You got that now? Let's get into it.
It's funny how Drake has progressed not only as a rapper, but an artist. Just 10 years ago, he was an actor in Degrassi called Aubrey Graham, who played the character Jimmy Brooks. He released the mixtape Room for Improvement in 2006, which showcased the potential he had. Unfortunately, it wasn't really taken as serious, with people preferring him to just continue acting. Obviously, that didn't stop there, and he managed to release another mixtape in 2007 called Comeback Season, which saw him rapping originals and also doing freestyles, with guest features from Lil Wayne, Little Brother, Dwele, Trey Songz and more.
Lil Wayne decided to take Drake under his wing in 2008, after hearing some of his music from Jas Prince (aka Rap-A-Lot founder's J. Prince's son). He toured with him, and recorded a few tracks with each other, including "Ransom", the original version of "I Want This Forever", and the remix to Drake's song, "Brand New". He ended up becoming part of Young Money, Lil Wayne's crew, but however, he wasn't signed.
In early 2009, Drake released his third mixtape, So Far Gone, originally available for free download on his blog site. Led by "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful" with Trey Songz & Lil Wayne. the mixtape featured 17 tracks, with original production from 40 & Boi-1da, and major guest appearances from Bun B, Lil Wayne, Omarion, Lloyd and more. The mixtape goes through his relationships with women, and past struggles, and also addresses him gaining fame. There are also braggadocious tracks on the album, along with songs about wealth, ego and the industry; and unlike his first two mixtapes, Drake does a lot of singing on the tape.
So Far Gone was released to critical acclaim and proved to be a major catalyst in the launching of Drake's career on an international scale. It has been seen as one of the best mixtapes of the new generation, also his best work, and led him to unexpected success. The mixtape also helped launch the producing careers of Boi-1da & 40, with critics praising them for their production and style.
But was it really what people were saying it was? A classic? His best work? Or was it lackluster? Let's find out...
1. Lust for Life
The mixtape opens up with a soft and laidback track, with a chill instrumental courtesy of 40. Here, Drake raps about his dreams, coming up in the game and enjoying life over a long verse. Drake's flow is really great, and him rapping about his lifestyle over the beat actually interested me. 40's beat is pretty good and complemented the track very well. It's the type of shit you'd play late at night. A great opening track!
2. Houstatlantavegas
This one is a lot more slower and is like a bedroom jam. Here, Drake sings/raps about a stripper who's stuck in her job at certain places. He loves the girl, but struggles to and is left love-confused. 40 is back at it with his laidback instrumentals, and he doesn't fail to impress. Drake's singing is actually great, and he really delivered with his rapping verse. Love this track.
3. Successful (feat. Trey Songz & Lil Wayne)
Trey Songz & Lil Wayne are the first two guests on the album, as Drake & Wayne rap about wanting the fame and fortune. Over another 40 instrumental, they all do a good job, especially Drake, talking about his come up and his position in the game. Trey's on the hook, and he complements the track very well. After hearing Drake's 3 solid verses, we get to Lil Wayne, who actually comes through like a surprise. Like the man he is, he comes through with sick bars like "Tired of hearing bullshit, bring on the cow shit/Haven't met a smell that's stinkier than our shit". He really impressed me on this one. Everyone did their thing and didn't disappoint. One of my favourites on the mixtape.
4. Let's Call It Off (feat. Peter Björn & John)
Drake covers the Peter Björn & John song of the same name, to address a breakup. It's actually decent, to be honest, and his singing on the track really went with the indie instrumental. His rapping verse on here is also a highlight, and his flow is on point with it. At first, I wasn't expecting myself to like this song, but I actually do. Drake really did a good job covering this. A solid track.
5. November 18th
Now we move on to some Southern banging shit. As a tribute to Houston and the late DJ Screw (RIP), Drake raps about meeting a girl, while also bringing in a slow and chill vibe with his chopped-n-screwed vocals. It's something you can vibe to, especially at a late night, and hearing Drake mixing his rapping and singing with his slowed and deeper vocals make this one hell of a tribute. Plus, the beat is just banging. Another one of my favourites on the mixtape.
6. Ignant Shit (feat. Lil Wayne)
Weezy is back on the tape for a second time, and with Drake, does a "Straight-Bars-No-Hooks" rapping-spree to Jay Z & Beanie Sigel's "Ignorant Shit" and they both do their thing on the beat. Drizzy starts off pretty good, and really impresses me. But once again, Wayne freakin' snaps on this shit, coming with some killer bars like "Put your hand in the oven if you touch my things/I'm shuffling the cards bout to cut my queens/But I ain't the dealer/House full of bitches like Tila Tequila". The fact that both Drizzy & Weezy managed to go through the track with no interruptions really got me surprised and I loved it. A standout!
7. A Night Off (feat. Lloyd)
The transition from "Ignant Shit" to this song is just amazing, considering the previous song's sample gets slowed down and is turned into a bedroom jam with Lloyd. Both Drake & Lloyd don't fail with the singing, and it was very impressive, having 2 styles of singing on the track: Drizzy with the softer vocals and Lloyd with a higher tone. Plus, it's a good track to calm the listener down after hearing such a lyrical standout before ("Ignant Shit"). Another solid song.
