''Take Care'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and

Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

. The album features guest appearances from the Weeknd,

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

, Kendrick Lamar, Birdman, Nicki Minaj,

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

, Lil Wayne, and André 3000. Alongside prominent production from the album's executive producers Drake and 40, further contributors include

T-Minus A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

Chantal Kreviazuk Chantal Jennifer Kreviazuk (; born May 18, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist. Born in Winnipeg, she played music from a young age before signing with Columbia Records in the 1990s. Her debut studio album, ''Under These ...

, Boi-1da,

Illangelo Carlo Montagnese (born July 29, 1987), known professionally as Illangelo, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, musician and mixing engineer from Calgary, Alberta, who came to attention as long-time collaborator of the Weeknd. A Grammy Awa ...

Jamie xx James Thomas Smith (born 28 October 1988), known professionally as Jamie xx, is an English musician, DJ, record producer and remixer. He is known for both his solo work and as a member of the English indie pop band The xx. He has been described ...

Supa Dups Dwayne Chin-Quee, better known as Supa Dups, is a Jamaican record producer, a drummer, and selector based in Miami, Florida. He is a member of the Black Chiney sound system. His father is a second generation Chinese Jamaican, and his mother ...

, Just Blaze, Chase N. Cashe, and Doc McKinney. Prior to ''Take Care'', Drake released '' Thank Me Later'', which experienced positive critical success, but left him feeling disjointed about the album's musical content. Expressing a desire to reunite with 40, his long-time producer who featured in parts on ''Thank Me Later'', the duo worked extensively on the new album once recording sessions began in 2010. Drake's vocals on the album feature emotional crooning,

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

vocals, a guttural cadence, a melodic

flow Flow may refer to: Science and technology * Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid * Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology * Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set * Flow (psych ...

, and a larger emphasis on singing than on ''Thank Me Later''. In comparison to his debut album, Drake revealed that the album is called ''Take Care'' because "I get to take my time this go-round ather than rush. The album also expands on the low-tempo, sensuous, and dark sonic aesthetic of ''Thank Me Later''. It incorporates several elements that have come to define Drake's sound, including minimalist R&B influences, existential subject matter, and alternately sung and rapped vocals. It features a mixture of

braggadocio Braggadocio may refer to: *Braggadocchio, a fictional character in the epic poem ''The Faerie Queene'' *A braggart or empty boasting *Braggadocio (rap), a type of rapping *Braggadocio (typeface), a typeface *Braggadocio, Missouri Braggadocio is ...

and emotional lyrics, exploring themes of fame, romance, and wealth. The album also highlights other topics, such as Drake's relationships with friends and family, as well as touching on sex and narcissism. Despite leaking online nine days before its scheduled release, ''Take Care'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 631,000 copies in its first week. It has been certified six times platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). Four of the album's singles peaked in the top 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100: " Headlines", " Make Me Proud", " The Motto" and " Take Care". The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its expansive production and emotional themes. It was named one of 2011's best albums, and subsequently one of the best albums of the 2010s, by several publications. It won Drake his first Grammy Award, winning Best Rap Album at the

2013 Grammy Awards The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. E ...

. In 2020, the album was ranked 95th on '' Rolling Stone''s updated list of the

500 Greatest Albums of All Time * Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time * NME's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a 2013 special issue of British magazine '' NME'', available digitally or in newsstands on October 23. The li ...

