Successful (Drake song)
Encyclopedia
"Successful" is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake
. American R&B
singer Trey Songz
is featured as well as Drake's mentor and labelmate Lil Wayne
. The song was written by the trio and its producer, Noah "40" Shebib. The song served as the second single from Drake's mixtape, So Far Gone, and was included on Songz's third studio album, Ready
, sans Wayne and the addition of a new verse by Songz. Accompanied by a dark tone, the songs lyrics contain quips of self-determination.
"Successful" received positive reviews from critics, some of which referred to the song as a standout track on Ready. While reaching seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100
, the song peaked at two and three, respectively on the Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
charts. The accompanying music video features Drake and Songz venturing off into Toronto nightlife, interspersed with contemplative scenes. The song received several accolades, including being ranked seventeen on Rolling Stone
' s "25 Best Songs of 2009" list, and ranking ten on Spin
' s "The 20 Best Songs of 2009" roll. Two years after initial release, the track was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 copies in the US.
" for his So Far Gone mixtape, with Songz and Lil Wayne received featuring credits. After the success of the two singles, Drake decided to release a retail version of the mixtape in the form of an extended play, including the song. On Songz's third album, Ready
, he included the track, however Drake's verse was moved to the middle and Lil Wayne's rap was taken out in order to include a new verse by Songz.
The song was originally set to be on Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later
, but after Drake forwent the song, he insisted that Songz include it on Ready. Songz stated in an interview what fan reception to the track mostly had been that he should put a verse in on "Successful", but Songz told BallerStatus,
, Drake explained how the song came about, stating, "It has this pocket, and there was no melody yet. I remember [producer Noah '40' Shebib] kind of making the joint, and then he hit this sound, which is the chords that are in there. It was so eerie. Like it was haunting, almost. I was like, 'Yo, that's it. You need to use that.' He started playing this patch, and just every note that he played fell into place. I had this beat sitting here that I love so much, and I didn't know what to do with it..."
said this about the song: "Trey Songz's hook expresses the dreams of a young black male coming from nothing to something, and Drake's raps put the hip-hop nation on notice, while conveying his own desperation and hope and revealing family struggles. Let's not forget Lil Wayne's magnificent at bat as cleanup hitter..." An "endearing and revealing" moment happens in the record when Drake refers to an incident when his mother contemplated leaving home during family troubles.
David Jeffries of Allmusic noted the song as a standout track from Ready. Andrew Rennie of Now Magazine
called a "cautionary anthem" and the song the top track on the album. Rennie also said that "Successful" and "Black Roses", showcase Songz's developed, more mature side. Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice
said, "The calm, yearning song is a bona fide hit, and also the best example of where r&b lives today." DJBooth said that there was "no reason to doubt that this track will become a mainstream smash." Shaheem Reid of MTV News said, "It's not a record that will kill the clubs, but when you just want to listen to superb lyricism and enthralling harmony, it's a must have." Rolling Stone
ranked the song seventeen on their list of "Best 25 Songs of 2009" list , and Spin
ranked it the tenth best song of 2009 on their "The 20 Best Songs of 2009" list.
at number eighty-eight. Weeks later, the song peaked at seventeen, where it spent one week. The song spent eighteen weeks on the chart dropping off on the week ending November 28, 2009. Additionally the song reached three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart and two the Rap Songs chart.
, winning both awards. It ranked at number eight on BET: Notarized Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.
While accompanying Songz on 106 & Park
when promoting, Ready, Drake explained the video, stating:
The video begins with Drake going up an elevator while Songz sings shirtless on the edge of a bed with a woman laying on the other side looking on. Drake then ends up on a balcony singing in front of the Toronto skyline. Both are shown in scenes contemplating intermixed with Songz joining Drake on the balcony. Subsequently scenes are shown of Drake and Songz riding through Toronto nightlife, along with the contemplative scenes, such as a young boy playing basketball in which Songz has an illusion that it is him, and little girl blowing a dandelion. The video ends with the skyline and a quote stating,
on September 2, 2009, as a part of a medley of "I Need a Girl
" and "LOL Smiley Face
."
* A Exclusively for the original single and So Far Gone mixtape and extended play versions.
Source
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
. American R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
is featured as well as Drake's mentor and labelmate Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
. The song was written by the trio and its producer, Noah "40" Shebib. The song served as the second single from Drake's mixtape, So Far Gone, and was included on Songz's third studio album, Ready
Ready (Trey Songz album)
Ready is the third studio album by American R&B singer Trey Songz. The album, his first studio release since 2007's Trey Day, was released by Songbook and Atlantic Records on August 31, 2009, in the United States...
, sans Wayne and the addition of a new verse by Songz. Accompanied by a dark tone, the songs lyrics contain quips of self-determination.
"Successful" received positive reviews from critics, some of which referred to the song as a standout track on Ready. While reaching seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, the song peaked at two and three, respectively on the Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts. The accompanying music video features Drake and Songz venturing off into Toronto nightlife, interspersed with contemplative scenes. The song received several accolades, including being ranked seventeen on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
Background
The song was first released as Drake's follow-up track to "Best I Ever HadBest I Ever Had (Drake song)
"Best I Ever Had" is the first single from Canadian rapper Drake's first EP So Far Gone. It first became prominent from the release of Drake's third mixtape of the same name. In 2009, the song was named the "Hot Rap Song" of the year by Billboard. The song's popularity helped Drake decide to...
" for his So Far Gone mixtape, with Songz and Lil Wayne received featuring credits. After the success of the two singles, Drake decided to release a retail version of the mixtape in the form of an extended play, including the song. On Songz's third album, Ready
Ready (Trey Songz album)
Ready is the third studio album by American R&B singer Trey Songz. The album, his first studio release since 2007's Trey Day, was released by Songbook and Atlantic Records on August 31, 2009, in the United States...
, he included the track, however Drake's verse was moved to the middle and Lil Wayne's rap was taken out in order to include a new verse by Songz.
The song was originally set to be on Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later
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...
, but after Drake forwent the song, he insisted that Songz include it on Ready. Songz stated in an interview what fan reception to the track mostly had been that he should put a verse in on "Successful", but Songz told BallerStatus,
"I was like, 'That's my homie's song.' Then initially, Drake came up to me with the idea like 'Nah dog. That's your song. I'm not putting it on my album. So it's going to be a waste. So it's going to be a big record with no one to go retrieve it.' So we put the verse on there just to give me a little more presence on the record for it to be on my album."In an interview with MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, Drake explained how the song came about, stating, "It has this pocket, and there was no melody yet. I remember [producer Noah '40' Shebib] kind of making the joint, and then he hit this sound, which is the chords that are in there. It was so eerie. Like it was haunting, almost. I was like, 'Yo, that's it. You need to use that.' He started playing this patch, and just every note that he played fell into place. I had this beat sitting here that I love so much, and I didn't know what to do with it..."
Writing
Drake then contacted Songz, whom had been working with Drake back since 2007 on mixtapes. Songz said that Drake originally called him on advice of segueing his singing into rapping on interludes, then the terms of what records he would be featured on the mixtape, as he sent him the "Successful" track. After Drake still could not settle on the direction for the track, Songz came up with the his hook. He explained to MTV News, "The first thing that came to mind was 'I want the money, money and the cars/ Cars and the clothes/ The ho's/ I suppose I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful.' When I'm saying all that, conceptually for me, the deepest part of the record was when I say, 'I suppose.' I supposed that's what success is about. That's what [we're] led to believe." After hearing the hook, Drake called it "powerful", commenting,"And it's like, it's almost like it made me feel like it may not be right what I want, you know? All these things, it's like it made me feel young. It kind of made me feel ignorant to the game. But it was an exciting record even though the tempo is slow. That's what I want ... The 'I suppose' moment in there is like, it's almost like you're doubting yourself for a second. But at the end of the day, I just want to be successful. So that's what the record meant to me."