8. Say What's Real
This one is a long introspective verse over Kanye West's "Say You Will" as Drizzy lets out his emotions and feelings about a lot of things, such as fake people, his lifestyle, fame and of course, his relationships. It's very deep and dark, and hearing Drake spit over this track was just very interesting for me. The lyricism and content were solid, and I always like to hear Drizzy in his introspective mood. It's one of those tracks that hit you in the heart, as he speaks about his position in the game and trying to come up. Lyrically, one of Drake's best songs, and a standout on the tape.
9. Little Bit (feat. Lykke Li)
This has gotta be the weakest song on the mixtape, as Drake covers a Lykke Li song of the same name. It has an indie pop sound, with production from Björn of Peter, Björn & John, and Drake's singing with Lykke is pretty good, giving an alright vibe. But why do I find it weak? It doesn't have that sound like the rest of the tracks, and I felt Drake didn't add that much to it. It's aight though.
10. Best I Ever Had
Everytime I hear this song, it's just a major throwback. I remember the first time I heard this track, during my time in the States, and I loved it. And I used to bang it out on my PSP during the Christmas period. Even to this day, it's one of my favourite songs from Drake and has so much replay value. The beat from Boi-1da is just FUEGO! And Drizzy killed his verses. He really managed to balance out the singing and rapping, especially with the classic hook. Hell, even the video is freakin' gold! Still a gem 7 years later.
11. Unstoppable (feat. Santogold & Lil Wayne)
Drake & Weezy remix the Santogold song of the same name, and they actually surprising do well on it. Drake starts off OK, and actually comes with a nice flow and bars. Although Wayne gets the autotune on for this, he still does his thing with lines like "And she say I pick that pussy better, better than her gynecologist/Ho just, text me whenever you want some more dick, more dick". The beat is something alternative and electronic, coming from Diplo, and surprisingly, I like it to be honest, it gives an alienating vibe to it. Great song.
12. Uptown (feat. Bun B & Lil Wayne)
Weezy is back 1nce again, but this time, Bun B also comes around, as the 3 make a slow and chill ass banger, sampling the Billy Joel classic, "Uptown Girl". All 3 do their thing, especially Bun. Drake's two verses were actually pretty decent. Bun's flow was just on point, and I don't really know why I liked his verse more than Weezy, considering how he normally comes through on his verses. Oh yeah, and he did a good verse by the way, although he still had the autotune on. The beat is just banging, and I love the freakin' vibe. Another standout.
13. Sooner Than Later
I can't be the only one, but when I hear this track, I get some nostalgic chills. The beat reminds me of a beat I could imagine R&B singers using back in 2001-2005 or something. This one is more of an soft R&B track, and it got that Usher/Ne-Yo vibe (no, I'm not saying Drake's singing is on their level or something. My point is how the beat and content is like). And I like it. However, I ended up preferring the singing on the track, although his rapping verse was aight. It just wasn't up to par with his other rapping verses on his singing tracks. I actually liked his singing on this. It was smooth, actually very good and intriguing. One of my favourites.
14. Bria's Interlude (feat. Omarion)
I actually dig this interlude. Omarion gets on this soft 2-minute track, as him & Drake sing about leaving someone for a period of time and telling her they'll come back. While obviously Omari did better, I was surprised at Drake's singing. This was one of those moments where I was really impressed with it and digged the hell outta it. The soft and laidback instrumental, I actually love, and 40 sampling Missy Elliot was just wonderful. Love this!
15. The Calm
Track 15 is a song where Drake vents about his issues and personal shit in his life, feeling a sense of alienation and his growth in 3 years. He continues to be positive, knowing everything will be alright. It's such a deep cut on the tape, and I really liked how he came across on the album. 40 is back at it again with his ambient beats, and Drake's lyricism is actually pretty impressive: "I'm why your girl heart is in a slang/Call me 'Heartbreak Drake', I'm the hardest one to tame". It's a very good song, and is the reason why I will always like Drake. One of his best tracks he has made.
16. Outro (The Tourist)
Just a 3-minute piano solo. Nothing really, to be honest. It's calm tho.
17. Brand New
OK, so the outro came a little too early, cos this is actually the real outro, and it pretty much feels like a bonus track now due to the previous track. This one is more of a smooth R&B track, and it's something for the bed. On some Trey Songz shit. But it doesn't stand out like that, although I actually fawked with it. It's just kinda forgettable, compared to the other tracks I liked. Still a good conclusion.
In September 2009, 7 months after the original release, Drake released an EP version of So Far Gone, which was made for sale. It featured 7 tracks (5 from the original mixtape, and 2 new ones). The following are the 2 new tracks that were on the EP version:
I'm Goin' In (feat. Lil Wayne & Jeezy)
Needlz comes through on the production, as Drake gets Weezy (once again) and Jeezy on such a hard and lyrical track. And like the title, they really went in. Wayne started off pretty good with his verse. But Drake was freakin' aggressive as hell, man! And his verse was sick: "First off, you know what it is if you heard Drake/Making hoes wobble like a bridge in a earthquake", "Outta this world though: I'm so sci-fi/And I don't sit still I keep it moving like a drive-by". Jeezy did his thing though, and his flow was pretty good on it. He doesn't come with standout lines, but he was actually aight though. Needlz's beat was pretty good, and really complemented the track.