Background and recording

In 2010, Drake released his debut album '' Thank Me Later'', continuing his creative partnership with record producer and audio engineer Noah "40" Shebib, who had first introduced his distinct sound on Drake's breakthrough mixtape '' So Far Gone'' (2009). ''Thank Me Later'' became a commercial success and was well received by music critics and also Prior to ''Take Care'', Drake also expanded his repertoire as a live performer. For the album, he intended to have Shebib handle most of the production and record a more cohesive sound than on ''Thank Me Later'', which featured disparate production duties by Shebib and others. In November 2010, Drake revealed the title of his next studio album will be ''Take Care''. In comparison to his debut album Drake revealed to Y.C Radio 1 that ''Thank Me Later'' was a rushed album, stating, "I didn’t get to take the time that I wanted to on that record. I rushed a lot of the songs and sonically I didn’t get to sit with the record and say, 'I should change this verse.' "Once it was done, it was done. That’s why my new album is called Take Care because I get to take my time this go-round." Drake mentioned after OVO Fest 2011 that Take Care could have up to 18 songs on it, and added that

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

contributed to the creative direction of the album and will be featured on the album as well. Drake also revealed that the album was recorded mainly in Toronto. Debating whether to submit his final cut or not, Drake's preferred release date that motivated him to created a "Birthday edition", much like a deluxe edition to be released on the iTunes Store. Several producers were revealed to be working with Drake on ''Take Care'' other than Noah "40" Shebib (who is the main producer of the album), including

, the xx's Jamie Smith and Boi-1da (who is a long-time Drake collaborator). He had initially recruited

9th Wonder Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975),
better known as 9th Wonder, is a documentary ''The Wonder Year'' and expressed his desire to make a number one hit with him, however, in an interview about a month prior to the slated release date, 9th said that he was not on the album. 9th states that was a part of the reason, because he was going through an A&R and playing beats for them as opposed to the artist himself, which he is opposed to. Drake had also been planning on having Q-Tip, DJ Premier, and the Neptunes as producers on the album, but those projects fell through as well. Several artists were confirmed as collaborators with Drake on ''Take Care'' consist of

, Kendrick Lamar,

, André 3000,

, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and

. He had initially reached out to

Phonte Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known mononymously as Phonte (born December 28, 1978), is an American rapper, singer, and producer. He is currently of the North Carolina hip-hop trio/duo Little Brother (revived in 2019 without producer 9th Wonder) and ...

of the group Little Brother (who is a major influence on his career). The track was made for ''Take Care'', but did not make it for the album, due to an issue he had with the producer. Drake admits in an interview to "dropping the ball" on the project and is optimistic about a future collaboration with Phonte. He also wanted to collaborate with

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

stating, "The song was gonna be dope," it was produced by Noah "40" Shebib. "It was solid, a solid little look. But he's so immersed in the acting thing, and I don't blame him, he's doing great at it. He was just like, 'I really want to work. I just can't do it right now. But we'll work as soon as I'm back in the studio." They later collaborated on the song " Cabaret" for Timberlake's 2013 album '' The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2''.

Music

''Take Care'' expands on the low-tempo, sensuous, and dark sonic aesthetic of ''Thank Me Later''. Primarily a hip hop album, it has a languid, grandiose production that incorporates R&B,

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

, and post-dubstep styles. The music is typified by an atmospheric sound, muted textures, slow tempos, subtle chords, melodic synth tracks, low-end grooves, and sparse, ambient arrangements. Noah "40" Shebib contributed to most of the album's production with murky beats, dark synth layers, atmospheric keyboards, moody guitar sounds, smooth piano, muffled drums, dramatic flourishes, and low-pass filters. Although he is credited as producer for only eight of the album's 17 songs, Shebib also served as

audio engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

and mix engineer on the album. His production for the album is characteristic of the Toronto hip hop scene, which experienced a mainstream breakthrough with Shebib's work with Drake, producers Boi-1da and

, and singer-songwriter the Weeknd, all of whom contributed to ''Take Care''. Evan Rytlewski of '' The A.V. Club'' comments that the album is "crafted primarily around the oblique production of Drake's native Toronto—all rippling synths, distant pulses, and purposeful empty space". Music writers noted "late-night" and 1990s-era R&B influence in the album's music. NPR writer Frannie Kelley notes "minimalist reworkings of

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...

's minor-key soul and ..trancey rhythms that land somewhere between paranoid Sly Stone and smoked-out

Maxwell Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage o ...

". Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media comments that the music "breathes heavy somewhere between

UGK UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman. They released their first major-label album, ''Too Hard to Swallow'', in 1992, followe ...

's deep

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, quiet-storm 90s R&B, and James Blake-inspired minimalism", and interprets its subtle style to be "a direct rebuke" to the prevalence of European dance influences in mainstream music. '' Los Angeles Times'' writer Todd Martens views that the album's mood and style are modelled after Kanye West's 2008 album '' 808s & Heartbreak''. Other producers' tracks are more up-tempo and shift from the melancholic mood of Shebib's production. Songs on the album are lengthy, sonically expansive, and accompanied by playful interludes. Lauren Carter of the ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...

'' writes of the song structure on ''Take Care'', "Musical themes vanish and re-appear, layers build upon layers and then strip down to bare bones as tightly wound tracks give way to gauzy, lush interludes. Most songs sound intentionally distorted and warped". Drake's vocals on the album feature emotional crooning,

vocals, a guttural cadence, a melodic

, and a larger emphasis on singing than on his previous album, ''Thank Me Later''.

Lyrics

The album's subject matter expands on ''Thank Me Later''s theme of ambivalence and conflicted feelings toward fame. Drake's lyrics on ''Take Care'' address failed romances,

missed connection A missed connection is a type of personal advertisement which arises after two people meet but are too shy or otherwise unable to exchange contact details. The "Missed Connections" section of Craigslist gets thousands of ads of this type every ...

s, relationship with friends and family, maintaining balance with growing wealth and fame, concerns about leading a hollow life, the passage of young adulthood, and despondency. The album's slower songs generally explore themes of loneliness, heartbreak, and mistrust. The topic of women is prevalent on the album, with songs that address past and potential lovers ("Marvins Room", "The Real Her") and songs about revering ("Make Me Proud") and lavishing them ("We'll Be Fine"). Juan Edgardo Rodriguez of No Ripcord denotes women as "the main force in his songs – he’s consciously aware about what it takes to love them, but simply decides to thrust aside the guidelines because he's on an entirely different stratosphere from any female

average joe The terms average Joe, ordinary Joe, Joe Sixpack, Joe Lunchbucket, Joe Snuffy, Joe Blow, Joe Schmo (for males) and ordinary Jane, average Jane, and plain Jane (for females), are used primarily in North America to refer to a completely average p ...

." The album's expositional content is interpreted by critics in relation to contemporary society. ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

''s Glenn Gamboa views that Drake's "emotional self-doubt and realizations about ..success", along with the album's melancholy mood, "captur stoday's zeitgeist of uncertainty and diminishing expectations." Music journalist Ann Powers cites Drake's "predicament — the inability to locate oneself within everyday power relations" as "one that's afflicted existential antiheroes throughout modernity." She denotes his point of view as that of a "biracial

upper middle-class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...

kid ..from a position of privilege that few rappers would occupy", and finds his subject matter culturally significant, stating " s melancholia is that of the overly sated ..But Drake's relentless focus on the point where money empties out happiness isn't merely autobiographical. It's emblematic of our moment of crashed markets and occupied streets, and it speaks to a generation beginning to question whether the All-American, celebrity-endorsed credit card lifestyle will make them anything but bankrupt." Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal compares his "unrepentant navel-gazing and obsession with lost love" to

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

's 1978 album ''

Here, My Dear ''Here, My Dear'' is the fifteenth studio album by music artist Marvin Gaye, released as a double album on December 15, 1978, on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. allmusic - Here, My Dear overview/ref> Recording sessions for the album took ...

