Graham planned to release his official debut album, Thank Me Later, in late 2009, but the album's release date was postponed, first to March 2010,[26] then May 25, 2010.[27] Universal Motown then stated the album had been pushed back three weeks for a June 15, 2010 release.[28] [26] The album has confirmed collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z[29] and Lil Wayne.[3] On March 9, 2010, Graham released the first single from his Thank Me Later album, also known as "Over".[30] It reached #14 on the Hot 100.

On March 12, 2010, a version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Graham is featured in the song, performing a solo verse near the end of the song.

On April 29, 2010, it was announced that Graham had finished Thank Me Later. According to reports, Graham announced the completion of the album to a crowd during his April 26, 2010, show at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. His camp has since confirmed that Drake was finished with the final track to the album and the next single from the album would be titled "Find Your Love".[31] "Find Your Love" was released as the second single on May 5, 2010, and has become the most successful single from the album, as it has reached #8 on the Hot 100, becoming the most successful single from the album to date.

The third single from the album, "Miss Me", featuring Lil Wayne, was released on June 1, 2010.[32] It has reached #15 on the Hot 100.

On June 15, 25,000 fans gathered at New York's South Street Seaport for a free concert by Drake and Hanson. A near riot ensued after police canceled the show due to over-flowing crowds. [33]

The album, Thank Me Later, was finally released on June 15, 2010. Drake collaborated with artists such as Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, T.I. and Lil Wayne to create the album. The record sold 447,000 records in its first week, reaching #1 on the Billboard 200, and becoming his first release to do so. Due to these first week sales, Graham has sold the most records for any hip hop artist in one week in 2010 to date.