Fear
This is another introspective and venting track from Drake, as he raps about his lifestyle, the media, and how his transition from a Toronto rapper to an international superstar. He shows that he's ready for the future, and these 3 verses prove it. The beat is sombre as hell, kudos to DJ Khalil (no, not Khaled) & Danny Keyz. Even hearing this track today makes me respect this guy. I mean, who would've thought over 7 years later, he'd become a superstar and one of the biggest artists in the game right now. My favourite Drake track, period. Not even ONE OF!
Final Thoughts
When I first heard So Far Gone, I kinda found it a little lackluster. It didn't really click with me like that, and I actually found it very forgettable. But with the more listens though, So Far Gone gets better. While Drake's first two mixtapes had more of an authentic sound and was to prove audiences that he could actually rap, So Far Gone manages to explore new depths for his career, as he switches up and tries to make R&B jams, with him singing almost throughout the whole project. The mixtape goes through a lot of topics, whether it's his relationships or how he's living with the fame & fortune. And the flowing on it makes the mixtape pretty versatile, with late night cuts like "Houstatlantavegas" and "A Night Off", introspective songs like "Say What's Real" and "The Calm", or just pure lyrical shit like "Ignant Shit". It has everything that the average listener would like. The production is A1, with 40 & Boi-1da coming through with fire beats ("Successful", "Uptown"). And the features are on point. Lil Wayne is the frequent appearance, going on 4 tracks (5 if you count "I'm Goin' In"), and he snaps on nearly every one he's on, especially "Successful" and "Ignant Shit". Lloyd's vocals were amazing on "A Night Off", and for Omarion to kill it like that on "Bria's Interlude", WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! One thing though was that this was at a time, where Drake was still improving, and his singing still needed some work and shit. Other than that, So Far Gone was just amazing. His rapping on here was fire, and the production is on another freakin' level. Download this tape! It's such an unforgettable project, and almost every track on there was a standout. They weren't lying when they called this a classic, and it was only the beginning for Drake...
Recommended Tracks
Fear
The Calm
Best I Ever Had
Say What's Real
Ignant Shit
Successful
November 18th
Bria's Interlude
Houstatlantavegas
Anyway, on to the next one...
An issue with Drake's So Far Gone, when it was first released, was that it heavily experienced negative comparisons to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak (considering that was one of the mixtape's main influences). So when Drake was finally working on the album, he told Complex in an interview that unlike his previous effort, it would be a "solid hip-hop album", musically distinctive from So Far Gone. March 2010 was when the album finally started to roll out majorly with the album's first single "Over" being released. It was produced by his frequent collaborator, Boi-1da, and was a song that set the mood for what was to come on the album. But by June, "Find Your Love" and the usual Lil Wayne collab "Miss Me"; and on the 15th, Thank Me Later was finally released.
Thank Me Later went through a lot of pushbacks before being releasing in June 2010. Its first schedule date was late 2008, but got postponed. Then it was March 2010, before pushing it back to May. However, it STILL ended up being pushed back 3 weeks, finally settling for a June 15 release. It was preceded by 3 singles, and featured 14 tracks, with appearances from Jay Z, Jeezy, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj and more. The album has an introspective and ambient sound, with production from various people such as 40, Boi-1da, Kanye West and Timbaland. It thematically focuses on Drake's introduction of fame, along with romances and relationships, over club-oriented and confessional tracks, exploring various feelings such as insecurity & heartbreak.
The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Drake for his content and lyricism on the album, drawing musical comparisons from Kanye West & Kid Cudi. At the end of 2010, the album managed to appear on several magazine's lists of their best albums of the year, such as Time who ranked it at #5, and Rolling Stone ranking it at #7. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, following the anticipation, selling 447k copies, and receiving platinum certification within its first week.
Let's just go straight to the review!
1. Fireworks (feat. Alicia Keys)
So we continue where we left off with "Fear" (on the EP version of So Far Gone), where the final line of that song, "It's funny how money can change everything" is now the first line of the album (it's just altered a little bit into "Money just changed everything"). Alicia Keys comes through on hook duties as Drake opens the album with a monologue, answering the questions that he normally ignores in interviews, such as hate, how he feels about fame and gossip, his feelings for Rihanna and family business. 40 comes through on the boards (along with Boi-1da & Crada), creating an ambient and chill instrumental for Drake to vent out his thoughts and feelings. Alicia's vocals on the hook were pretty solid, and actually complemented the track a lot. A solid ass opening track, and one of my favourite songs from Drake.