'', adding that Drake's "penchant for poetic oversharing" makes him "an apt avatar" for the Information Age. Drake's songwriting is characterized by wistful introspection, existential contemplation, and minimal boasting, with lyrics that convey frankness, vulnerability, melancholia, and narcissism. Andy Gill of '' The Independent'' writes that he "eschews anger or threat for a weariness shadowed by wistful regret." Music journalist Greg Kot comments that Drake does not "indulge in the macho poses that have dominated mainstream hip-hop for decades, and blur the line between singing and rhyming", adding that he "makes his rhymes sound conversational, matter of fact, like he’s talking to the listener one-one-one". Tim Sendra of AllMusic notes that his "introspective tone ..is only rarely punctured by aggressive tracks, boasts, and/or come-ons." Drake's persona on songs shows traits of sincerity, self-doubt, regret, passive-aggressiveness, and self-absorption. Kazeem Famuyide of '' The Source'' explains his conflicted persona as being "arrogant enough to know his place as one of the most successful artist in hip-hop, and comfortable enough to realize his own faults in his personal life." Jon Dolan of '' Rolling Stone'' writes that Drake "collapse many moods – arrogance, sadness, tenderness and self-pity – into one vast, squish-souled emotion." Kevin Ritchie of '' NOW'' notes "an overwhelming sense of alienation, and sadness" on ''Take Care'', calling it "an idiosyncratic, aggressively self-conscious and occasionally sentimental album".

Release and promotion

The first track Drake released was "Dreams Money Can Buy" on May 20, 2011 through his October's Very Own blog. Drake mentioned this song was "A Story of Dreams, mixed with reality," and that this was not his first single off the album but that it would be included on ''Take Care''. On June 9, 2011, a second track titled "

Marvins Room "Marvins Room" is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake. It is the lead single from Drake's second studio album '' Take Care''. Produced by 40, it features keyboard-based instrumentation and muted bass. "Marvins Room" is performed from the ...

" was released via his blog. Drake initially stated that the song would not be featured on ''Take Care'', but because of the song's unexpected success, prompting it was released as a digital and radio single on July 22, 2011 and would be on ''Take Care''. "Trust Issues" was then released shortly after on his blog, but was confirmed not to be on the album via Drake's Twitter. He explained that the song was an idea he had from I'm On One and made it "just for fun." However, in an interview, Drake stated that Trust Issues, along with Dreams Money Can Buy, would be included in the Birthday Edition of the album. On September 10, 2011, Drake released a new song titled "Club Paradise" on his October's Very Own blog. "Dropping this for our boy Avery...this was his favorite sh*t during the recording process. 2 more songs coming tonight as well. ovoxo," he wrote on his blog. On September 11, 2011, Drake released another track entitled "Free Spirit" featuring Rick Ross and blogged that another was to be released that night, as well. Later that night he released a remix of Waka Flocka Flame's " Round of Applause". On September 23, 2011, Drake released the official album cover to ''Take Care''. On October 20, 2011, an unfinished version of "The Real Her" featuring only Lil Wayne was leaked online. On October 8, 2011, Drake announced on his OVO blog that ''Take Care'' would be pushed back until November 15 because of three sample clearances (Take Care, Cameras, & Practice). It was originally to be released on his 25th birthday, October 24, 2011. The

Club Paradise Tour The Club Paradise Tour was the second headlining tour by Canadian recording artist Drake. The tour came following the release of Drake's second studio album, '' Take Care''. The tour's name spins off from the 2011 song "Club Paradise", a promotio ...

was revealed to start in November on Twitter. However, it was revealed that the tour was delayed until after Christmas/New Year break so Drake could perform at more schools. A chopped and screwed version of the album remixed by OG Ron C and

DJ Candlestick Omar Barton (born June 21, 1985), better known by his stage name DJ Candlestick, is an American DJ, radio personality, and record producer. He is a member of The Chopstars of the ChopNotSlop subgenre, former on-air personality for KQBT 93.7 Th ...

of the Chopstars titled ''Chop Care'' was released on November 29, 2011, and received over 1 million downloads in the first 48 hours. It was featured on a variety of media blogs, magazines, and newspapers. It was included on year-end lists by several publications, including The New York Times which gave major praise.