Composition and critical reception
Drake has described the song as "eerie" and "dark", and as "simplistic" having a "reverb-driven harmony." Shaheem Reid of MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
said this about the song: "Trey Songz's hook expresses the dreams of a young black male coming from nothing to something, and Drake's raps put the hip-hop nation on notice, while conveying his own desperation and hope and revealing family struggles. Let's not forget Lil Wayne's magnificent at bat as cleanup hitter..." An "endearing and revealing" moment happens in the record when Drake refers to an incident when his mother contemplated leaving home during family troubles.
David Jeffries of Allmusic noted the song as a standout track from Ready. Andrew Rennie of Now Magazine
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
called a "cautionary anthem" and the song the top track on the album. Rennie also said that "Successful" and "Black Roses", showcase Songz's developed, more mature side. Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
said, "The calm, yearning song is a bona fide hit, and also the best example of where r&b lives today." DJBooth said that there was "no reason to doubt that this track will become a mainstream smash." Shaheem Reid of MTV News said, "It's not a record that will kill the clubs, but when you just want to listen to superb lyricism and enthralling harmony, it's a must have." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
ranked the song seventeen on their list of "Best 25 Songs of 2009" list , and Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
ranked it the tenth best song of 2009 on their "The 20 Best Songs of 2009" list.
Chart performance
On the week labeled August 1, 2009, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number eighty-eight. Weeks later, the song peaked at seventeen, where it spent one week. The song spent eighteen weeks on the chart dropping off on the week ending November 28, 2009. Additionally the song reached three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart and two the Rap Songs chart.
Music video
The music video for the Ready version of the song, filmed in Drake's hometown of Toronto, Ontario, was directed by Jake White. An on set video and stills were released on August 12, 2009, followed by a preview of the clip on August 27, 2009. The full video was released on August 31, 2009. The video was nominated for MuchVIBE Hiphop Video of the Year and Cinematographer of the Year the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Canada at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 20, 2010. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, it was confirmed on the MuchMusic website that Miley Cyrus will co-host the show. The artists with the most nominations are Drake and Hedley with six. For the...
, winning both awards. It ranked at number eight on BET: Notarized Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.
While accompanying Songz on 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
when promoting, Ready, Drake explained the video, stating:
"The concept of the video is the fact that 'successful,' it applies to so many people that me and Trey just want to get the point across that we see ourselves and we see success in other individuals so really, it's a video about potential. It's a video about understanding that no matter what you do, there's a way to be successful doing it. It's one of those motivational videos. It actually ends with a quote from Barack Obama which is one of my favorite quotes I've ever read, so we decided to put it in the video. It's vivid."
The video begins with Drake going up an elevator while Songz sings shirtless on the edge of a bed with a woman laying on the other side looking on. Drake then ends up on a balcony singing in front of the Toronto skyline. Both are shown in scenes contemplating intermixed with Songz joining Drake on the balcony. Subsequently scenes are shown of Drake and Songz riding through Toronto nightlife, along with the contemplative scenes, such as a young boy playing basketball in which Songz has an illusion that it is him, and little girl blowing a dandelion. The video ends with the skyline and a quote stating,
"Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere."
- Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
Live performances
Songz and Drake performed the song on 106 & Park106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on September 2, 2009, as a part of a medley of "I Need a Girl
I Need a Girl (Trey Songz song)
"I Need a Girl" is a song by American recording artist Trey Songz. The track was written by Johntá Austin, along with the song's production team, Stargate, who also produced his breakthrough hit, "Can't Help But Wait." The song served as the lead single for Songz's third studio album Ready...
" and "LOL Smiley Face
LOL Smiley Face
"LOL Smiley Face", "), is a song by American recording artist Trey Songz. It features rappers Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. The three co-wrote the song with producers Troy Taylor and Tony Scales. The song serves as the second single from Songz' third studio album, Ready...
."
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting - Noah "40" Shebib, Tremaine Neverson, Aubrey Graham, Dwayne Carter
- ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
and mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Noah "40" Shebib
* A Exclusively for the original single and So Far Gone mixtape and extended play versions.
Source
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
External links
- Drake featuring Trey Songz - Successful Official Music Video