 Thank Me Later received generally positive reviews from critics . At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics , the album received an average score of 75 , based on 26 reviews . Tim Sendra of AllMusic complimented its " rich and nuanced production and Drake 's thoughtful , playful , and intense lyrics " , and felt that his " willingness to be introspective and honest ... makes [ him ] unique and helps make Thank Me Later special . " Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media commented that " Drake vies for superstardom while embracing his non @-@ drug @-@ dealing , non @-@ violent , non @-@ dire history-- one that connects with most rap fans in a completely reasonable way . " Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club commented that " on his cohesive , bittersweet , assured debut , he proves himself worthy of the sometimes @-@ blinding spotlight . " Rolling Stone 's Jody Rosen found Drake to be " in total command of a style that would have been hard to imagine dominating hip @-@ hop a few years ago " . Ben Detrick of Spin observed " dynamics like few other hip @-@ hop albums before it " and commented that " Drake 's personal anecdotes lack the bravado of bullet @-@ wound boasts , but they 're intimate and lyrically detailed enough to draw blood . " 
