Thank Me Later

Thank Me Later is the debut studio album of Canadian recording artist Drake, released June 15, 2010, on Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records. Production for the album took place at various recording studios during 2009 to 2010 and was mostly produced by longtime collaborators Noah "40" Shebib and Boi-1da, and also featured contributions from Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, The-Dream and Kanye West, among others. Thank Me Later features a predominantly sparse, downbeat production and contains subjective lyrics concerning themes of fame, self-examination, and love.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Drake's introspective lyrics and drew musical comparisons to the works of hip hop artists Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Following an anticipated release, it debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 447,000 copies in the United States in its first week. It reached platinum certification in Canada within its debut week and produced four singles that attained chart success, including international hit "Find Your Love" and Billboard hits "Over", "Miss Me" and "Fancy". The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and, as of February 2012, has sold 1,551,000 copies in the US.
Released in February 2009, Drake's mixtape So Far Gone proceeded his series of early mixtapes and achieved unexpected critical and commercial success, earning him two Grammy Award-nominations and producing the hit single "Best I Ever Had". The single reappeared on his debut EP, which was released after a bidding competition among labels and his signing with Universal Motown Records amid support from high-profile hip hop artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne. Drake followed-up on So Far Gone's success with several guest appearances on other rappers' works, adding to the hype surrounding him at the time.
In an interview for Complex, Drake stated that his debut album will be "a solid hip hop album" and musically distinct from So Far Gone, which received comparisons to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak (2008). He expressed a desire to work with André 3000, Kid Cudi, and Sade for the album. In an interview for MTV, Drake cited Nas and André 3000 as influences for parts of Thank Me Later, stating "Nas was somebody that I used to listen to his raps and never understood how he did it. I always wanted to understand how he painted those pictures and his bar structure. I went back and really studied Nas and André 3000 and then came back with this album". In comparing the album to his previous work, he stated "It's gonna be bigger, it's gonna sound happier. More victorious, 'cause that's where I'm at in my life". He told Entertainment Weekly that, "I didn't make this album for commercial purposes. A lot of the verses are extremely long. I just made it to share with people. I hope they can enjoy".