2. Karaoke
With a title like "Karaoke", I was expecting something way more catchy than this, not something so chill and laidback. Anyway, this song is a story about relationship struggles, as Drake rises to super stardom. He's in a relationship with a girl, who is a wedding planner, but then break up as the girl believes his lifestyle is too much for her to cope with. This is a usual track where, like some of the songs on So Far Gone, he sings for most of the time, but raps a little verse around the middle. His singing on here is solid and I liked it, and him rapping at the middle was pretty good and really explained the song a lot more. The beat is dope and chill AF, kudos to Francis and the Lights. A decent track on the album.
3. The Resistance
Another chill and ambient track, with Drake telling the ladies and haters that he's gonna take advantage of his success and fame. He raps about spending nights in Vegas, and how he's tryna bring the rap game back to life. 40's instrumental is dope AF, and Drake really does his thing with his 3 verses and impresses me on the track, trying to show how hard he's working to be at the top and be successful. One of my favourites on the album.
4. Over
The first single from the album, and I remember when a friend of mine showed me the video to this track. I was like 8 or 9, and ever since then, I loved that song. 6 years later, it's still a banger. Salute to Boi-1da the man! He killed it on the boards, and the orchestra backdrop is just A1, and the beat switch-ups are on point. Like OOOOOO!!!!! Drake's 2 verses on here are classic, and the video is still unforgettable for me. The song gets better with each listen, and I always have a throwback moment everytime I play it. A freakin' classic track!
5. Show Me a Good Time
A chill and feel-good song you can just vibe to. Kanye West is on production duties this time, along with No ID & Jeff Bhasker, and creates a dope and funky instrumental as Drake raps about having fun with the ladies and how successful he is right now. He manages to come with a few references, shouting out J Dilla (RIP) and referring to Tribe. The final 2 lines on here ("Call me overrated or created or too jaded/Because anyway you put it, bitch, I made it") are actually my favourites from Drake and pretty much explains him & his career. I love this song, and it's just wavey!!! Throwback gold right here.
6. Up All Night (feat. Nicki Minaj)
This song right here has easily my favourite Nicki verse. Back when she used to impress me a lot with her bars, but nowadays, I don't really see that, and most of her music, I just can't fawk wit. Anyway, on this vicious beat from Boi-1da & Matthew Burnett, Drake & Nicki go at it on a lyrical run. Drake starts up alright, but sounds a lot more aggressive & confident. But damn, Nicki just had to renegade the fawk outta this shit. Her flow was just on point, and damn, her bars were freakin' A1! I wished she continue to still kill it lyrically (her first album, Pink Friday proved that). I used to love this song back when the album first dropped, and ain't nothing changed but my age. Another standout.
7. Fancy (feat. Swizz Beatz & T.I.)
Nah, nah, NAAAHHHH!!!! I used to love this fawkin' joint. Like, it was my favourite on the album behind "Miss Me". And I still bang this track out. The vibes always are in full effect when I play this. And adding T.I. & Swizz Beatz to the mix with Drake = instant banger. The three create an ode to independent, self-respecting women, who have class, a$$ and bank accounts. Drake starts off great, but I really liked T.I's one and first thought it was the better verse. Until 40 switches the beat up into something more wavey and laidback. Drake's verse on that part was too chill and complemented the track. Swizz's vocals on the hook were tight, and added a lot on to the track. And I was surprised hearing Mary J. Blige doing ad-libs at the end. Love this joint.
8. Shut It Down (feat. The-Dream)
The-Dream comes through with Drizzy on this 6-minute spacey track, which was alright, to be honest. It's a slow jam which sees the two singing to a woman about how beautiful she is and how no other can compare. It's alright, I guess, and they both did their thing, but I never thought it was necessary for Drake to add an extra 2-minutes to it. It could've just ended when The-Dream finished singing "you lookin' good, girl" and all that. Although, I must admit, that extra verse did switch up the vibe a little, into something more bedroomy and on some "me & you" type shit. But yeah, it's just decent.
9. Unforgettable (feat. Jeezy)
Drizzy gets Jeezy on this tribute to R&B and the legends of that genre, with the title nodding to Nat King Cole ,and Boi-1da sampling Aaliyah. But, the song's content also revolves around Drake's rise to fame and success. Drake started off good, and Jeezy's verse is aight, nothing special. But I dunno why I never fawked wit this track like that. It doesn't has that touch that clicked on like the others. The beat is dope though.
10. Light Up (feat. Jay Z)
Drake & Jigga both create a lyrical banger, with a vicious instrumental courtesy of Tone Mason & 40. The two both come with some long ass verses, and they both deliver. Drake starts off nice, coming with an aggressive and confident flow. But Jay stole the show on this one, starting off with a triple entendre and making "oww", "owls" and "hour" sound like homophones. He even manages to give Drizzy some advice: "Drake, here's how they gon' come at you/With silly rap feuds, trying to distract you/In disguise, in the form of a favor/The Barzini meet, watch for the traitors", and is even accurate today, especially with a lot of people hating on Drake, plus his feud with Meek Mill. The beat is just vicious and banging, and the vibes are in full effect. One of my favourites.