Singles

According to ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', as of 2022, ''Take Care'' is one of the 15 best-performing 21st-century albums without any of its singles being number-one hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album's lead single, "

" impacted urban radio on June 28, 2011; peaking at number 21 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Following by the second single, " Headlines", which was released through his blog on July 31, 2011. The production on both of these songs was handled by Boi-1da and Noah "40" Shebib; it was released to radio and

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

on August 9, 2011. "Headlines" debuted at number 13 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 98 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. " Make Me Proud" featuring Nicki Minaj, was released through Drake's blog on October 13, 2011, as the album's third single. The song was produced by

and Kromatik. It was released to iTunes on October 16, 2011. The song peaked at number 9 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album's fourth single, " The Motto" featuring Lil Wayne, impacted rhythmic radio and urban radio stations on November 29, 2011. It was re-released to rhythmic radio on January 10, 2012. It officially impacted Top 40/Mainstream radio on April 10, 2012. The single debuted at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with first-week sales of 124,000 copies. It has since sold over 3 million copies in the United States, becoming the most successful single from the album thus far and his third single overall to reach the milestone. " Take Care" featuring

, was released as the album's fifth single. It impacted US

rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...

radio on January 17, 2012. Prior to its release as a single, the song entered the UK Singles Chart on November 20, 2011, at number 12. It also debuted at number nine on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Take Care" became one of Drake's highest-charting songs as a solo artist in the United Kingdom and United S, with first-week sales of 162,000 in the US. In its seventeenth week on the Hot 100, the track rose to a new peak of number seven. As of July 2012 the single has sold over two million digital copies. " HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" was released as the album's sixth single. Lil Wayne is also featured on this track. The music video shoot for the song took place on March 21, 2012. The video was released on April 6, 2012. It officially impacted rhythmic and urban radio on April 24, 2012. " Crew Love" was released as the album's seventh single in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2012. The song peaked at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart and number 80 on both the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100.

Critical reception

''Take Care'' received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on 34 reviews. John McDonnell of '' NME'' dubbed it "an affecting masterpiece" and commended its "delicate, mellifluous sound and unashamedly candid, emotive lyrics." '' Pitchfork''s Ryan Dombal found Drake's "technical abilities" to be improved and stated, "Just as his thematic concerns have become richer, so has the music backing them up." Andy Hutchins of '' The Village Voice'' called it "a carefully crafted bundle of contradictory sentiments from a conflicted rapper who explores his own neuroses in as compelling a manner as anyone not named Kanye West." '' Chicago Tribune'' writer Greg Kot complimented the depth of Drake's "moral psychodramas" and stated, "the best of it affirms that Drake is shaping a pop persona with staying power." Nitsuh Abebe of ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' wrote that the album "is full of gorgeous tones ... And the lyrics surrounding them can be rich with meaning". Evan Rytlewski of '' The A.V. Club'' found it "plenty downbeat, but lsogorgeous, an immersive headphone masterwork that's tender and intimate like little else in contemporary rap and R&B." Ann Powers of NPR felt that "the artfulness of this music allows me an in to that experience. I can make that leap and identify with Drake, or at least be intrigued by multiple characters in the little dramas he designs." Jon Caramanica of '' The New York Times'' called it "an album of eccentric black pop that takes" hip hop and R&B "as starting points, asks what they can do but haven’t been doing, then attempts those things. In the future an album like this will be commonplace; today, it’s radical." With ''Take Care'', he named Drake "hip-hop's current center of gravity". In a mixed review, Kyle Anderson of '' Entertainment Weekly'' panned its content as "one overlong woozy monologue" and called the album a "total downer", adding that "Drake half-bakes his woozy rap-croon and glazes it with sluggish keyboard hums, stalling the album’s momentum". In a negative review, Alex Macpherson of '' The Guardian'' found his singing "insipid", his rapping "inert", and his lyrics "hollow", writing that "he doesn't seem to realise that introspection is only worth a damn if you're an interesting person." ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

''s Robert Everett-Green criticized Drake's lyrics as "drawling patter" and found the songs to "noodle around ..aimlessly".

