The paste system of concrete materials often holds the “DNA” to understanding their potential mechanical properties. As drying shrinkage and related cracking remains a top concern for the service life of concrete, this paper explores the effect of paste quality on drying shrinkage. The semi-adiabatic calorimetry, restrained, and unrestrained shrinkage of concrete made with 15 different cementitious materials were studied. Cementitious blends included fly ash, slag, silica fume, metakaolin, zeolite and limestone as paste volume was kept constant across mixes. Results showed that the rate at which the paste system allowed free water to dissipate at early ages may have dictated the extent of drying shrinkage. Higher cement replacement with limestone improved the tensile capacity of concrete which resulted in better drying shrinkage cracking resistance. High tricalcium aluminate and alkali contents in cements were found to be drivers of early age shrinkage and potential cracking at later stages in concrete