11. Miss Me (feat. Lil Wayne)
THE best collab Drake & Weezy have done together. Point Blank, PERIOD! I remember how much I used to love this song when it first dropped, and still today, nothing has changed. The two both come with fire verses, especially Wayne. While Drake delivered well, Weezy just freakin' snapped with lines like "Ugh, that's nasty/Yes I am Weezy but I ain't asthmatic" and "Voice baritone, haters carry on/Beat the pussy up, call me Larry Holmes". The beat is fawkin' ridiculous, and Boi-1da kills it on the boards. The best song on the album.
12. Cece's Interlude
A sequel to "Bria's Interlude", where, like the previous, is sung in R&B fashion, Here, Drake is interested in a girl that he met and thought she was the one. However, she is not interested as he is famous and now a star; which leads Drake into wishing he was still an average guy and not famous so that he could have her. It's a nice spacey interlude, with some dope production from 40, and that guitar solo sample from the late Prince (RIP) was amazing. And the whole song is a great lead into such a better song on the album.
13. Find Your Love
The second single off the album, and it's too wavey. Kanye West is back on production duties, along with No ID & Jeff Bhasker, creating a chill instrumental for Drake to sing about finding love in a particular girl, which he even describes as one of his "worst character traits", considering he never really had luck picking the right one. His singing is a lot better on this one than most of the singing tracks on here, and the vibe is too much. The beat is pretty smooth, and the drums are nice AF. Plus, the video is pretty interesting too. Another standout on the album.
14. Thank Me Now
Timbaland comes through with a dope beat for Drake to get a lot more introspective as he concludes the album. Here, he raps about a lot of things including his success, his position in rap and how he's always with the wrong women. The content on here is pretty good, and his flow was on point, really explaining all the shit that's on his mind. It's an alright ending, but if I'm being honest, this wasn't anything special.
The following was a UK bonus track when the album was first released:
9am in Dallas
This song was originally supposed to be the intro to the whole album, instead of "Fireworks". But by the time he recorded it, the album was already being mastered, therefore, not making the final cut. Anyway, as the title suggests, he wrote this at 9am in Dallas, Texas; and as the first instalment of what would be the Time & Location series (which he uses as a update on his life and career to the world), Drake raps about how life has been going for him, celebrating life, partying, doing concerts, and his rise to fame. Boi-1da's piano-led beat is pretty engaging and sombre, and was something comfortable for Drake to spit what was on his mind. I remember this being on rotation on my PSP when it first dropped in the Summer. I loved that song so much, and even today, it's a standout.
Final Thoughts
Thank Me Later happens to have some of my favourite throwback memories. I remember first listening to the whole album and using LimeWire to cop it, and burning them all to CDs. The album had some of my favourite Drake tracks, and the vibe on there didn't disappoint. And the album gets better with every listen. The production on here is just wavey AF, with mainly 40 & Boi-1da managing to deliver dope ass beats for Drake to either sing or rap on. His subject matter was a lot more focused. While So Far Gone goes through his dreams of being successful and having a better life, Thank Me Later manages to be Drizzy's introduction to fame, as you start to hear him talk about his fame and success ever since releasing SFG. We see a variety of tracks on the album, whether it's chill shit you can vibe to ("Show Me a Good Time" and "Fancy"), introspective tracks that make you think or you can relate to ("Fireworks", "The Resistance" and "9am in Dallas"); or him crooning about his past relationships with the "wrong women" ("Find Your Love" and "Cece's Interlude"). The features come through to make the album even better. Jay Z kills his verse on "Light Up", and his advice to Drake is even accurate and something that still sticks today, especially with the feud with Meek Mill, increasing more haters as Drake's career gets bigger. Lil Wayne just fawkin' snapped on "Miss Me". Nicki surprisingly came through on "Up All Night", and T.I. & Swizz did their thing on "Fancy". However, I still find a few mistakes, especially when the content can get a little boring. I was kinda bored with "Thank Me Now", especially when the beat from Timbo was a little average. "Shut It Down" was alright, but it didn't have that click, compared to the other tracks. Other than that, the album was a solid ass project. Buy this shit! Drake delivered with this, and nearly every track is a standout. I get so many memories bumping this, and with every listen, it gets better. It was certainly something that was only the beginning of Drake's success.
Recommended Tracks
9am in Dallas
Miss Me
Fireworks
Fancy
Light Up
Over
Find Your Love
Moving on...
After the promotion, marketing and singles of Thank Me Later, Drake went on to do a lot of shows & tour. His first annual OVO Fest had him bring out big names such as Jay Z, Fabolous, Bun B and more; and in September 2010, he kicked off his "Lights Dreams and Nightmares" tour in Miami. The tour travelled to various major cities in the US, concluding in November in Las Vegas. In the same month, Drake announced his next album, Take Care, and in an interview, discussed how he personally thought his previous album, Thank Me Later was rushed and he didn't take his time with most of the songs on there. In anticipation, Drake started to release freebies, such as "Dreams Money Can Buy" and "Club Paradise", along with the album's first single "Marvin's Room". After 2011's OVO Fest, he revealed the album would have 18 tracks, and already had a set date for October 24 aka his 25th birthday. But when his birthday came, unfortunately, the album didn't. After 2 more singles, the album was finally released on November 15.