Accolades

According to Metacritic, ''Take Care'' was the ninth-highest-ranked album in year-end top 10 lists by music critics, based on 135 lists. It was named the best album of 2012 by the ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''The New York Times'', and was ranked number three by '' Now'' and

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, number four by ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

'', number five by ''

'' and '' The Washington Post'', number seven by ''

Fact A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...

'', number eight by ''

'', NPR, and ''Pitchfork'', number 14 by ''Slant Magazine'', and number 22 by ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Spin''. It was also named as a longlisted nominee for the

2012 Polaris Music Prize The 2012 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 24, 2012"Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands"
''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', June 14, 2012. In 2012, '' Complex'' named the album one of the classic albums of the last decade. ''Take Care'' won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the

55th Grammy Awards The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. E ...

. In October 2013, ''Complex'' named it the fourth-best hip hop album of the last five years. In January 2015, ''Billboard'' named it the sixth-best album of the 2010s (so far). In September 2020, it was named the 95th greatest album of all time by ''Rolling Stone''.

Commercial performance

''Take Care'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 631,000 copies, becoming Drake’s second number-one album. The album also topped the ''Billboard''

Rap Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...

and

R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...

in its debut week. On January 31, 2012, the album was certified platinum by the

(RIAA) for shipments of one million copies in the United States. As of August 2015, the album has sold 2,260,000 copies in the United States. On September 27, 2019, the album was certified six times platinum for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over six million copies in the United States. In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the

Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...

, selling 48,000 copies in its first week. It has been certified double platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association, indicating shipments of 160,000 copies. In the United Kingdom, ''Take Care'' entered at number five on the UK Albums Chart and on January 18, 2013, the album went platinum with the British Recorded Music Industry, with 300,000 copies shipped to UK retailers.Certified Awards Search
British Phonographic Industry. Last accessed with search for "Take Care" album on December 27, 2011.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Notes * signifies a co-producer * signifies an additional producer * Beck is only a credited writer for the song "Good Ones Go Interlude" * On the physical edition of the album, "Headlines" has a run time of 3:26 and features the "Crew Love" introduction. On the digital edition of the album, the original single version of "Headlines" is used * On the physical edition of the album, "Marvins Room" and "Buried Alive Interlude" are listed as a single track, and Kendrick Lamar is uncredited * "Cameras" on track 12 was co-produced by Drake, and "Good Ones Go (Interlude)" was produced by Noah "40" Shebib Sample credits * "Over My Dead Body" contains elements of "Sailin' Da South" (written by Cedric Hall) performed by DJ Screw. * "Shot for Me" contains a sample of " Anything" (written by Tyrone Armstrong, Brian Morgan and Ray Smith) performed by SWV. * "Take Care" contains elements of "I'll Take Care of You" (written by Brook Benton) performed by

Gil Scott-Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American Jazz poetry, jazz poet, singer, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician ...

. * "Under Ground Kings" contains elements of "Neck of the Woods" (written by Batman, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Tristan Jones, Bryan Williams and Ronald Williams) performed by Birdman featuring Lil Wayne; elements of "

Duffle Bag Boy "Duffle Bag Boy" is the debut single by American hip hop duo Playaz Circle featuring Lil Wayne, released as the lead single from the former's debut album, '' Supply & Demand'' (2007). The song was produced by M16 and Liam Kantwill. The song peak ...

