Back in 2007, my boy Eric Sutton kept telling me about this kid he and his brother T-Slack of Bigger Picture Entertainment Management were repping named Drake. Eric used to work at the now defunct Loud Record during Mobb Deep and the Wu's heyday. Eric eventually worked at my law firm and then we both went on to work at MTV. Anyways, Eric kept calling me like every other day about how this kid Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) was really the next shit. He'd call me telling me how Sylvia Rhone, President of Universal Records' Motown wanted to sign Drake but flaked. Then he told me how he and his brother introduced Drake to Lil' Wayne and how he did a song with Trey Songs. I remember Eric telling me how dude was not only a crazy emcee/ rapper, but was also a dope singer, Canadian and an actor who starred in the Canadian teen drama televison series "Degrassi: The Next Generation", and who also happened to be down with the teen pop band The Jonas Brother as well. Uhm, a Canadian actor/sanga turnt rapper down with the Jonas Brothers and Lil Weezy? Fukouttahere! Not dissing Eric, but I'd go through the motion of listening to bits and pieces, then kept it all the way moving.
Last week, Drake dropped his latest mixtape, "So Far Gone". I once again went through the motion of downloading it, but really didn't get a chance to dig into it [||] until this weekend. YO! You need to cop this shit NOW or go out to your barn and kill yourself painfully with some gardening tools. This kid is the perfect blend of new school hipster hip hop (notice I didn't say rap) with that crazy gully lyrical wordplay shit that kniccas from New York in the '90's used to jones for.
Oh, did I mention how this kid even gets emo in this? This is the effin "album" Kanye clumsily tried to drop with that "808's" bullshit, only Drake sings way better and bares his soul much nicer (Sorry Dallas). And he ain't even on no heartbreak tip yet. Unlike "808's", Drake manages to serve up a healthy portion of emceeing. He also murdalizes Kanye's "Say You Will" track. MURDALIZES! I would love to hear this kid when someone actually does break his heart, for reals.
Because Lil' Wayne endorsed Drake, there are a couple of tracks featuring Young Money. Those that know me know I don't eff's with Weezy that tough, but "So Far Gone" is one of those joints where Weezy really brings some of his "A" game material, so much so that I'm actually feeling his features on this. Yeah, I said it.
I just glimpsed somewhere that Drake mentions that his album (he's signed to Interscope Records) will not sound anything like this mixtape. Bummers. But if he brings a quarter of what he dropped here, this kid has the future on lock!
Drake's "So Far Gone" is the hottest mixtape out. Cop that shit while you can. This is an official Combat Jack co-sign.
No Stanery though.
download courtesy of Drizzy's own blog: October's Very Own
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Alright, you're the second person whose opinion I actually value who has said this is the shit. Because of that I'm gonna check it out tonight and see what's what.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that I've ignored and avoided all things Drake since I first heard about him rapping. And I'll admit that the reason I've ignored and avoided his music is because he's a star on a cheesy Canadian teen soap opera.
But, like I said, two people who I think have good taste have said the same shit about this so I gotta check him out now.
Word. Drake been on my radar for eons. I have to admit that as a whole "Comback Season" > "So Far Gone" but I feel that lyrically "So Far Gone" > "Comeback Season" I wish there were less singing and more of him going in formatted the same way as his previous release "Comeback Season."
ReplyDeleteDrake def has that wordplay on smash. I need him to put this kind of stuff on an official album. If the industry gets a hold of this kid and dilutes his stuff down for marketing purposes, I'm going to throw tomatoes at every Interscope employee behind that project.
How many up and coming rappers do you know have the streets buzzing so hard over a damn mixtape? Hopefully when his time comes to release his album, I only hope he doesn't loses his spark. I feel like he revived my eardrums. True story.
Glad you seen the light CJ.
I actually thought Comeback Season was a bit corny (yes, I said corny) so I've avoided this mixtape but if you say it's better than 808s then I'll check it out. I actually loved 808s and this joint is free right? I likes free
ReplyDeleteI downloaded this for free and I still want my money back. You lost me with this one Jack.
ReplyDeleteI'll double-down on the first half of this.. everything after and including "Unstoppable" is lukewarm.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are man enough to give lil wayne credit when he does a good job. Some critics hate an artist and even if he drops a hot verse they will hate on it off GP.
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