Take Care is the second studio album by the Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from the Weeknd, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Birdman, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, and André 3000. In addition to primary production from Drake and 40, further contributors include T-Minus, Chantal Kreviazuk, Boi-1da, Illangelo, Jamie xx, Supa Dups, Just Blaze, Chase N. Cashe, and Doc McKinney.

Prior to Take Care, Drake released Thank Me Later, which experienced positive critical success, but left him feeling disjointed about the album's musical content. Expressing a desire to reunite with 40, his long-time producer who featured in parts on Thank Me Later, the duo worked extensively on the new album once recording sessions began in 2010. Drake's vocals on the album feature emotional crooning, alto vocals, a guttural cadence, a melodic flow, and a larger emphasis on singing than on Thank Me Later. In comparison to his debut album, Drake revealed that the album is called Take Care because "I get to take my time this go-round [rather than rush]".

The album also expands on the low-tempo, sensuous, and dark sonic aesthetic of Thank Me Later. It incorporates several elements that have come to define Drake's sound, including minimalist R&B influences, existential subject matter, and alternately sung and rapped vocals. It features a mixture of braggadocio and emotional lyrics, exploring themes of fame, romance, and wealth. The album also highlights other topics, such as Drake's relationships with friends and family, as well as touching on sex and narcissism.

Despite leaking online nine days before its scheduled release, Take Care debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 631,000 copies in its first week. It has been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Four of the album's singles peaked in the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100: "Headlines", "Make Me Proud", "The Motto", and "Take Care". The album received acclaim from critics, with praise for its expansive production and emotional themes. It was named one of 2011's best albums, and subsequently one of the best albums of the 2010s, by several publications. It won Drake his first Grammy Award, winning Best Rap Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards. In 2020, the album was ranked 95th on Rolling Stone's updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

In 2010, Drake released his debut album Thank Me Later, continuing his creative partnership with record producer and audio engineer Noah "40" Shebib, who had first introduced his distinct sound on Drake's breakthrough mixtape So Far Gone (2009). Thank Me Later became a commercial success and was well received by music critics. Prior to Take Care, Drake also expanded his repertoire as a live performer. For the album, he intended to have Shebib handle most of the production and record a more cohesive sound than on Thank Me Later, which featured disparate production duties by Shebib and others. In November 2010, Drake revealed the title of his next studio album will be Take Care. In comparison to his debut album Drake revealed to Y.C Radio 1 that Thank Me Later was a rushed album, stating, "I didn't get to take the time that I wanted to on that record. I rushed a lot of the songs and sonically I didn't get to sit with the record and say, 'I should change this verse.' [...] Once it was done, it was done. That's why my new album is called Take Care because I get to take my time this go-round." Drake mentioned after OVO Fest 2011 that Take Care could have up to 18 songs on it, and added that Stevie Wonder contributed to the creative direction of the album and will be featured on the album as well. Drake also revealed that the album was recorded mainly in Toronto. Debating whether to submit his final cut or not, Drake's preferred release date that motivated him to create a "Birthday edition", much like a deluxe edition to be released on the iTunes Store.

Canadian singer The Weeknd stated in a 2013 interview that half of the tracks he had written for his 2011 debut mixtape House of Balloons did happen to end up on Take Care. The singer said he “gave up almost half of [his] album” but that he is “thankful” because he would not know where he would be if it “wasn’t for the light [Drake] shined on [him].” Drake and the album's producer Noah "40" Shebib claimed the statement to be false. Several producers were revealed to be working with Drake on Take Care other than Noah "40" Shebib (who is the main producer of the album), including T-Minus, the xx's Jamie Smith and Boi-1da (who is a long-time Drake collaborator). He had initially recruited 9th Wonder for the album. He even appeared on 9th's documentary The Wonder Year and expressed his desire to make a number one hit with him, however, in an interview about a month prior to the slated release date, 9th said that he was not on the album. 9th states that was a part of the reason, because he was going through an A&R and playing beats for them as opposed to the artist himself, which he is opposed to. Drake had also been planning on having Q-Tip, DJ Premier, and the Neptunes as producers on the album, but those projects fell through as well. Several artists were confirmed as collaborators with Drake on Take Care consist of Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Chantal Kreviazuk, André 3000, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. He had initially reached out to Phonte of the group Little Brother (who is a major influence on his career). The track was made for Take Care, but did not make it for the album, due to an issue he had with the producer. Drake admits in an interview to "dropping the ball" on the project and is optimistic about a future collaboration with Phonte. Another planned collaboration that never came to fruition would have featured Justin Timberlake. Reflecting on the unreleased song, Drake remarked: "It was solid, a solid little look. But he's so immersed in the acting thing, and I don't blame him, he's doing great at it. He was just like, 'I really want to work. I just can't do it right now. But we'll work as soon as I'm back in the studio.'" They later collaborated on the song "Cabaret" for Timberlake's 2013 album The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2.

Take Care expands on the low-tempo, sensuous, and dark sonic aesthetic of Thank Me Later. Primarily a hip hop album, it has a languid, grandiose production that incorporates R&B, pop, electronica, and post-dubstep styles. The music is typified by an atmospheric sound, muted textures, slow tempos, subtle chords, melodic synth tracks, low-end grooves, and sparse, ambient arrangements. Noah "40" Shebib contributed to most of the album's production with murky beats, dark synth layers, atmospheric keyboards, moody guitar sounds, smooth piano, muffled drums, dramatic flourishes, and low-pass filters. Although he is credited as producer for only eight of the album's 17 songs, Shebib also served as audio engineer and mix engineer on the album. His production for the album is characteristic of the Toronto hip hop scene, which experienced a mainstream breakthrough with Shebib's work with Drake, producers Boi-1da and T-Minus, and singer-songwriter the Weeknd, all of whom contributed to Take Care. Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club comments that the album is "crafted primarily around the oblique production of Drake's native Toronto—all rippling synths, distant pulses, and purposeful empty space".

Music writers noted "late-night" and 1990s-era R&B influence in the album's music. NPR writer Frannie Kelley notes "minimalist reworkings of TLC's minor-key soul and [...] trancey rhythms that land somewhere between paranoid Sly Stone and smoked-out Maxwell". Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media comments that the music "breathes heavy somewhere between UGK's deep funk, quiet-storm 90s R&B, and James Blake-inspired minimalism", and interprets its subtle style to be "a direct rebuke" to the prevalence of European dance influences in mainstream music. Los Angeles Times writer Todd Martens views that the album's mood and style are modelled after Kanye West's 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak.