3000) – Getting a 3 Stack feature in 2011 was a huge flex. This is a smooth, late-night R&B cut.
14. Look What You’ve Done – A heart-wrenching tribute to his mother Sandi, his grandmother, and his Uncle Steve. The voicemail at the end still hits hard.
15. HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right) (feat. Lil Wayne) – The energy spike the album needed before the home stretch.
16. Practice – A flip of Juvenile’s "Back That Azz Up" but turned into a slow, seductive R&B track.
17. The Ride – The Weeknd returns for the outro. It’s a cynical look at the perks of wealth. "You and the 6ix raised me right."

Why the Sequencing Matters So Much

You've probably noticed that the drake album take care tracklist isn't just a bunch of bangers thrown together. It's structured like a night out that starts with high hopes and ends with a blurry, regretful cab ride home.

Noah "40" Shebib, Drake’s long-time producer and right-hand man, used low-pass filters to create that "underwater" sound. It makes the album feel private, like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation. Critics at the time, like those at Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, noted how the album felt like a direct response to Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak, but with more "dirt" under its fingernails.

The features weren't just for clout, either. Think about it. He had Rick Ross for the luxury rap, Nicki for the pop appeal, and then he brought in a relatively unknown (at the time) Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. He was curating a sound, not just an album.

The Hidden Gems and Bonus Tracks

If you only listened to the standard version, you missed out on some of the best writing of Drake's career. The Deluxe edition added:

• The Motto (feat. Lil Wayne) – The song that literally put "YOLO" into the dictionary. It’s a Bay Area-inspired slap that became a cultural phenomenon.
• Hate Sleeping Alone – A classic "40" production that fits perfectly with the lonely-at-the-top theme.

There's a reason this album won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2013. It wasn't just popular; it was important. It validated the idea that a rapper could be vulnerable without losing their "street cred" (though people definitely argued about that for years).

Take Care’s Lasting Legacy in 2026

Looking back from 2026, the drake album take care tracklist feels like a time capsule. It represents the last moment before Drake became the "untouchable" megastar. He was still hungry. He was still hurt by the blogs. He was still trying to prove he belonged in the same conversation as Jay-Z and Kanye.

The influence is everywhere today. Every time you hear a melodic rap song with a moody synth in the background, you're hearing the DNA of Take Care. It taught a generation of artists that you could talk about your feelings, your mom, and your ex-girlfriends from the gym, and still run the charts.

Honestly, if you haven't sat down and listened to the whole thing from front to back lately, do yourself a favor. Skip the shuffle. Put on some headphones, wait for a rainy night, and let the tracklist do its work. It’s a 17-song journey (19 if you’re fancy) that still hasn't been topped in terms of sheer "vibe."

Actionable Next Steps:
To truly appreciate the depth of the drake album take care tracklist, go back and listen to the transition between "Marvins Room" and the "Buried Alive Interlude." Notice how the tempo doesn't just change; the entire mood shifts from self-pity to a frantic, hungry ambition. It’s the clearest example of the "Dual Drake" persona—the singer and the rapper—vying for space on the same record. Check out the production credits for Jamie xx and Just Blaze to see how Drake blended indie-electronic sensibilities with hard-hitting East Coast hip-hop.