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Drake full discography5/3/2023 “Too Much” was similarly emotional, yet slower, and explored Drake’s anxiety that came with being the best in the game. “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” was the kind of finger-snapping ballad that would be played for countless walks down the aisle. On the album’s second half, his singing took hold, eschewing the previous dispiriting attempts. From there, the hardcore rapping dominated the first half, Drake giving his rap fan base the bars that they’d salivated over since Thank Me Later. A fan of beat switch ups, Drake attacked the 40-produced instrumental for “Tuscan Leather” that warped from soulful opus to boom-bap slapper, then finally a melancholy backdrop for hushed tones. The album’s first single “Started From The Bottom” made it clear that this iteration of Drake was confident, focused, and ready to break some barriers, the single sounding unlike what both listeners and critics were expecting from a few years of creating Drake music formulas.ĭrake’s rapping was hungrier, more fraught. Drake’s brief hiatus (punctuated with the two song-punch of “Girls Love Beyoncé” and “On My Way” with James Fauntleroy in early 2013) enabled him to gather the best of the ideas of Take Care and magnify them for its follow-up, Nothing Was The Same. On the third act of Drizzy’s musical journey, the icy unpredictably and grizzled production that sounded imported from Toronto, and the often-rote self-reflective tendencies that he’d perfected over the years were the best that they’d ever been. He has since expanded, but to what degree is arguable. But Drake’s debut, if anything else, provided his template. At times, he seemed out-of-breath as he explored his psyche, and without the smart stylings that come with age, he delved into cringeworthy territory with his confessionals. His lyricism was on the head, with violence and drug-dealing off the table, so the only thing that he had to rap about, besides the conquest of love, was himself. Perhaps its worst aspect was that Drake’s shine-the-mirror-on-himself rap style was raw to the point that it was borderline corny. (When was the last time you’ve heard JAY-Z or Young Jeezy on a Drizzy record?) A laundry list of rappers with prestige comprised the album’s feature list, further bolstering its appeal. “Best I Ever Had” and “Shut It Down” mixed the two Drakes, bringing about club melodies and sensual jams for the bedroom at the same time. Swift, ambient production that focused on creating an atmosphere first on every song, empowered Drake to either beat down the listener’s head with overblown punchlines or to use his soft singer’s touch to showcase his, at the time, impressive artistic range. Many wouldn’t continuously place their credibility on the line by venturing out into the world with other cultural mainstays, but that’s what makes him, well, Drake.ĭrake’s swaggering debut may show its age due to Father Time, but when it came out, it was a bold statement and foot in the door for Lil Wayne’s protégé. Still, you’ve got to hand it to him, he’s one of the more adventurous artists in the game. Even when he decided to return to the dancehall for “Madiba Riddim,” the lackluster, indolent attempt couldn’t hold a candle to standouts like “Portland” (mainly because of Travis Scott’s chameleon-like superpowers when he’s the featured artist) and “Gyalchester,” because of its ominous air of finality. Much of the grime work on the album sounded out of sorts, passable at best. More Life was a 22-track celebration without purpose, just because.īut then again-and this becomes a common thread in the path of Drake releases-the Toronto crooner’s ability to trim bloat from projects practically doesn’t exist. Young Thug, Quavo, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz and PartyNextDoor offered their voices as well. Frank Dukes, Boi1-da, Murda Beatz, Kanye West, T-Minus and countless more producers paraded through the door and dropped off beats outside of Drake’s typical palette. Freeing the album from any narrative guise afforded Drizzy the opportunity to throw stuff at the wall ‘til it stuck. Billed as a “playlist,” More Life was boilerplate Drake - surface-level introspective, just enough-type raps and strategic feature placements from the hottest artists that could support the notion that he’s everywhere listening and soaking in game at all times.
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