drake ’so far gone’
Posted on: 4 March 2009
Aubrey Drake Graham, or to go by his rapper alias, Drake, has been on the Hip-Hop radar for a while, with his first self published mixtape, aptly titled ‘Room for improvement’ debuting way back in 2006. With a triple threat of talents, the Canadian could be mistaken for just another actor/singer/rapper, lacking substantial quality in any category.
Which is perhaps where coolography went wrong, with Drake’s latest mixtape, ‘So Far Gone’, being heavily slept on since its release on February 13th. Attracted initially by the beautiful typography on the cover, we hesitantly delved into an album that has been described, maybe unfairly, as a “diet” version of Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak. It’s hard to avoid the comparison; Drake both raps and sings over nu-Kanye-esque beats, and with more than a handful of Lil’ Wayne guest verses peppering his tracks. Often described as a cross between Kanye and Weezy, Drake combines the introspective, playful verses of a young(er) Kanye with punchlines that can run with the best of Weezy’s…
‘So Far Gone’ kicks off with four loosely linked tracks, which form the story of a relationship failing amongst the desires for, and trappings of, success: ‘Lust for Life’, a heartfelt monologue over a magically ethereal Tears for Fears sample; ‘Houstatlantavegas’, with a chorus baffling to those sans-tracklist; the honestly delivered ode ‘Successful’; and ‘Let’s Call it Off’ with Swedes Peter Bjorn and John capping off the first quarter of the album in a markedly different tone.
Drake’s versatility is shown in a number of tracks that would widen eyes of even the most casual of hipsters; ‘Unstoppable’ joins Lil’ Wayne and Drake with Santigold and her own brand of playful electro-pop; with indie singer Lykke Li, Drake crafts a charmingly sweet remix of ‘Little Bit’; ‘Uptown’ sees Drake, Bun B and Lil’ Wayne going hard over a surprisingly sampled ‘Uptown Girl’ by Billy Joel.
Dropping into harder hip-hop, Drake applies 3 vocal variations, rapping, singing, chopping and screwing, to a menacingly claustrophobic beat sampling B.I.G’s ‘Warning’. ‘Ignant Shit’ is a 5 minute barrage of non stop punchlines from both Drake and Weezy, over Jay-Z’s interpretation of the Isley classic ‘Between the Sheets.’ Comparisons to 808s and Heartbreak are left to no coincidence as soon as the familiar beeps of West’s ‘Say you Will’ begin to pop in ‘Say What’s Real’; the track could easily come from an alternate reality version of 808s & Heartbreak, had Kanye decided to utilise his aptitude for rapping rather than his heavily aided attempts at singing.
Which is where Drake impresses most, we believe. Aside from capably and frankly spitting over electro/indie/hip-hop beats, Drake can croon along with the best of them. And croon with the best of them he does, with Drake bringing in three of the top young R&B stars today (Lloyd, Omarion, and Trey Songz) to add a surprisingly hefty dose of smooth R&B to round out the album. ‘A Night Off’ evokes the humid vibes of late 90’s Timbaland slow jams, and later ‘Bria’s Interlude’ actually goes so far as to dip into this pool, sampling the Ginuwine and Missy Elliot classic ‘Takeaway’.
Drake soon ends the album by letting himself shine, no doubt a relief from holding his own against the formidable likes of Lil’ Wayne, Trey Songz and Santigold, wrapping up neatly an album that goes far beyond any initial comparisons to a “Diet” 808s and Heartbreak. Displaying a versatility and eclecticism absent in so much of Hip-Hop today, Drake further impresses on the realisation that this is simply a Mixtape. Sadly, his forthcoming album is unlikely to match the same feel of this release, but coolography will no doubt follow Drake closely in what could be the year he finally breaks through and garners the attention he deserves.
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