" (written by Joshua Banks, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Earl Conyers and Tauheed Epps) performed by

Playaz Circle Playaz Circle is an American hip hop duo signed to the Def Jam Recordings record label, composed of rappers 2 Chainz and Dolla Boy. History 1997–2010: Beginnings and debut album The duo was formed in 1997 by childhood friends Tity Boi (late ...

featuring Lil Wayne; and elements of "Farmer's Pleasure (Loving This) (Remix)" (written by Siccature Alcock, Troy Azore and Trayon Garrett) performed by Jah Cure. * "Cameras" contains excerpts of "Calling on You" (written by Jonathan Buck and Ngai McGee) performed by

Jon B. Jonathan David Buck (born November 11, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album, '' Bonafide'' (1995), went platinum. Early life Born in Providence, Rhode Island, United States and raised in Altadena, ...

* "Doing It Wrong" contains elements of "The Wrong Thing to Do" written and performed by Don McLean. *"Look What You've Done" contains elements of "If U Scared, Say U Scared" (written by Jawann Peacock and

Stephen Garrett Stephen Ellis Garrett (November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008), known professionally as Static Major (and previously as Static), was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Louisville, Kentucky. He was a member of the R&B tri ...

) performed by

Playa Playa (plural playas) may refer to: Landforms * Endorheic basin, also known as a sink, alkali flat or sabkha, a desert basin with no outlet which periodically fills with water to form a temporary lake * Dry lake, often called a ''playa'' in the so ...

. * "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" contains elements of "Swanging and Banging" written and performed by

E.S.G. ESG may refer to : Groups * Election Support Group, an internationally sponsored organization analyzing and supporting the electoral process in Pakistan * ES Guelma, an Algerian football club based in Guelma * Escuela Superior de Guerra (Argenti ...

(Cedric Hall). * "Practice" contains elements of "

Back That Azz Up "Back That Thang Up" (or the uncensored version "Back That Azz Up") is a song recorded by American rapper Juvenile featuring fellow American rappers Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne. Produced by Fresh, it was released on June 11, 1999, as the second ...

" (written by Dwayne Carter, Jr., Terius Gray and Byron Thomas) performed by

Juvenile Juvenile may refer to: *Juvenile status, or minor (law), prior to adulthood *Juvenile (organism) *Juvenile (rapper) (born 1975), American rapper * ''Juvenile'' (2000 film), Japanese film * ''Juvenile'' (2017 film) *Juvenile (greyhounds), a greyho ...

featuring Lil Wayne and

Mannie Fresh Byron Otto Thomas (born March 20, 1969), better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is an American music producer and rapper. He's best known for his productions on Cash Money Records releases, as well being half of the hip hop duo (alongside ...

. * "The Motto" contains elements of " She Will" (written by Dwayne Carter, Jr.,

Aubrey Graham Aubrey Drake Graham ( ; born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper and singer. An influential figure in contemporary popular music, Drake has been credited for popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip hop. He gained recognition by ...

and Tyler Williams) performed by Lil Wayne featuring Drake; and elements of " Baby Got Back" written and performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot (Anthony Ray).

Personnel

Credits for ''Take Care'' adapted from AllMusic and album's liner notes. * Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – engineer (track 7) * Hyghly Alleyne – photography * André 3000 — vocals (track 14) * Bonnie Artis – choir (track 1) * Alyse Barnhill – choir (track 7) * Les Bateman – system engineer * Divine Brown – background vocals (tracks 3, 20) * Wado Brown – organ (track 17) * Cortez Bryant – executive producer * Sean Buchanan – assistant engineer (track 9) * Michael "Banger" Cadahia – engineer (tracks 14, 16, 19) * Noel Cadastre – engineer (track 13), assistant engineer (1-6, 8-12, 14–18, 20), assistant mix engineer (2-4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 16, 18) * Becky Campbell – assistant mix engineer (track 10) * Noel "Gadget" Campbell – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 5, 8-10, 12.1, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20), additional bass (10) * Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter – vocals (tracks 14, 16, 19), executive producer * Lyttleton "Cartwheel" Carter – assistant engineer (tracks 13, 18) * Chase N. Cashe – producer and instrumentation (track 15) * Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee – producer (track 7) * Ariel Chobaz – engineer (track 10) *

Romy Madley Croft The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), and ...