Take Care, as promised, featured 18 tracks, with appearances from Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, André 3000, The Weeknd and more. It was recorded between 2010 and 2011, and was described by Drake as a "more cohesive record" than his previous, hence the name. The content is more polished and refreshed, with the production expanding on the dark, low-tempo sound that was on Thank Me Later. And, as usual, is a rap album, which incorporates elements of R&B, pop, electronica styles. The album's subject matter focuses on Drake's conflicted feelings on fame and success, along with an in-depth on his past relationships.
The album gathers a variety of producers, especially 40, Boi-1da and T-Minus. Actually, the album was originally supposed to have a different variety of features and production. 9th Wonder was recruited to be producing on the album, along with DJ Premier, Q-Tip and The Neptunes. Also, Phonte (of my favourite group Little Brother) and Justin Timberlake was supposed to appear. The collab with 'Te didn't make it on the album, due to an issue with the producer (wish the track made it, would've loved to hear it; same with 9th's production), and Justin was busy with his acting, and even told Drizzy he'd work with him when he gets back in the studio.
The album received critical acclaim, with many calling it a masterpiece, and praised Drake's technical abilities, being improved and better. The production and content was also praised, describing the tones as "gorgeous". Even to this day, it is regarded as Drake's best work. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 631k copies. By January 2012, it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and as of August 2015, has sold over 2m copies.
Anyway, let's get into it...
1. Over My Dead Body
On this deep and introspective introduction, Drake luxuriates in his own success and manages to clap back at his haters (or maybe the other way round). He starts off reminiscing about how he had a roll and was killing it the previous year, and continues rapping about meeting girls, gaining new fans and getting money. He really delivers with some fire bars: "They got me on these white women like Seal, nigga/Slave to the pussy but I'm just playing the field, nigga". 40 comes through with a blurred out and sombre instrumental for Drizzy to spit on, while Chantal Kreviazuk has some additional vocals with the hook. It's very melancholy and interesting to hear, and that DJ Screw sample bite at the end was pretty good. A great intro to the album.
2. Shot for Me
I remember when I first heard this track, I didn't really fawk wit it like that. But I've gotten used to it, and honestly, it's actually pretty good. Here, over a smooth and chill beat from 40, Drake does an ode to his exes, and mixes his emotional and sensitive self with a more egocentric and cocky side of him. He manages to balance his singing and rapping very well, unlike when he'd have 2 singing verses and 1 rapping. This time, there's 2: the first being him singing, and the second seeing him rap. And that beat switch at the end though! Damn!!!!! Even if I found a lot of things good about, does that mean it's one of my favourites that I'd regularly go back to? Nah! Not really. But it's still solid though.
3. Headlines
The actual first single from the album (if you don't count "Marvin's Room" since that was a promo single), which sees Drizzy realizing his hard work is paying off, with his success and impact on the rap game, seeing how his releases and moves are big news in the industry. He also raps on how he's tryna get this money, and how as time goes by, while celebrating his fame & success, people start to miss the "old Drake". The beat just straight-up bangs, and Boi-1da didn't disappoint at all on this. Plus, the video is very VERY memorable, and really suits with the song and its theme. One of my favourites on the album.
4. Crew Love (feat. The Weeknd)
The first time I heard this, I didn't really fawk with the experimental nature of it, especially the drum things that repeat throughout the whole song (I don't even know what to call it, to be honest). But damn, is this song fire! The whole song is something you could vibe to, with a dark and moody instrumental from Illangelo, 40 & The Weeknd. The Weeknd sings about getting with groupies, while Drake is a lot more serious and introspective about his success and lifestyle. It kinda does feel like it was The Weeknd's song in the first place, and Drake's verse just feels like a feature or even a freakin' remix. Still though, they do their thing, and don't disappoint, and with every listen, I start to like it more, honestly, and I even get used to them drum thingys. What a standout!
5. Take Care (feat. Rihanna)
I never cared about this song, honestly. I didn't like it then, and I still don't like it now. I like how Jamie xx created a great experimental beat, and sampled Gil Scott-Heron for this, but it didn't click like that. Rihanna was aight on the hook, and I didn't really like Drake on this, to be fair. Anyway, on to the next one.
6. Marvin's Room
Out of all the songs Drake has made, I don't really know why I regard this as his softest song ever. There's something about it that don't make it click. Even songs like "Karaoke" and "Sooner Than Later" are known to be a lot soft and simpy, but I happened to kinda like it. But to be honest, I dunno about this. I dig the content though, and it's a lot darker and asshole-y, as he sings about how his ex-girl is now with another man, and gets jealous, wanting to break off their relationship... Wait a minute. To be honest, this is actually pretty good. I never cared for it before, but it does have a nice theme to it, and I really love the dark and moody vibe of this track. It's pretty interesting, and manages to move on from the soft and chill tracks, that he would make on his previous efforts to something a lot more personal and emotional. As usual, the singing on here is nice, and his rapping/singing verse didn't fail to impress, giving a much darker and depressing tone, especially with these bars; "I was just calling cause they were just leaving/Talk to me please don't have much to believe in/I need you right now, are you down to listen to me?". It's pretty intriguing, and I like the style on this. It's very nice to listen to, and it was something to hear a dark and deep track on the album. One of the best songs on the album.
