"Successful" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake and American singer Trey Songz featuring a guest appearance from American rapper Lil Wayne. It was written by the trio and producer Noah "40" Shebib, and produced by Shebib. The song served as the second single from Drake's mixtape So Far Gone (2009), and was also included on Trey Songz's third studio album Ready (2009), in a version without Lil Wayne and with an additional verse by Songz.
Background and Writing
The song was first released as Drake's follow-up to "Best I Ever Had" on his So Far Gone mixtape. It was originally intended for Drake's debut album Thank Me Later, but Drake decided not to include it and instead insisted that Songz place it on Ready. Trey Songz wrote the hook, which begins with "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." Drake described the song as having an "eerie" and "dark" tone with a "reverb-driven harmony."
Release and Formats
The song was released on February 13, 2009, on the labels Young Money, Cash Money, and Motown. Multiple versions exist: the mixtape version (6:16), the EP version (5:51), the Ready album version without Lil Wayne (4:27), and a radio edit (3:25).
Music Video
The music video, directed by Jake White, was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, and released on August 31, 2009. It features Drake and Songz in Toronto nightlife scenes interspersed with contemplative imagery, and ends with a quote from Barack Obama. The video won MuchVIBE Hiphop Video of the Year and Cinematographer of the Year at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards, and ranked number eight on BET's Notarized Top 100 Videos of 2009.
Critical Reception
The song received positive reviews. Rolling Stone ranked it number 17 on its "25 Best Songs of 2009" list, and Spin ranked it number 10 on its "The 20 Best Songs of 2009" list. Complex named it the 82nd best song of the decade. Critics described it as a standout track on Ready and a "cautionary anthem."
Chart Performance
On the Billboard Hot 100, the song debuted at number 88 on the week of August 1, 2009, and peaked at number 17. It reached number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 2 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. It spent 18 weeks on the Hot 100.
Certifications
The track was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales exceeding 500,000 copies in the United States, and was later certified platinum in June 2018 for 1,000,000 units.
Remixes
Notable remixes include "Stressful" by Joell Ortiz and Novel, and "More Careful" by T-Pain (intended as an apology to Jay-Z).
