Drake Care Package Tracklist: Why These Songs Still Run the Streets

Drake Care Package Tracklist: Why These Songs Still Run the Streets

It was the summer of 2019. Drake was fresh off a championship run with the Raptors, and the air in Toronto felt different. Then, without much warning, he dropped a project that wasn't exactly "new," yet it felt more vital than most studio albums. He called it Care Package.

Honestly, if you were a Drake fan before the streaming era took over everything, you already had these songs. You'd found them on sketchy blog spots, ripped them from SoundCloud, or converted them from YouTube to MP3 just so you could have them in your car.

But having them all in one place? That changed things. The drake care package tracklist isn't just a list of songs; it’s a time capsule of the "Loosie Era." This was back when Aubrey would just drop a track at 3:00 AM on a Tuesday because he felt like venting.

The Full Drake Care Package Tracklist

Let's look at what we're actually dealing with here. The project features 17 tracks that technically span about half a decade of his career.

  1. Dreams Money Can Buy – The quintessential "I'm about to take over" anthem.
  2. The Motion – Featuring Sampha, this one is peak moody Drake.
  3. How Bout Now – A vindictive middle finger to an ex who didn't believe in the vision.
  4. Trust Issues – The song that spawned a thousand remixes and Instagram captions.
  5. Days in the East – Rumored to be about Rihanna, recorded during a very specific window in London.
  6. Draft Day – Dedication to Johnny Manziel and Andrew Wiggins.
  7. 4PM in Calabasas – A masterclass in "subbing" everyone while sounding completely unbothered.
  8. 5AM in Toronto – Many people argue this is his best lyrical performance, period.
  9. I Get Lonely – A TLC cover/remake that most casual fans didn't even know existed.
  10. My Side – An outtake from the If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late era.
  11. Jodeci Freestyle (feat. J. Cole) – Two titans basically just showing off for four minutes.
  12. Club Paradise – The nostalgia on this one is heavy, named after his legendary tour.
  13. Free Spirit (feat. Rick Ross) – "Tat my name on you so I know it's real." Need I say more?
  14. Heat of the Moment – A smooth, uncredited PartyNextDoor production vibe.
  15. Girls Love Beyoncé (feat. James Fauntleroy) – A Destiny’s Child flip that works way better than it should.
  16. Paris Morton Music – The extended verse from Rick Ross’s "Aston Martin Music."
  17. Can I (feat. Beyoncé) – A leaked track that finally got its official flowers.

Why These "Leaks" Felt Like a New Album

You’ve got to understand the context. In the early 2010s, Drake was the king of the "loosie." He didn't always save his best stuff for the albums. Sometimes a song like 5AM in Toronto would just appear on the OVO blog. It would shatter the internet for a week, and then... it would just sit there.

By releasing the drake care package tracklist officially, he gave these songs a home on Spotify and Apple Music. It was a brilliant business move, sure. But for the fans, it was a recognition of the culture that built him.

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The tracklist is surprisingly cohesive. You’d think a bunch of songs recorded between 2010 and 2016 would sound like a mess when played back-to-back. They don’t. The "40" (Noah Shebib) production style acts as a glue. Whether it's the underwater synths of Trust Issues or the crisp drums of Draft Day, there is a thread of melancholy and ambition that runs through every single second.

The Standout Moments You Might Have Forgotten

A lot of people go straight for the hits, but the deep cuts on this tracklist are where the real gems live.

Take I Get Lonely. It’s basically a cover of TLC's "FanMail," but Drake makes it sound like he's the only person on earth who has ever felt isolated by fame. It’s vulnerable in a way that feels raw, even for him.

Then there’s Jodeci Freestyle. Seeing J. Cole’s name on the drake care package tracklist in 2019 was a reminder of how long these two have been circling each other. They were younger then, hungrier, and trying to out-rap each other on a track that sounds like a smoky basement in 1994.

And we have to talk about 4PM in Calabasas. This track is legendary for its subtle (and not-so-subtle) jabs at Diddy. Drake uses the "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" flow to essentially tell the older generation that he's the new sheriff in town. It’s arrogant. It’s catchy. It’s perfect.

Is Care Package Better Than His Recent Albums?

This is the question that keeps hip-hop Twitter up at night. Honestly, there's a strong argument to be made.

Recent Drake projects like For All The Dogs or Certified Lover Boy are massive. They have 20+ tracks and try to be everything to everyone. Care Package feels more focused because it’s curated. It represents a version of Drake that was still fighting for his spot at the top.

On tracks like Dreams Money Can Buy, he sounds like a man who knows he's about to be the biggest star in the world, but he's still slightly surprised by it. That "Early Drake" energy is something a lot of people miss.

The project debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200, which is insane for a compilation of old songs. It moved 109,000 units in its first week. People wanted these songs. They needed them in their playlists without having to use a third-party downloader.

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Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Listen

If you're revisiting the drake care package tracklist today, don't just hit shuffle.

  • Listen in chronological order of recording: Try to find the original release dates for each track. Starting with Paris Morton Music (2010) and ending with 4PM in Calabasas (2016) gives you a front-row seat to his evolution.
  • Check the samples: Drake and 40 are masters of the sample. Look up Jai Paul’s "BTSTU" to see how it was flipped for Dreams Money Can Buy.
  • Watch the timestamp series: If 5AM in Toronto and 4PM in Calabasas hit for you, go back and listen to the rest of the series ("9AM in Dallas," "6PM in New York," "Do Not Disturb") to see why he's the king of the "Time/Location" tracks.

This project proved that Drake’s "trash" is other people’s "treasure." Even his throwaways are classics. It's a reminder that sometimes the best way to move forward is to take a good, long look at where you've been.