7. Buried Alive (Interlude) [performed by Kendrick Lamar]
Kendrick Lamar, who, at the time, was coming fresh off the release of Section.80, creates a little interlude, which sees his vent out his thoughts on his rise to fame, and how that's gonna change him and his art, or make him egocentric as he has power, money and fame. Because of this, he is giving his life away, with his former self being buried alive, as the title suggests. It's a pretty interesting track, and it was something that was getting at Kenny's future career. Even hearing it now makes the song better than what it was when it first dropped. It makes me respect him even more. A solid track.
8. Under Ground Kings
Along with "The Ride", this is the song I always go back to, when wanting to play some Drake. Here, he pays homage to the legendary UGK (RIP Pimp C), while also being a lot reflective and introspective. T-Minus & 40 come through with a sombre beat, and I like it. Drake's lyricism on here is pretty good, with his 2 verses delivering nicely, as usual. His flow is on point, and it's always great to hear what's on his mind, how he's living his life, and being happy about his fame and success. One of my favourite songs on the album.
9. We'll Be Fine (feat. Birdman)
Oooooh, OK, OK, this shit BANGS!!! Salute to T-Minus & 40, once again, for that banging instrumental. On this celebratory anthem, Drake raps about living life to the fullest, and not worrying about anything. He also touches on various topics, such as dedicating his success to the late Aaliyah, and compliments Nicki on her beauty and success. It's a song which shows how grateful he is about life and how successful and big he has become. Birdman comes through at the end, with a speaking outro, cosigning Drizzy, and also lecturing him. I don't even know why I always laugh at his part, prolly cos of his voice and ad-libs during it. Still though, I like this track.
10. Make Me Proud (feat. Nicki Minaj)
Never really cared for this song, to be honest. The beat is aight, but I always felt Drake & Nicki didn't complement the track on the song. Drake was decent, and I always thought Nicki ruined it for me (she did have a good flow though). Can't lie though, it was a hit, and was good for the clubs and radio.
11. Lord Knows (feat. Rick Ross)
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Almost every track Drizzy & Rozay make together are fire. And this is a prime example. On this hard-hitting track, with a banging beat, courtesy of Just Blaze, Drake & Rick Ross both rap about their lifestyle and success. Drake gets reflective, and also fires shots at Pusha T. Ross, on the other hand, gets a lot more luxurious, and also raps about hustlin' and how he wrote his rhymes. The beat changes a little, especially the drums, and Ross killed that part. It's something I can bump my head to, and Just Blaze didn't disappoint on the boards. God damn!!!!!! One of the best songs on the album.
12. Cameras/Good Ones Go (Interlude)
Now, we get a double track on the album, and instead of it being separate, it's a 7 minute song, which I actually fawk wit. On "Cameras", 40 samples a classic Jon B track for Drake to get a lot dark and chill as he sing-raps about being with a woman and even doing freaky shit with her. He also mentions his crew, and ignore the critics and negative comments. His flow is a lot more lazy and laidback, as the song goes on, and 40 creates such a dark and low-tempo instrumental, with the Jon B sample really complementing the song. His verses delivered, and it's very intriguing. The beat creates an eerie and scary vibe, which even makes me love it more.
But almost 5 minutes in, we get a soft and slow interlude called "Good Ones Go", which sees Drake trying to hit up his old girl in the Summer, telling her to wait on him, and that he hasn't changed. He continues to tell her that he doesn't want her to get engaged or married, showing that he still has feelings for her and isn't ready to give up on her. 40 comes through again with the sombre and deep beat, while The Weeknd has some additional vocals on the hook. It's an aight song, and is pretty relaxing and chill AF. Plus, the transition from "Cameras" to this song is fawkin' nice. Like DAMN! It's a great interlude, which takes a solid break from the other tracks on the album. Overall, in my opinion, "Cameras" is better than "Good Ones Go", although the latter was actually freakin' tight. A strong track on the album.
13. Doing It Wrong
A soft, low-tempo and deep break-up ballad, with production from 40 and a harmonica solo from the legendary Stevie Wonder. I don't really need to say more, do I? It's a pretty good song.
14. The Real Her (feat. Lil Wayne & André 3000)
Weezy & 3 Stacks are on this 5-minute ode to Drake's new love-of-the-moment, which sees him shouting out his favourite cities and the girls there. He starts off by singing that he approves of her career choice of being a stripper, and wanting to meet her friends, who also approve. However, the hook sees Drake feeling like he has been in this situation before, considering his past experiences with girls, and says it's like he knows the "real her". Like the guy he is, he wants to save her, but his friends are stopping him, just in case she disappoints him. Lil Wayne is next, after Drizzy's 2 verses, as he raps about how the relationship with his girl is going. He also manages to come with some sick metaphor lines such as "And I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by it's cover/I don't wanna be in the blind, but sometimes I Stevie Wonder". But damn, André really delivered, and I loved his verse more than the others. His flow was tight, the lyricism and content on his verse was dope and actually very interesting. It was such a renegade on the album, and is one of the reason why he's one of my favourite rappers of all-time. Plus, I loved the beat change on this one, as 40 does a reverse. Overall, I love this track. It's dope as hell, and everyone delivered, especially 3 Stacks. A standout!
