Cut Off The Radio
Album Spotlight
Drake: Take Care
Released: November 15th, 2011
What up music fans. Every once in a while an artist releases an album that requires its own post. Drake’s latest release warrants such an event. Before we begin we must clear something up. If you listen to Drake as a rapper you will be disappointed. Flat out. And conversely if you listen to Drake as an R&B artist you will be equally disappointed. If you concern yourself with his rap to sing ratio you won’t get the point. To enjoy Drake’s music you first have to let go of the notion of him being a rapper or singer. He is something the game hasn’t seen before and you can’t place him in a box.
If you look at it square on the surface his last three releases; “Thank Me Later”, “So Far Gone”, and “Comeback Season” are all phenomenal albums. In my opinion he has been on top of the game since 2008. However, you will always hear people who are turned off by the “softness” of his music. I do believe people are mistaking honesty for softness. I know we are used to our rappers telling us lies but has it gone so far that we don’t want to hear the truth? Now I’m not saying this is an album you can hop in the truck with three of your boys and ride out to. But you can’t do that with Kanye albums either and you don’t hear that argument with him. Being that I came up in the golden era of hip hop and when gangsta rap ruled the game I have an affinity for the gritty as well. However, we always made room for acts that weren’t hardcore and there is a place in the game for them. What is even more troubling is that many rappers of this era would not be able to compete in that space in the 90’s but somehow escape the ridicule that Drake seems to always receive. This results in many people turning their backs on good quality music. Not only do they miss probably the best talent to enter the game since 50 Cent they also miss out on a producer operating in rare air. The musical display that Noah Shebib aka “40” puts on every time is nothing short of remarkable. The only other producer in the game operating at this level is Kanye. Even with this in mind many listeners are still turned off by Drake. You can tell this dynamic is not lost on Drake as he raps “I know that showing emotion don’t ever mean that I’m a pussy/know that I don’t make music for ninjas that don’t get pussy/those are the ones I count on to diss me or overlook me”. I think that sums it up.
What is even more perplexing is that many underground heads will try to paint him with the same brush as other mainstream artist. But that isn’t possible when Drake came up through the underground. Drake consistently reps J. Dilla and many other underground artist. Even this album features underground heavyweights The Weeknd, and Kendrick Lamar. With this in mind let’s get to the album.
From the start you get the idea that this isn’t going to be your normal album. With production from 40 Drake sets off the album with two eclectic selections that position his rhyme and sing flow in a position for success. From there you get the certified banger “Headlines” followed up with the first of three collaborations with “The Weeknd”. Ladies and Gentlemen if you don’t know who that is you seriously need to get up on your music. The Weeknd is definitely the most impressive new R&B artist and his contributions to this project are epic. The combination of Drake and The Weeknd creates homeruns each time. Rihanna also makes an appearance which results in one of the best house/R&B connections of the year. In the same vein as Rihanna smash hit “We found love” this track is sure to heat up the charts soon. This trend of using Euro producers might take flight and set a new trend. Kendrick Lamar shows up to take the next track to another place entirely. This connection surprisingly leaves you wanting more from these two artists. With their upcoming tour together we may see more collabs in the future. There are other great moments on the album with Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj but the highlight of the album is the collaboration with Rick Ross. Over a Just Blaze track these two spit the best verses of the album. This connection may have made the hip hop track of the year. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard something this tough. From track 1 to 19 there aren’t any tracks that require an automatic skip. Over time all the tracks will grow on you and create a seamless classic. I’m very selective when I give out a 10 on the volume meter but this effort deserves consideration. Drake deserves it for bringing a new sound to the game and pushing the boundaries of hip hop music. Salute!
Volume Meter: 10 out of 10
Take Care,
G.
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