by Shazeb Nayani

Social media has changed the way we promote music. Memes, GIFs, and funny captions have brought together music lovers worldwide. Some artists have even joined in on the fun themselves. Drake is known for having #1 hit songs and it seems he is also #1 when it comes to social media relevancy. Here are a few examples of how the internet has taken to Drake and his scheming ways...

1. The ever-popular Hotline Bling GIFs.

Hotline Bling may have been an instant hit due to its catchy tune, but the video equally prospered due to Drake’s knowledge of the Internet (and confident-but-corny dance moves). It’s as if he knew what the Internet would do and took full advantage of it. Not a bad promo move, especially since he was aiming for his first number 1 of the Billboard 100 Charts  and Hotline Bling fell just short at the #2 spot.  Here is one of my personal favorite:

When you don't get charged extra for guac at chipotle #HotlineBlingpic.twitter.com/wfyE4IcWWG

— Eric Thoma$ (@_ericbergerson) October 20, 2015

If you would like to see Drake in different GIFs, here a few more examples.

2. Drake vs. Meek Mill

When Meek Mill sporadically called Drake out on Twitter for “ghostwriting” (which is historically taboo in hip hop), we never thought Meek, who is known for being a street rapper, would only have ammo in the form of tweets. Drake surprised most of us striking first with the more somber “Charged Up,” as if to poke at the beast and see what Meek could come up with. Those of us looking forward to a drawn out battle were disappointed when Meek didn’t respond (except in the form of tweets and a few lines at his shows) for four days. At this point Drake had no choice but to follow up and put his enemy to rest. He really aimed for the head with his next song, “Back to Back.” His method, though, was one that was historically proven to win hip hop battles: make a diss song so catchy and club-friendly that the people love it and the enemy can’t help but hear it wherever they go. The Internet couldn’t get enough of this battle. Here are the highlights. All we can say is:

And to top it off, at his annual OVO Fest, Drake opened with Charged Up and Back to Back with a backdrop of memes, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Since we all know how much he participates on social, he had definitely seen the memes. What an excellent use of social media to acknowledge and interact with fans!

3. “Work” GIFs from the recent Rihanna video featuring Drake

Now I know what you’re thinking.. This guy is just a big Drake fan! Well I am too, but these also happen to be three of the biggest music moments in the social media world. The double video that the two released for this song hardly puts dating rumors to rest. The song’s catchy, island-feel and innovative melodies make for an interesting video backdrop. Of course, there is plenty of dancing. Who wouldn’t want to move when they hear this song?

How has your favorite artist used social to further their career? Tweet us at @socialmediadel and let us know.