3. Drake, “Controlla”
No matter which version you like better (let’s be real and admit it’s just not the same without Popcaan, shall we?) it’s obvious Drake was becoming more comfortable embracing the heavy influence of Jamaican music and culture in his native Toronto. It was hard to go anywhere without hearing the thumping bassline produced by Boi-1da, Supa Dups and Stephen McGregor — all of whom are Jamaicans, by the way. Even though we got hit with the bait and switch by the time VIEWS was released, and Popcaan was nowhere to be found, the use of Beenie Man’s classic “Tear Off Mi Garment” in the mix helped make up for it somewhat.