– guitar (track 5) * Adrian "X" Eccleston – guitar (tracks 6, 12.1, 13, 17, 18) * Oliver El-Khatib – A&R, executive producer * Alvin Fields – choir director (track 11) * Elizabeth Gallardo – assistant engineer (track 16) * Chris Gehringer – mastering * Chilly Gonzales – outro piano (track 6), Rhodes and lead synthesizer (track 12.2) *

Aubrey Drake Graham Aubrey Drake Graham ( ; born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper and singer. An influential figure in contemporary popular music, Drake has been credited for popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip hop. He gained recognition by ...

– executive producer, vocals, co-producer (tracks 12.1, 14, 17) * Ricardo Gutierrez – additional mastering (track 11) * Rose Hart – choir (track 11) * Taylor Hill – choir (track 11) * Sam Holland – assistant engineer (track 10) * John Holmes – engineer (track 14) * Tammy Infusino – choir (track 11) * Ebony Jackson – choir (track 11) * Erika Johnson – choir (track 11) * Just Blaze – producer and mixing (track 11) *

Brent Kolatalo Brent Kolatalo is an American Mixing engineer, mixer, record producer, Audio engineer, engineer and songwriter based in New York City. Kolatalo has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Drake (musician), ...

– additional engineering and additional instrumentation (track 11) *

– co-producer, additional vocals, and additional piano (track 1), background vocals (20) * Kendrick Lamar — vocals (track 7) * Ken Lewis – choir director, additional engineering, and additional instrumentation (track 11) * Roman Marshall – choir (track 11) * Doc McKinney – producer and engineer (track 18) * Nicki Minaj — vocals (track 10) * Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese – producer and engineer (track 4) * John Morgan – choir (track 11) * Greg Morrison – assistant mix engineer (track 5) * Syren Lyric Muse – additional vocals (track 6) * John Nettlesbey – assistant engineer (tracks 6, 13, 18) * Nikhil – additional lead synthesizer (track 10) * Jawan Peacock – piano and backing vocals (track 15) * Isaiah Raheem – choir (track 11) *

— vocals (track 5) * Ruben Rivera – engineer (tracks 4, 5, 8-11, 16) * Gee Roberson – executive producer * Carmen Roman – choir (track 11) *

— vocals (track 11) * Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels – producer and instrumentation (track 3) *

– background vocals (track 5) * Travis Sewchan – assistant engineer (track 2) * Noah "40" Shebib – executive producer, A&R, producer (tracks 1, 2, 4–9, 12–14, 17, 20), engineer (1-6, 8-10, 12–15, 17, 18, 20), instrumentation (1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12–14, 17, 20), mixing (3, 4, 6, 7, 12.2, 13, 16, 18), additional production (3, 15), additional keyboards (3, 8), drum programming (5), additional bass and assistant mix engineer (10, 19) * Evelyn "Bubu" Sher – background vocals (track 15) * Sasha Sirota — engineer (track 19) * Jamie "xx" Smith – producer and instrumentation (track 5) * Trey Songz — additional background vocals (track 20) * Static Major – background vocals (track 15) * David "Gordo" Strickland – mixing assistant (tracks 8, 9) *

– producer and instrumentation (tracks 8-10, 16, 19) * T-Pain - background vocals (track 14) * Lamar Taylor – photography * The Weeknd – producer (tracks 4, 18), vocals and instrumentation (4), backing vocals (12.2) * Drew White — assistant engineer (track 20) * Bryan "Birdman" Williams – vocals (track 9), executive producer * Ronald "Slim Tha Don" Williams – executive producer * Dylan Wissing – live drums (track 11) *

– harmonica (track 13) * Martin "Drop" Wong – artwork, design * William World – choir (track 11) * Andrew Wright – mixing (track 11)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links