15. Look What You've Done
Drake creates a legitimately touching tribute to his mother, Sandi Graham, along with his grandma and uncle. The first verse thanks his mother for all the things she had done for Drake as he raps about how she was struggling and how his success managed to help her. The second verse moves on to his late uncle Steve, talking about the close relationship they've had through his rise to fame. He touches on the love his uncle had for him, and also on a few of the struggles he had, along with Drizzy's father not being able to be with him. Finally, we get an outro from his grandma, wishing him the best and how thankful she is for him. I really love this track. It's a very touching and personal track, and it was nice to see Drizzy open up and be very appreciative of his family and what they've done for him. Love this track.
16. HYFR (Hell Ya F***in Right) [feat. Lil Wayne]
On this banger, Drizzy & Weezy create a celebratory anthem, which has them rapping about different stuff. Drake starts off by rapping about his exes and lessons learned from 2Pac, while Wayne comes with your typical verse, filled with metaphors, a nice flow and dope lines. T-Minus provides a hard-hitting beat for the two to rap their impressive verses on. The video is even pretty dope as well. I used to love this track when it first dropped, and still nothing has changed. A fawkin' banger.
17. Practice
40 samples the classic "Back That Azz Up" (by Juvenile) as Drake speaks about a current girl, and how the other guys she's been with were nothing but practice. "Back That Azz Up" is also heavily interpolated, other than it being sampled. Drake provides 2 verses, which were impressive, and his flow was a lot lazy and laidback, like "Cameras". The content and theme is great, and it was nice to hear Drizzy on some slow and freak shit. Solid song.
18. The Ride
Arguably the best track on the album, point blank. PERIOD. If you've heard the album, and you wanna argue, bring it on. Out of nearly every track on this album, this has to be the most introspective and interesting track on there, and I freakin' love it. Lemme calm down a bit... On this great conclusion, Drake is on his introspective and autobiographical shit, as he talks about his past and present lifestyles, explaining why he doesn't like fans saying they "feel him", not understanding his struggles. The third verse though, really impressed me. Like for real, it was that fire, especially the last few lines:
"You niggas getting older, I see no threat in Yoda
I’m out here messing over the lives of these niggas
That couldn’t fuck with my freshman flow-da
Look at that fucking chip on your nephew's shoulder
My sophomore, I was all for it, they all saw it
My juniors and senior will only get meaner
Take care, nigga"
The Weeknd comes through, crooning throughout the song with his high vocals, prolly turning girls on in the making. The beat is just so nice and alternative, and gives such a chill and sombre vibe. Kudos to Doc McKinney, man. He killed that. I just love this song. It's that great, and is one of my favourite tracks from him. It's one where Drake put most of his emotion in (other than "Look What You've Done"), and he just went in!
I decided to not really review the bonus tracks, cos I really can't be arsed, plus it'd just add on to the already long ass review. All you need to know is that "The Motto" is a great track, and "Hate Sleeping Alone" is average.
Final Thoughts
God damn, do I love Take Care. It was about time Drizzy realised his mistakes and errors on Thank Me Later, cos even I did. And I digged that album. Take Care is a freakin' cohesive piece of work. Drake has clearly improved from Thank Me Later, especially his songwriting ability and content. From start to finish, the album has the same sound and is top-notch. The production is more refreshing, with chill, relaxing and also dark & moody production, mostly from 40. And Drake manages to come with better things to rap and sing about, whether it's being in the club or his success and fame. The features also came through and delivered. The Weeknd did his thing on "Crew Love" and "The Ride". Rick killed his verse on "Lord Knows". And 3 Stacks was fire on "The Real Her". A lot of people say that the album is too long with the 18 (or 20, if you got the deluxe) tracks being on here. But if you ask me, it's just fine. My only problem is Weezy & Nicki. Nicki on "Make Me Proud" was average, and didn't really do the song justice. And even if I liked Wayne's verses at time, it kinda did feel forced, especially on "HYFR". Other than that, Take Care has to be his best work. Even with a few songs that were lacking, I still love it. Buy this! If you a Drake fan and you haven't heard it... what are you doing with your life? It's obvious Drake has found his sound and his footing as an artist. It's a beautiful and cohesive piece of art, and almost every track on the album is a standout or at least recommendable. It's clear that he "took care" of this project.
Recommended Tracks
The Ride
Look What You've Done
Lord Knows
Underground Kings
The Real Her
Headlines
Marvin's Room
Cameras
Crew Love
Almost every track is a standout!
Part 2: coming next week (April 30). In that part, I'm reviewing Nothing Was the Same, If You're Reading This It's Too Late and of course, Views from the 6.
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